Hotlines galore

Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer a variety of specialist answers to cooking and food-safety questions during holiday preparation times. Here are some of them:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (800) 535-4555.

Food safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number.

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372.

Home economists and nutritionists answer holiday cooks’ questions, in both English and Spanish. The company operates its Turkey Talk-Line 6 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays; 6 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends through Nov. 21; and 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: (800) 255-7227.

Turkey-cooking questions are answered and information given by live operators 24 hours a day Nov. 15-Nov. 26. After that date, Helpline is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours voice mail is available.

Turkeyline: (888) 723-4468.

Provided by Shady Brook Farms, a 24-hour, seven days-a-week, automated culinary guidance and recipe service offered by famous chefs and winemakers, through Jan. 1. Available in Spanish.

Empire Kosher consumer-affairs hot line: (800) 367-4734.

Help is offered by consumer-affairs representatives year-round 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 a.m. to noon Friday. Program offers recipes, newsletter, video, tips on defrosting and cooking poultry. Closed Jewish and secular holidays, including Thanksgiving.

Ocean Spray consumer help line (800) 662-3263.

Year-round 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. Consumer department staff field questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information, menu-planning worksheets, product information.

Reynolds Turkey Tips Line (800) 745-4000.

A year-round 24-hour automated hot line offers advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options, free brochure and recipes.

On the Internet:

www.eatturkey.com. The National Turkey Federation Web site has a Thanksgiving cooking tips page, with specific recipes and advice, among its year-round general information.