Having Turkey Troubles? The Butterball Help Line Can Text You Tips

Cooking an entire turkey is a once-a-year activity for most Americans. The giant Thanksgiving bird is notoriously difficult to master thanks (in part) to its large size and readiness to completely dry out. If you're struggling to make the perfect holiday dinner this year, all you need to do is send a text, and the good people at Butterball will get back to you with some helpful tips.

According to Slate, Butterball sells about 1 billion pounds of turkey to hungry buyers each year. The brand is pretty much synonymous with the birds, so it makes sense that they're the ones to call when you're having trouble in the kitchen. Every holiday season since 1981, the company has set up a hotline for culinary emergencies. Veteran Thanksgiving cooks know you can call 1-800-BUTTERBALL to get a helping hand from the experts, and now you can text them, too. The service will be available 24/7 from November 17 to November 24.

"We're just evolving based on consumers' needs," Sue Smith, co-director of Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, told Slate. "It's the natural progression for the talk line."

Butterball enlists 50 pros to tackle over 100,000 calls every holiday season, and they've slowly been expanding their outreach for years. To keep up with modern modes of communication, they've moved to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They've also diversified their speakers by hiring more men and Spanish-speaking experts.

Despite the changes in the callers and how they get information, Butterball's co-directors told Slate that customer questions are largely the same today as they were back when the hotline first went live. Whether you need help with the cooking process or just want some reassurance, remember there's a team of qualified people waiting to help—and they're only a text away.

[h/t Slate]