Let’s talk turkey.

As Thanksgiving gatherings will be smaller and or nonexistent this year, what is going to happen to the turkeys bred to be the primary protein on the holiday table? Will the smaller birds be more desirable than those big Tom turkeys? Frankly, I do not know How long a turkey reaches maturity so I don’t know if the farmers were able to breed less. I am hearing that families are planning to cook only a turkey breast as their guest list decreases. What are you all doing?

Hi,

On Thanksgiving day, I will go to Jewel to buy a frozen turkey in the range of 20 pounds or more. Upon returning home, I will strip off the plastic wrapper and put it in a 325 degree oven. I will go back to bed for two hours until I need to check on it.

It will be our dinner on the big day for four people, then eaten in various ways until it disappears.

What size turkey will end up on our table will be nail biting experience. In the worst case, I make a duck with turkey another day.

Regards,
CAthy2

We've ordered Thanksgiving from Alinea. Via Tock:

Alinea wrote:Alinea Thanksgiving Dinner
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a traditional feast from The Alinea Group.

Your meal includes a fresh & free-range turkey, compound butter, herbs & spices, and detailed cooking instructions from Chef Achatz. Enjoy delicious appetizers, sides & dessert for a complete Thanksgiving experience.

Appetizers:
• Shrimp Cocktail w/ Horseradish Sauce
• Butternut Squash Soup w/ Pumpernickel Croutons & Date Mousse
• Baked Brie w/ Pear & Caramelized Onion Chutney & Walnut Bread

Sides:
• Green Bean Casserole
• 50/50 Mashed Potatoes
• Cranberry & Orange Compote
• Fall Salad, Candied Walnuts, Croutons
• Turkey Gravy
• Roasted Garlic & Sage Stuffing

Dessert:
• Pumpkin Pie w/ Whipped Cream

Probably be eating for days ...

As per our custom for 40 years, I will pick up a fresh unfrozen unadulterated free range Wisconsin Turkey on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
As per the past two years of smaller gatherings, I will disassemble for Turkey leg thigh. wings, guts for gravy and two breasts. One breast will be butterflied, stuffed and tied with the skin as a covering. The rest frozen. The carcass and wing tips will go into a stock pot and the stock will be frozen.
When we had large gatherings, I used to purchase a second store bought fresh turkey for parts for the coming year.
-Richard

We will go with a 6 to 8 pound capon. Dry aged, spatchcocked and roasted on a U-rack (an upside down rib rack) that is elevated for 360° air flow. This almost halves the roasting time; I'm guessing 45 mins at 450°F.

How do you dry age a capon?
Most capon I see these days are frozen.

My small-household experience is that smaller turkeys get snapped up early and that, as the last few days to Thanksgiving count down, all that can be found are very large ones. So if I do buy a whole turkey this year, I will look for a small frozen one about two weeks in advance.

Katie wrote:My small-household experience is that smaller turkeys get snapped up early and that, as the last few days to Thanksgiving count down, all that can be found are very large ones. So if I do buy a whole turkey this year, I will look for a small frozen one about two weeks in advance.

In the news, it's been stated producers are planning to make smaller turkeys more easily available this year. Certainly getting your turkey earlier is better than being disappointed.

Regards.
Cathy2

budrichard wrote:How do you dry age a capon?
Most capon I see these days are frozen.

Bud,
More specificely, I could have said dry brine.

Dartagnon does overnight fresh capons but the cost is quite high. Minowa frozen capons are easily found.

Tim

I believe in the past I have purchased live Capon from John’s Live Poultry.

What's the cheapest prices for turkey you've seen? I saw Meijer has frozen turkeys for $0.38/lb or $0.31 with an mPerks coupon. If you have freezer space, now is the time to stock up!

Jim-Bob wrote:What's the cheapest prices for turkey you've seen? I saw Meijer has frozen turkeys for $0.38/lb or $0.31 with an mPerks coupon. If you have freezer space, now is the time to stock up!

In this week's ad - Jewel has Jennie-O Frozen Whole Turkeys - $.47/lb.

A nearby High end Butcher shop is selling 16 lb. brined Cherrywood Smoked Turkeys for $14.LB. I can't even fathom someone spending $224. for a 16 lb. turkey. Maybe it's just me.

Marshall K wrote:A nearby High end Butcher shop is selling 16 lb. brined Cherrywood Smoked Turkeys for $14.LB. I can't even fathom someone spending $224. for a 16 lb. turkey. Maybe it's just me.

No, not just you. That's insane.

=R=

Marshall K wrote:A nearby High end Butcher shop is selling 16 lb. brined Cherrywood Smoked Turkeys for $14.LB. I can't even fathom someone spending $224. for a 16 lb. turkey. Maybe it's just me.

Milt's at least includes stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, pumpkin pie, and cornbread, for just a bit more. And it's Kosher.

I could be mistaken, but I think I saw HoKa turkey breasts at Sunset today for $13.99/lb.

Has anyone seen Bell & Evans whole turkeys or turkey breasts/other pieces anywhere in the north suburbs? Sunset is suddenly awash with packaged, frozen, mostly breaded B&E chicken products, as well as a very few fresh products (whole chicken), but no turkeys. I thought Sunset was my best bet for finding a B&E whole turkey or turkey breast.

Meanwhile, until I find one, I bought some turkey wings at Sunset to cook in the Instant Pot to make stock and gravy, per similar instructions in the IP thread for chicken stock.

For future reference, Old Glory Farm, $4.50/#.
This may be expensive to some but certainly cheaper than some of the prices Posted and I’ll wager certainly better than any Posted.
You have to reserve early and travel a little but an excellent turkey.
Mine will be processed Monday and picked up Tuesday.
Old glory is right next to Alpine Valley. http://www.oldgloryfarmwisconsin.com/Bu ... ornContact
-Richard

Well, the cheapest turkey I've seen this year was a free one a friend got, who then gave it to me. I think she got it for spending $100 at a Winco Grocery store here in Salem Oregon. A 12 pound Jenn-o whole turkey.

I haven't cooked a turkey in over thirty years, so I may need some ideas on how to do cook it.

Thanksgiving is the Big Holiday of the year in our family. Over the last 20 years, I've gradually distilled the components and ratios to make a reliable dinner that everyone likes, with enough to A) snack off of for the next three days so I do not have to lift a dang finger, and B) make enough frozen lunches for Fork to take to the lab for a couple of weeks. In our house, that still means an 18-pound bird. We got an organic free-range turkey at $2.99/lb on sale from Whole Foods, which is currently settled in a cooler with lots of ice packs, and it will go into a dry brine starting this Saturday. Time to brush up on that Good Gravy thread!

For one of my colleagues B-Day, I made some roast ducks last Friday. We have a full kitchen and a Weber at the office. When I went to buy them at the Piggly Wiggly, Jenn-O turkeys were $0.39/Lb. Bought a 14.82 Lber for $5.79. In our freezer for another day. How can you be hungry in this country. That turkey could be over a week of meals counting the carcass soup.

Puckjam wrote:For one of my colleagues B-Day, I made some roast ducks last Friday. We have a full kitchen and a Weber at the office. When I went to buy them at the Piggly Wiggly, Jenn-O turkeys were $0.39/Lb. Bought a 14.82 Lber for $5.79. In our freezer for another day. How can you be hungry in this country. That turkey could be over a week of meals counting the carcass soup.

How can anyone make money selling turkeys at retail for 39 cents a pound?

spinynorman99 wrote:

Puckjam wrote:For one of my colleagues B-Day, I made some roast ducks last Friday. We have a full kitchen and a Weber at the office. When I went to buy them at the Piggly Wiggly, Jenn-O turkeys were $0.39/Lb. Bought a 14.82 Lber for $5.79. In our freezer for another day. How can you be hungry in this country. That turkey could be over a week of meals counting the carcass soup.

How can anyone make money selling turkeys at retail for 39 cents a pound?

Easy - it's a loss leader. It will stimulate other sales of more profitable goods.

Dave148 wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

Puckjam wrote:For one of my colleagues B-Day, I made some roast ducks last Friday. We have a full kitchen and a Weber at the office. When I went to buy them at the Piggly Wiggly, Jenn-O turkeys were $0.39/Lb. Bought a 14.82 Lber for $5.79. In our freezer for another day. How can you be hungry in this country. That turkey could be over a week of meals counting the carcass soup.

How can anyone make money selling turkeys at retail for 39 cents a pound?

Easy - it's a loss leader. It will stimulate other sales of more profitable goods.

It's not like they're paying a dollar a pound for the privilege of selling it at 39 cents. They may be selling it at cost or a few cents below cost. It takes probably 50 pounds of feed to raise a turkey. Unless they're stealing the feed it just doesn't seem viable to sell at such a low price -- even in massive volume.

There's also the issue of not being able to sell larger turkeys. Due to the pandemic, customers don’t want the mega birds that, perhaps in the past, helped them feed a couple dozen friends and family.

That’s creating some supply and demand issues, and changes in customer habits.

We all like dark meat in my family of 4. My parents (in their 80s) like white. No family gathering this year, so I did the following: purchased 6 whole turkey legs w/thigh and 1 small breast from Harrison's Poultry in Glenview.

I will make the legs for my family, and bring my parents 1/2 breast and 1 leg (along with other sides + dessert so they don't have to do anything). We will keep the other 1/2 breast for turkey salad, turkey pumpkin enchiladas etc.

What I like about Harrisons is they also have really great frozen matzo balls. The bones from the legs will make a delish bone broth for the matzo balls.

spinynorman99 wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

Puckjam wrote:For one of my colleagues B-Day, I made some roast ducks last Friday. We have a full kitchen and a Weber at the office. When I went to buy them at the Piggly Wiggly, Jenn-O turkeys were $0.39/Lb. Bought a 14.82 Lber for $5.79. In our freezer for another day. How can you be hungry in this country. That turkey could be over a week of meals counting the carcass soup.

How can anyone make money selling turkeys at retail for 39 cents a pound?

Easy - it's a loss leader. It will stimulate other sales of more profitable goods.

It's not like they're paying a dollar a pound for the privilege of selling it at 39 cents. They may be selling it at cost or a few cents below cost. It takes probably 50 pounds of feed to raise a turkey. Unless they're stealing the feed it just doesn't seem viable to sell at such a low price -- even in massive volume.

COVID-19 Thanksgiving feast will be cheapest in a decade

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

On Thanksgiving day, I will go to Jewel to buy a frozen turkey in the range of 20 pounds or more. Upon returning home, I will strip off the plastic wrapper and put it in a 325 degree oven. I will go back to bed for two hours until I need to check on it.

It will be our dinner on the big day for four people, then eaten in various ways until it disappears.

What size turkey will end up on our table will be nail biting experience. In the worst case, I make a duck with turkey another day.

Regards,
Cathy2

My gamble paid off. Just before 8:00 am, I went directly to the turkey freezer case. In the 47 cent per pound bin, there were only two turkeys weighing in at 22.5 pounds each.

By 8:30 am, this turkey went into a 325 degree oven. I took a nap until 11:00 am, I removed the giblet bag. Removed the plastic confining the legs and spread them out. The neck was still encased in ice.

At 12:30 pm, I finally got the neck out and any excess fluid in the cavity.

Turkey will done between 2:30 and 3:30 pm, though time will tell. Well, I took a temperature check at 2:05 to find the turkey was done.

I keep reading recommendations to let your turkey rest for the same amount of time it took to cook. I think it does not apply to fresh from the freezer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Regards,
Cathy2

Cath--

I like your way better than the defrosting a frozen bird in the fridge for umpteen days.

Twice in the last year, we have tried the Jennie-O 12# turkey in a bag, 'frozen-to-oven'. An amazingly competent option. Scissor open the external bag & discard, pull the internal bag away from the skin--easily done--cut six 1" slits at top of bag, into the oven at 375. It says 4 hours, but the pop-up thing goes up usually after 3 hrs, 10-15 min.

So that's what we're doing today--turkey's still in the freezer, love it!--along with doctored-up Stove Top stuffing (with celery, onion & jarred mushroom slices), broccoli/cauliflower floret casserole (same as green bean), homemade cranberry sauce and my daughter's cranberry cake and from Findlay, OH--Dietsche Brothers raspberry swirl ice cream (think the old Sealtest New York Cherry).

As an aside, LTH'ers--if anybody has a good recipe for turkey pot pie, I gotta taste for it this coming weekend.

jnm123 wrote:
As an aside, LTH'ers--if anybody has a good recipe for turkey pot pie, I gotta taste for it this coming weekend.

I’m going to give this recipe a try over the weekend = https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... ken-potpie