I read while researching turkey articles that fresh turkeys are worth the money. I always cooked the freebie Giant turkeys every year and I'm considering buying a fresh turkey this year. What is your experience, is it worth the cost?
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We've been getting a fresh turkey from The Fresh Market for the last 10+ years. We think it has been worth it, although I can't speak to any other fresh options.
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Fresh can still be frzn. Just cannot be colder than 26-27*F degrees. Can still be called fresh. BIL owns Deli.Comment
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Man, I'd like to get a fresh turkey...like one that just landed from the WKRP helicopter! But seriously, if I could ever find a real freshly butchered turkey I'd love to try it.Comment
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Picking ours up tomorrow from the butcher. I like that they are not injected period. We both have to watch our sodium so it's perfect for us. They have always been excellent. Nice that we can control the flavor profile 100%.Comment
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Done fresh. It's frozen and has been for years. The twist this year for the first time, It's 2 14# rather than 28#. IMHO if prepared properly and seasoned as you like then cooked to the proper I.T. what's the difference? Between the gravy, stuffing, candied yams, and grilled baby carrots or your goto sides, you tell me you'll say this bird was frozen! Oh and the libations. Maybe you can taste the difference, not I. On another note, as much as the food is important, it's looking around the table to see who I'm sharing that frozen bird with. I've always cheered Meathead saying. It's not what's on the table it's who's around the table. At 73 that's more a priority for me.Comment
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I have also done a fresh bird in years past. First, as noted above, they’re not really “fresh”. They’ve been frozen. Regardless, I couldn’t tell the difference. I think it’s more important to properly cook whatever type of bird you use. And as also noted above, who cares? There’s so much going on that it doesn’t really matter. Have fun and enjoy the people you are with.Comment
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No.Comment
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I’ve never done a fresh turkey. In theory it sounds like the way to go…who wants a frozen steak, right?
But reflecting on the comments above…by the time you add in all the sides, then cover the turkey in gravy and cranberries….could I tell the difference?Comment
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I kind of lean toward the frozen side myself. I went with a fancy ham one year and could not tell it from my usual grocery store freebee. Still I committed today to get a fresh turkey this year. I will see how it works out, the worst case scenario would be I'm out a few bucks.Comment
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Had a fresh wild turkey a few years ago that me and a friend hunted on a property here, next to Leader Lake, where the turkeys are fed twice a day by the property owner and then they live in the adjacent woods. I expected it to be great but it was gamey and lean. Wasn't too impressed. Then a friend of mine gave me half of one of the two turkeys he raises each year in his backyard. He feeds them exclusively and they just hang out getting fat all year. They were huge and better than anything I've ever had. Sooo good. I like dark meat, the skin, liver and gizzards. All of it was superb.
He names both turkeys each year as well. One is named Thanksgiving and the other... Christmas.
And since being spoiled by his turkeys, other than eating what other people cook, I'm happy with smoking up a couple drumsticks and calling it good. Just bought a couple to add to my ground smoke with @CN, sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 🍗😊
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No. It's just marketingComment
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We bought a fresh turkey a couple years ago and saw no difference from frozen. Since then we've gone back to frozen.Comment
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I'll pick up fresh in a pinch, or if I'm not feeling the "defrosting vibe" all that much.Comment
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I bought fresh a couple of times over the years, but by the time it was brined or dry brined, seasoned, and smoked/grilled/rotisseried, we could not see much difference. I prefer one that is not injected or at least has lower sodium levels, and I do adjust my brining based on the sodium content on the label. The past couple of years, it has been Publix brand frozen for 49 cents per pound for the win. In fact, this year's turkey is an 18 pound bird that I apparently bought for 49 cents per pound, dropped to the bottom of the chest freezer, and forgot about last year! I think I bought two, thinking I would do another at Christmas time. It spent an entire year at -25 to -30 in my deep freeze...Comment
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Carolyn I didn't realize that, but he has! 467 videos, going back thirteen years. That is a body of work, to be sure. I like how his first video from 2012 is how to dice and onion.
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Michael_in_TX I need to go back that far. I only recently started watching his vids, and so he retires right after. Go figure. He had a cooking school, so I am not surprised he started teaching basics. I think he started his current channel after he had to close his school because of the pandemic. I like him because he isn't a food snob, and he looks like he has fun.
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