Choosing the Perfect Turkey

Choosing the Perfect Turkey

Giorgio Celmo

Thanksgiving dinner; the whole family is gathered for this once a year food feast and your turkey was free with your $50.00 purchase at the local grocery store. Think about it, is it a Tom or a Hen is it basted or not, how old is it? A young hen or an old Tom.

Many factors come into play when choosing the right bird for your dinner table. Budget is always a factor and maybe a free bird is what you can afford, just choose wisely. Read all the information on your selection before you decide.

Frozen is good, the majority of us will be eating a frozen turkey this year. What’s in a grade? Grade A all the way, grading is done by the USDA and grade A simply implies the bird is healthy, wholesome, free of broken bones all its skin is intact with no punctures or broken skin.

Frozen pre basted; This is a convince and makes preparing the bird much easier and faster and render a moist tender bird, just be cautious of the amount of sodium involved in the pre basting solution.

Fresh Not Frozen; Turkeys may be labeled as “Fresh” if they have never been chilled below 26 degrees F. According to the National turkey Federation, turkey doesn't freeze at 32 degrees F. but at a temperature closer to 26 degrees F. If you decide for a fresh turkey, check the "use by" or "sell by" date. If the fresh turkey comes from a trusted source, they are easier to use because there is no need to defrost.

Hen or Tom: Hen turkeys are female birds, usually weighing from 8 to 16 pounds. Tom turkeys are males, usually weighing from 18 to 32 pounds. In my grandmother’s day, hen turkeys offered more white meat. But with today’s selective breeding, both Hen and Tom turkeys offer a high ratio of white to dark meat.

Free Range; This labeling/marketing term has nothing to do with quality or taste. To add the words “Free Range” to the label, a grower must open part of their turkey house to a common yard for a matter of minutes per day. While only a few birds venture out, they all can be labeled as Free Range. Most producers avoid this because of the negative effects of increased stress, disease, insects, and temperature on the entire flock. While 'Free Range' poultry can be of excellent quality, I have found the majority of their marketing techniques to be deceptive - usually the point it better profits, not better poultry

Organic; This labeling and marketing term has nothing to do with quality, taste, tenderness or juiciness. These labeling laws are concerned with items such as feed certification, genetic engineering, and the use of ionizing radiation. While organic farming is clearly a positive revolution in our mechanized world, it is not a determination of quality, though the majority of consumers confuse it as such. Note: All high-quality American Turkeys are free of added hormones and antibiotics. The use of hormones is not allowed in any poultry, and both feed and poultry tissue is tested by inspectors to assure there are no chemical residues.

Defrosting Thawing your Bird; The most traditional-and also the most time-intensive-means to thaw a turkey is simply to move it from your freezer to your refrigerator a few days in advance of the feast. As a rule of thumb, you'll need 24 hours for every five pounds of bird, so a 20-pound bird will require four full days of defrosting time. Remember to place the turkey in a pan, to catch any dripping-or, if there's not enough room, situate the pan on the shelf below.

If you don't have days to spare to thaw your turkey in the fridge, there's a quicker-but more labor-intensive-alternative. Simply place the bird in a big pot of cold water, allowing half an hour of soaking time per pound (meaning a 25-pound turkey can thaw in half a day). You'll have to replace the water every half hour, and also make sure that the turkey is in a leak-proof package, because turkey meat can absorb moisture and become watery.

If you're feeling brave-and if your oven is cavernous enough-it's also possible to defrost your turkey in the microwave. You need to zap the bird on a low-to-medium energy setting for at least 6 minutes per pound (two hours for a 20-pound bird), being sure to rotate it occasionally from top to bottom and end to end. Because it's possible that the microwave will start cooking certain portions of the turkey, it's necessary to start cooking the bird in a traditional oven immediately after defrosting.