The best bargain brains on the web come together to share money saving tips to finely tune your personal finance in a coupon blog you can't miss. Join us on our quest of living well – while spending less!
Categories
- All
- CompanyStaff
- DealPro Tips
- Featured StoreStaff
- Freebies
- GiveawaysStaff
- Holidays
- InfographicsStaff
- Loose Change
- Money Saving Tips
- Newsworthy
- Personal Finance
- Polls/Quizzes
- Product Review
- Shop Smarter
- Special Events
- Spotlight Deals
- Stuff We Like
- Behind The Scenes: Employee Spotlight with Tim
- Freebie Round-Up: 5/25
- Giveaway: $50 Worth of Peeps Goodies!
- MagicJack Plus Vs. NetTalk Duo WiFi: Either Way, You Win
- DealPro Blog RoundUp- 5/23
- 5 Free Apps That Can Help You at the Grocery Store
- Better Leftovers, Better Savings
- Extreme Couponing Myths
- Tips for Tipping
- Behind The Scenes: Employee Spotlight with Allegra
Cook Fast, Live Young: Choosing the Right Turkey for Thanksgiving
By JulianaWeissRoesslerGuest Blogger(view all posts by JulianaWeissRoessler)
at 9:58AM Sunday November 20, 2011
under
Shop Smarter
First off, what does "the right turkey" mean? For some of us, it means taste. We want the juiciest, most delicious bird out there. For others, we have moral/religious/philosophical desires for how the bird was cared for and killed. And still others simply want the lightest impact on their wallet. None of these desires is inherently right or wrong, but you should know what you're getting into with each kind of bird.
The Typical Factory Bird
By far the least expensive of your turkey options, 99% of all turkeys raised in the U.S. today are of the broadbreasted white (or large white) variety. In general, these are what you see in your local supermarket, and typically they've been fed grain and antibiotics to help them produce abnormally large, white meaty breasts.
Taste: Since these birds are often dry and tasteless, today's cooks have invented a myriad of ways to add flavor--marinade, syrups, spices, herbs. Some people even brine their turkey or deep fry it.
Price: less than $1/lb.
Free-Range
These turkeys have been "allowed access to the outdoors." Often these birds are fed largely on grass and bugs, much closer to their normal diet.
Taste: Fairly moist, with a more robust turkey flavor and better texture than their factory counterparts.
Price: $3 to $5/lb.
Self-Basted
Producers claim that these turkeys have added flavor and moisture… because they've been pumped with everything from water, broth, and chicken fat to butter and salt.
Taste: Plump and incredibly juicy. So much so that with some of them you might even question whether you're actually eating turkey, so much of the flavor comes from what was pumped in. The texture of these birds can often be spongy, too.
Price: $1 to $1.50/lb.
Organic
"Organic" on the label means that these turkeys have been raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, are free-range, and receive only organic feed (no genetically modified grains, pesticides, herbicides, or animal by-products).
Taste: Like chicken. Okay, not really--organic birds have a true turkey flavor.
Price: $3.50 to $4.50/lb.
Natural
By law, "natural" foods have been only minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, coloring, or preservatives. That means very little by itself, so look for labels that also promise all-vegetarian feed, no antibiotics, and minimal crowding.
Taste: Well, it's natural, so it's kind of a toss-up. While most "natural" turkey are probably the closest thing you're going to get to what grandma used to make, some are unfortunately bland and dry.
Price: About $3/lb.
Kosher
Raised and processed under rabbinical supervision and in accordance with strict Jewish dietary law, these birds have been soaked in a cold freshwater bath and hand salted inside and out, followed by a triple rinse.
Taste: Varies. While some are delicious, others taste and feel more like cardboard. Kosher birds also tend to be less, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing than other birds, at times having a few stray feathers for you to pluck yourself.
Price: $2 to $4.50/lb.
Heritage
Truly like mom used to make--or, rather, great-great-great-great grandma. Probably with a few more greats thrown in there. These turkeys are direct descendents of what the original English settlers ate, and have not been modified or enhanced to give you more white meat.
Taste: The dark meat has a robust turkey flavor and overall this bird is moist, chewy, and almost beef-like in its texture. For best results, cook them long and slow at around 300 to 325°.
Price: Because these birds are specially raised on smaller farms, they're the most expensive of our birds at about $7/lb., plus shipping.
Which type of bird will you be buying this Thanksgiving? Chime in with your preference in the comments!
By far the least expensive of your turkey options, 99% of all turkeys raised in the U.S. today are of the broadbreasted white (or large white) variety. In general, these are what you see in your local supermarket, and typically they've been fed grain and antibiotics to help them produce abnormally large, white meaty breasts.
Taste: Since these birds are often dry and tasteless, today's cooks have invented a myriad of ways to add flavor--marinade, syrups, spices, herbs. Some people even brine their turkey or deep fry it.
Price: less than $1/lb.
Free-Range
These turkeys have been "allowed access to the outdoors." Often these birds are fed largely on grass and bugs, much closer to their normal diet.
Taste: Fairly moist, with a more robust turkey flavor and better texture than their factory counterparts.
Price: $3 to $5/lb.
Self-Basted
Producers claim that these turkeys have added flavor and moisture… because they've been pumped with everything from water, broth, and chicken fat to butter and salt.
Taste: Plump and incredibly juicy. So much so that with some of them you might even question whether you're actually eating turkey, so much of the flavor comes from what was pumped in. The texture of these birds can often be spongy, too.
Price: $1 to $1.50/lb.
Organic
"Organic" on the label means that these turkeys have been raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, are free-range, and receive only organic feed (no genetically modified grains, pesticides, herbicides, or animal by-products).
Taste: Like chicken. Okay, not really--organic birds have a true turkey flavor.
Price: $3.50 to $4.50/lb.
Natural
By law, "natural" foods have been only minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, coloring, or preservatives. That means very little by itself, so look for labels that also promise all-vegetarian feed, no antibiotics, and minimal crowding.
Taste: Well, it's natural, so it's kind of a toss-up. While most "natural" turkey are probably the closest thing you're going to get to what grandma used to make, some are unfortunately bland and dry.
Price: About $3/lb.
Kosher
Raised and processed under rabbinical supervision and in accordance with strict Jewish dietary law, these birds have been soaked in a cold freshwater bath and hand salted inside and out, followed by a triple rinse.
Taste: Varies. While some are delicious, others taste and feel more like cardboard. Kosher birds also tend to be less, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing than other birds, at times having a few stray feathers for you to pluck yourself.
Price: $2 to $4.50/lb.
Heritage
Truly like mom used to make--or, rather, great-great-great-great grandma. Probably with a few more greats thrown in there. These turkeys are direct descendents of what the original English settlers ate, and have not been modified or enhanced to give you more white meat.
Taste: The dark meat has a robust turkey flavor and overall this bird is moist, chewy, and almost beef-like in its texture. For best results, cook them long and slow at around 300 to 325°.
Price: Because these birds are specially raised on smaller farms, they're the most expensive of our birds at about $7/lb., plus shipping.
Which type of bird will you be buying this Thanksgiving? Chime in with your preference in the comments!
Juliana Weiss-Roessler has ten years of professional writing and editing experience. For four years, she managed the web content for the star of an Emmy-nominated reality series. Currently, she is an editor for the geek girl e-zine PinkRaygun.com, a contributor to the career blog at Resumark.com, and owner of the food blog CookFastLiveYoung.blogspot.com. Follow her @cookfast on Twitter and learn more about her work at WeissRoessler.com.
Comments