First, cut off the band of skin that is holding the drumsticks onto the bird with a carving knife or paring knife if your carving knife is too big (the bones should already pull apart easily).  Firmly grab the end of the drumstick and then slick through the skin holding the drumstick in place while you gently pull it away from the bird.  You should easily be able to take the drumstick off and place it aside on the serving tray or plate.

Second, use your serving fork to hold the bird in place by inserting it into the top of the turkey.  Then, make a long cut, horizontally across the wing joints down through the frame of the turkey.  The wing will more than likely come apart from the bird while you make this cut, just place it aside on the serving tray as well.

Third, cut down through the turkey with a carving knife, with an even stroke that starts about halfway up the side of the turkey breast on either side.  As soon as you get to the wing joint, close to where you just were, the piece that you just cut should fall off to the side.

Fourth, you want to keep making these types of slices across the breast of the turkey, moving upward until you reach the top of the bird.  You should be able to get several larger slices of turkey breast by using this method, and some smaller ones as well.  Place them aside on the serving tray or plate and continue working your way up the turkey.

Fifth, you want to start back at the first step above, just on the opposite side of the turkey that you are on now.  You’ll start over with the drumstick, move to the wing, and then on to slicing the turkey breast.

Once you have finished both sides, you should have several large pieces of turkey breast, the drumsticks and wings on your serving plate.  Then, you can move on to other smaller areas of the turkey that hold the dark meat or other pieces of light meat that you might have missed in your first cuts.

Slicing up a turkey for Thanksgiving or any holiday is very easy if you form these easy turkey carving tips.  You don’t have to worry about learning how to carve a turkey from some book or think it’s harder than it really is.  Carving a turkey is very simple and a great way to enjoy the company of your family and friends during the holidays.  If you still are worried or unsure about carving the turkey, you can always as one of your guests to carve it for you.  Either way, you will end up with a great holiday meal.

Feel free to use our print-off instructions:

Click this image to view/print the Butchers Turkey Carving Instructions.

Here’s a helpful and quick video:

1. Steak knives – everyone needs at least a set of 6 steak knives in their home kitchen.  You never know when you’ll have company over for a big meal, and butter knives just won’t do the job.  Steak knives are essential to a kitchen knift set, and are so versatile that you can use them for almost anything.

2. Paring knives – these are the shorter blade knives, usually about 4″ or so.  These are used for paring potatoes, fruits, other veggies, and for cutting and dicing.

3. Carving knives – while you may not need many of these, you should have at least one.  This way, you always have a large knife ready when you do need to carve something larger, such as a turkey.

4. Filet knives – these are thin blades that vary in length but offer the perfect way to slice thin layers off of anything with precision.  These can be used for fruits, veggies, meats, and more and are extremely versatile.

5. Bread knives – you will always find a use for one of the longer bread knives out there in your kitchen knife sets.  The most popular length is the 8″ bread knife, and you will find that it is way more useful for more than just bread.

6. Chef knives – these are the larger knives that are really a multi-use knife.  They can carve, they can slice, they can cut larger pieces of meats and other foods.  And, they are a must have in anyone’s kitchen knife set.

7. Peeler – now, you can easily find these really cheap at your local discount store, but you need a good quality peeler in your kitchen knife set.  A good quality peeler will stand up over time and to the hardest veggies and fruits.

8. Boning knives – these are basically a steak knife that has a thinner blade.  They are great for deboning fish and for so many other uses when you don’t quite need a heavy steak knife.

9. Melon baller – while maybe not technically a knife, these are a great specialty knife item to have in your arsenal as they are for more than just melons.  You’ll find tons of great recipes that call for meat balls and other items that you can cut your time in half just by using a melon baller.

10. Sharpening steel – you need one of these in your kitchen knife sets so you can easily sharpen any of your knives when they become dull.  Without one of these handy, you might find yourself tearing up that juicy tomato instead of slicing it for your meal.

11. Wood block – these are classic kitchen knife set holders and offer a great way to store your knives safely and still have them in reach when you need them.

Also, you want to make sure that you have a good quality wooden cutting board to use when using any of your knives from your kitchen knives sets.  When you cut foods on your cabinet or plates, you run the risk of damaging your kitchen knives – not to mention, contaminating the food.  By using a good quality wooden cutting board, you won’t have to worry about any damage to your kitchen knives.

The next time that you are out shopping for kitchen knives or for a gift set, make sure that you keep this checklist for the basic kitchen knife set in mind so you are sure to get exactly what is needed – and nothing that isn’t.  Here on www.ebladestore.com you will find a wide variety of beautiful kitchen knives and sets that will help you create the best kitchen knife set for your needs.

1.  Keep kitchen knives for kitchen use!  It’s easy to grab a knife to use as a hammer, to pry things open, or use as a hammering instrument.  Many times these projects will bend the tip of your knife or damage them in some other way.  Set aside one or two knives that you can use for these purposes to make sure your other knives stay in the best condition.

2.  Although many knives are considered dishwasher safe, a dishwasher’s harsher chemicals and food debris flying around will all cause knives to lose there sharp edge much quicker than a gentle hand washing.  Its better for the longevity of the blade if you hand wash them in warm soapy water using regular dish washing detergent.  Dry them and store them right away after washing them.

3.  If you have wood handled knives, they need extra consideration.  Make sure you don’t soak wood handles in water as this will cause them to swell.  Wash them and dry them right away, and occasionally put a light coating of lemon oil or wood polish on them to keep the wood from drying out and becoming brittle.

4.  Store your knives in a wood butcher block, or at least separately from other utensils.  Keeping the blades free from getting bumped or banged around by other kitchen utensils will keep them sharper and from getting scratched up.

5.  Sharpen knives every two to three years, or more often for heavy use.  You don’t want to over-sharpen as small parts of metal are removed from your blade every time you sharpen.  You do want to keep them sharp though, as a matter of safety and ease of use.  There are many types of sharpeners and many techniques that can be used.  We will cover sharpening information in future articles.

These five tips should help your knives remain useful tools for you to use for many years to come!  If you have any tips and tricks you personally use, leave a comment and we’ll send you a discount for your next purchase of kitchen knives at eBladeStore.com.