Smoking a turkey for Easter

Soak the turkey for 24 hours in a  curing salt and ice water

Put in the smoker at 225 degrees for 12 hours or until the bird is 165 degrees
Add wine, beer or water to the water pan

Add apple woods chips soaked in water.

I add a fully cooked ham later so it would baste the turkey and add to the flavor of the ham.

Slice and serve.

Historians believe the act of smoking meat originated centuries ago with ancient man. Fish was the first meat smoked. The smoke possibly was a way to keep flies away during the drying process, but people soon realized it also doubled as a preservative. In ninth century Poland, there is archaeological evidence showing people smoked large amounts of fish.

With the advent of cooking over fire, smoking meat was born, and with it an important means of preserving meat. Early man learned that smoke cured meat. It would keep for long periods, and provide sustenance when no other foods were available.



Cooking meat with smoke preserves in two ways; by dehydration, and by the curing properties of the chemicals in the smoke. Each prevent bacterial growth, making it possible to store the meat for extended periods without refrigeration. Smoke curing and drying meat were the only preservation methods besides salting that were available before refrigeration.

I think you can safely assume that wherever people cooked food with fire, they also realized that the smoke from the fire acted as a preservative when it was absorbed into foods. And another thing they realized was that the right amount of smokiness improved the flavor of the foods.


Nowadays, meats and fish are smoked to add flavor, and for the most part, not for preservation. When meat is flavored with smoke it becomes a delicacy, something very special.