Why Martha Stewart Suggests Using a Clean T-Shirt to Cook Your Thanksgiving Turkey

The lifestyle mogul shared cooking tips on Today as part of its Thanksgiving '21 Together Again extravaganza

Photo: Today Show/Twitter

No cheesecloth for your Thanksgiving turkey? Martha Stewart has a unique substitute that you definitely have on hand.

In an appearance on Today on Wednesday, a day ahead of the big holiday, the lifestyle mogul shared cooking tips on the show's Thanksgiving '21 Together Again extravaganza.

During the segment, more than 20 chefs offered viewers clever tips and substitute ingredients or items that can be used on Thanksgiving.

"If you don't have a cheesecloth for my turkey 101 and you must cover the turkey with a cheesecloth, make sure you go into your husband's clean T-shirt drawer and you get a T-shirt like that and you soak that in the butter and white wine and then you drape that over the bird," Martha said while walking viewers through the process.

"Oh, it works almost as well," said Stewart, adding that she'll be cooking on Thanksgiving.

Cheesecloths are traditionally used for making cheese but have other uses in the kitchen and around the home. When making a turkey, a cheesecloth is used by people who prefer not to baste the bird every half hour.

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli uses a cheesecloth for her Butter-Roasted Turkey with Sherry-Dijon Gravy (get the recipe here).

While sharing the recipe with PEOPLE in 2019 she explained that the thin piece of cotton gets soaked in melted butter and placed over the turkey breast, just as Stewart suggests doing with a T-shirt.

The cheesecloth prevents the top skin from burning, she added, also noting it helps slow down the cooking process of the breast.