Fowl FAQ

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

Turkey FAQ
Giblets, gobbling, and gizzards


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How Much Longer Do We Have To Eat Turkey?

Cooked turkey is good for about 3 or 4 days, while gravy and stuffing only make it for 1 or 2 days. Frozen turkey will keep for 4 to 6 months. The less resilient gravy and stuffing are only good for about a month after freezing.

What Exactly is a Giblet?

Giblets are the edible internal parts of a fowl, including the gizzard, heart, liver, and neck. They are normally removed, placed into a plastic bag, and then reinserted into the turkey's vacant body cavity. A Southern tradition is to make gravy stock from it, while most people just give them to their dog or threaten their children with them.

What's a Gizzard?

The gizzard is a part of the turkey's stomach that helps it digest harsher items, like seeds.
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What's the Point of Gobbling?

The gobble is a seasonal call that only males make. Female turkeys make a clicking noise. Males, or, toms, gobble when they hear loud noises and when they settle in for the night. One can hear a turkey gobbling up to a mile away on a quiet day.

Is There A Name for That Thing That Hangs Off a Turkey's Neck?

That fleshlike appendage is called the wattle. It can grow to great size, and is extremely elastic. Most breeders remove them at a young age.

* For more turkey trivia see Turkey Facts. *


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