What Is A “Self-Basting” Turkey?

As a life-long "foodie", I end up being the person a lot of my friends and co-workers come to with their food-related questions.  With the holidays just around the corner, I'm starting to get questions specifically about turkey.

One of my friends asked what the term "self-basting" meant.

Simply, a "self-basting turkey" is a bird that has been injected with flavorings (usually salt) and fat to assure moisture when it's roasted.  The food industry primarily injects turkeys before they're frozen, although I have heard of "self-basting" fresh turkeys.

Do you need a "self-basting" turkey?  Well, first - good luck finding one these days that isn't.  Most commercially-processed turkeys these days have been injected - although if you look hard enough, you can probably still find  some brands that haven't been.