What Are Pop-Up Timers in Turkeys Made Of?

As you get your turkey ready for the big day, you might have noticed a little white tube sticking out of your bird. Most likely the packaging holding your bird advertised with pride that the turkey has a pop-up timer that will pop when the turkey is done. What is this pop-up timer made of? Inside there is a spring that is held down by an epoxy. This epoxy melts somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 degrees, thus releasing the spring and the timer "pops up". The biggest problem with these things is that they are always inserted into the white meat. Now 180 degrees is what you want the dark meat at, but the white meat will be dry when it reaches 180. So instead I would recommend using a probe thermometer, instead of the pop-up timer. This is better for two reasons, first you don't have to open the oven door to see if the pop-up timer, popped. Second, you can know exactly when the white meat is done without overcooking it. However make sure you do NOT remove the pop-up timer or you will create a nice hole in your turkey for juices to escape.