Store brand VS name brand turkey

[Gigi22]

For the PP new to whole turkey prep.--always remember to give the inside of the turkey a thorough check for the giblets package (usually contains turkey neck, heart, gizzard and liver) and remove it when you find it. Put giblets in fridge, if not cooking them promptly.

 

[Purseval]

The folks at Cooks Illustrated recommend a frozen Butterball. Since it is injected with a saline type of solution no brining is needed.

From America's Test Kitchen:

Does roasting a better bird start before you even get into the kitchen? Is it ever worthwhile to mail-order a fancier turkey? To find out, we selected five turkeys, including common supermarket brands as well as kosher turkey, a “natural” turkey, and a heritage breed bird from a gourmet retailer.

A great-tasting roast turkey is not just about turkey flavor; the texture and moisture of the meat are important, too, as anyone who has eaten a mouthful of dry, chewy turkey can attest. We talked with turkey experts about the factors that contribute to a turkey's quality, which include its breed, how it's raised and fed, and how it's processed for sale.

In a sense, modern commercial turkeys have been bred to have very little flavor. In the United States, we're a white-meat market, creating a heavy emphasis on genetic selection for breast-muscle growth. The most common commercial turkey, the Broad-Breasted White, has been bred to grow bigger in less time and on less feed (to reduce costs) and to produce the maximum possible white meat. Today's turkeys are up to 70 percent white meat, and they grow fast. Most Americans eat a hen (female) turkey on Thanksgiving. These birds are ready for market in just 14 weeks, when they weigh 16 to 22 pounds, which yields processed birds in the 12- to 18-pound range. (By contrast, older breeds of turkey, called heritage birds, need seven to eight months to grow to full size—roughly twice as long as modern turkeys.)

Rapid growth may be good for farmers, but it's not so great for cooks. Modern turkeys have less fat when fully grown and fat is what provides meat with juiciness and flavor. Commercial birds grow so fast, they don't have time to accumulate much flavor.

In Good Taste

Turkey growers have resorted to other means to return flavor—and fat—to the turkey, including injecting "basting" solutions during processing. These solutions can contain salt, turkey broth, oil, sugar, and sodium phosphate (which raises the meat's pH, binding water to the cells), all of which work to season the meat and keep it moist. Turkeys sold this way are often called "prebasted" and can be identified by the ingredient label. While our tasting panel generally liked the two birds in this familiar style, some found them bland and "wet" rather than actually moist.

Another way turkey gains flavor is through koshering. Kosher birds start as the same breed of commercial large-breasted turkeys, but they are processed according to Jewish dietary law and under rabbinical supervision. The carcasses are covered in kosher salt and then rinsed multiple times in cold water, which works to season the meat, improve its texture, and help it retain moisture.

In previous turkey tastings, we tried unconventional turkeys, with little success. One organic, pasture-raised bird was the same breed as commercial turkeys, but it had been free to roam and eat foraged grass and insects. It also ate organic versions of the usual soy and cornmeal feed most turkeys consume, along with wheat. While all this sounds great, our tasters didn't notice a big improvement in flavor. Unless the bird eats 100 percent foraged food, turkey experts noted, most consumers can’t taste a difference in the meat. The texture of this bird was also slightly stringier and tougher than most tasters preferred, probably because it got more exercise.

In this tasting, another unconventional turkey was “all natural,” raised on a vegetarian diet—meaning the bird ate none of the animal byproducts that can be part of commercial turkey diets—and was free to roam. The company claimed its birds are allowed to grow longer than average for better flavor and a broader breast, but also noted that its meat had “55% less fat” than other turkeys. But as turkey experts noted, less fat equals less flavor. No surprise, then, that this translated to a drier bird, with meat that was “nothing special.”

Unlike other unconventional birds, the single heritage turkey in our lineup won favor, with tasters remarking on its "excellent” turkey flavor. Heritage turkeys are directly descended from wild turkeys and nearly disappeared in the mid-20th century as commercial Broad-Breasted Whites were created by the poultry industry. Heritage turkeys have colorful feathers, a more elongated frame, and a narrower breast. This one was also free-range and vegetarian-fed.

But is it worth more than four times the price of a supermarket turkey? Not always. Last year we tasted a different heritage turkey from Walters Poultry, a much smaller farm, with outstanding results. This year, that farm’s birds were sold out well in advance of the holidays, and were unobtainable for our tasting. The substituted bird, from a much larger breeder, was certainly good, but not so much better than other options from the supermarket that it was worth the effort and expense.

I disagree with the concept that a frozen bird will be as good as a fresh bird. Honestly the most important things are that the bird is fresh and hormone free. The fresher the bird the better it will be.

Fresh or Frozen?

We always thought it would be a good idea to buy fresh turkeys wherever possible, assuming they would be better. If you can buy your turkey at a local farm, that might be true, but supermarket birds labeled as "fresh" can actually be tougher and drier than frozen ones.

Why? Turkeys may be labeled as "fresh" if they have been chilled to as low as 26 degrees. But at this temperature, tiny ice crystals can form in the meat. If the temperature fluctuates (during storage or transport, at the supermarket, or on the way to your home), these crystals can melt, combine with neighboring crystals, and then refreeze. These irregularly shaped ice crystals will start to poke the cell membranes in the meat, make holes and the cell tissues in the muscles will start to lose their internal contents. Then when they are cooked, those birds will be dry.

In their actual taste tests the 2 recommended types were the Kosher and the Heritage turkeys. The all-natural and butterball turkeys were recommended with reservations and the Jennie-O turkey received the lowest marks. Given the price difference of almost $100 between the heritage turkey and the butterball I don't think I'm going to be running out to find one anytime soon.

 

[gillenkl]

I usually buy the cheapest frozen bird and brine it overnight using Emerils' brine recipe. Haven't had any complaints yet.

 

[Justsyd2]

I bought a Roaster Oven for $30 at Target, and I've been experimenting with Turkeys. I buy them from Wal-mart and cook them in the roaster. All of them have turned out great! It's more than what you start with, it's also how you cook it!

 

[Stargazer]

We always buy the cheap one that Kroger offers discounted with purchase (about 14 pounds) and deep fry it with Cajun butter injected.

We've tried Butterball too a few years ago, but just never could tell a huge difference in taste.

 

[okeydokey]

You soak the thawed turkey overnight in a salt solution which may have other spices and flavorings added. The following day, you remove it from the brine solution and roast it. If you google brining turkey, you'll see various methods for doing it.

Alton Brown has a great recipe for brining, has salt but also brown sugar, veggie broth, juniper berries and other great things. Makes a super moist and tasty bird. He recommends using a turkey that has no added solution to it.

 

[okeydokey]

The difference I HAVE noticed between the cheapies and Butterball is the cheap ones always seem to have some feathers left on while the Butterball's are clean.

That said, I talked to the butcher at the grocery store last year and learned that they get all of their turkeys at the same time, so you can buy it now or you can buy it the day before Thanksgiving but they'll all be the same age.

And the grocery store "fresh" turkeys are frozen turkeys that they've thawed.

You're kidding? what a rip off

 

[sparkyboy]

My DH manages meat shop and the "fresh turkeys" at his store have not been frozen. Rather they are packed in ice when shipped from the farm to his shop so that is why sometimes folks think they have been thawed out and marketed as a fresh turkey.

When we host family Thanksgiving dinner, I purchase the store brand and find it to be moist. However, several of our friends only will order "organic, range-free bird" at $4-$5 per pound. I think it is in the preparation and roasting of the turkey rather than in the brand. Enjoy.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

For the PP new to whole turkey prep.--always remember to give the inside of the turkey a thorough check for the giblets package (usually contains turkey neck, heart, gizzard and liver) and remove it when you find it. Put giblets in fridge, if not cooking them promptly.

 

[NotUrsula]

And for Pete's sake, DON'T throw the giblets package away. One year when we were first married, DH's twit of a secretary decided to give me the lecture on how to cook a turkey, and thought she'd enlighten me on that topic. (At that point in my life I'd been roasting at least 5 turkeys a year for over 2 decades, putting me way ahead of her in the turkey-handling stakes, but she didn't bother to ask ... )

The heart, liver, gizzard and turkey neck in that package are some of the most flavorful parts of the bird. The proper thing to do with them is to use them to make stock the night before, which you can then add into your stuffing and your gravy.

 

[bettymae1121]

All I can say is the two turkeys I've gotten from Trader Joe's for $1.79 a pound are the two best turkeys I've ever had. They aren't organic but they are free range and all natural, and pre-brined. They also offer a Kosher bird for a bit more, maybe I'll try that this year. Sure, it's 3x what i can get a Butterball for but for something I'm buying once a year, I'm not going to sweat it.

 

[Swimalie]

All I can say is the two turkeys I've gotten from Trader Joe's for $1.79 a pound are the two best turkeys I've ever had. They aren't organic but they are free range and all natural, and pre-brined. They also offer a Kosher bird for a bit more, maybe I'll try that this year. Sure, it's 3x what i can get a Butterball for but for something I'm buying once a year, I'm not going to sweat it.

I've had their kosher. Stick to the other one from Trader Joe's. I liked it much, much better.

 

[Gigi22]

Agreed with NotUrsula--it is very easy to make a good fresh stock from the giblets and the wing tips (last joint of the wings). The stock is an excellent base for gravy, combined with pan drippings and other yummy stuff. There is no such thing as too much gravy!

 

[bettymae1121]

I've had their kosher. Stick to the other one from Trader Joe's. I liked it much, much better.

Thanks for the tip!

Agreed with NotUrsula--it is very easy to make a good fresh stock from the giblets and the wing tips (last joint of the wings). The stock is an excellent base for gravy, combined with pan drippings and other yummy stuff. There is no such thing as too much gravy!

I've never tried this, do you have a receipe?

 

[MrsPete]

I am doing Thanksgiving dinner this year and I am not sure what kind of turkey I should buy. Is Butterball or Honeysuckle really better then the .38 cents a pound store brand?

It's more to do with the cooking technique rather than the name brand. Pretty much, turkey is turkey. A couple hints:

A complete turkey tastes better than a turkey breast. Personally, I think it has to do with more bones -- bones make things taste good. I guess it's the marrow.

Brining takes effort, but it is wonderful. I use Alton Brown's recipe. It's expensive with all that vegetable broth, but it's worthwhile. If brining sounds a little too complicated for a first turkey, just skip it. Roasting a turkey in a bag or using some other method is good too. I don't brine every time.

The single biggest thing to watch is timing. If your turkey is dry, you probably cooked it too long. I like the gadget -- oh, I can't remember the name -- that lets you poke a fat needle into the turkey, while the other end stays out of the oven and beeps when you reach temperature. I don't trust those little pop-up timers, and anyway it's hard to know just when they pop up.

For your first turkey, I suggest that you don't use stuffing. That makes it more difficult to gauge the time. If you don't use stuffing, it's still okay to use a couple onions or apples to impart flavor (though they probably won't be fit to eat). If you do use turkey, don't stuff tightly -- stuffing expands, and it can cause your turkey to split open.

Do cover your turkey with foil until the last 30-45 minutes. Those last minutes are enough to brown the turkey and make it look perfect for the table.

I personally don't like the giblets. I feed them to the dog.

Finally, turkey is cheap and easy to cook. I suggest that you do a practice run with a small turkey before Thanksgiving.

 

[pigletto]

I swear by cooking it breast side down and then turning it over to brown the top and I let it rest for 15 minutes after removing from the oven.
I have tried all types of turkeys and many methods and this has consistently been the best.. time and time again.
If I do it this way the plain old store brand turkey ends up moist and wonderful

 

[DisneyWalle]

I always purchase the walmart store turkey which is the cheapest. We dont serve turkey on Thanksgiving in a tradtional fashion. I fix it the way my mother always has: Barbque Turkey, Sweet n Sour Turkey and Southern Cornbread Turkey Dressing. MMMMMM!!! Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

 

[disfan07]

We have Kosher Turkey. It's expensive and they are not big birds and we need enough to feed 30 people. I'm not sure where they get it from (we dont cook Thanksgiving...my cousin does) but it's from somewhere in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and it is a very very good Turkey.

 

[MrsPete]

We have Kosher Turkey. It's expensive and they are not big birds and we need enough to feed 30 people. I'm not sure where they get it from (we dont cook Thanksgiving...my cousin does) but it's from somewhere in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and it is a very very good Turkey.

I don't know about Kosher birds, but I do know about feeding big crowds.

If I were doing what you're describing, I'd get three of those small turkeys -- no, make that one small turkey and two breasts. I'd slice and plate the two breasts in the kitchen (with no one watching), and then I'd keep the pretty, full turkey for display. I'd serve the pre-sliced stuff first to get the plates filled fast and to preserve my pretty buffet table for as long as possible.

My family -- if there were 30 of us present -- would devour three small turkeys. We'd probably polish off a ham too. We like us some Thanksgiving here in the South.

 

[mya1k9]

So I know this is a stupid question, but I'm new to the turkey making thing also. I looked up Emeril's brine recipe and it says to soak for 24 hours. There is no liquid so do you just rub the salt/brown sugar on the bird and scatter the herbs, oranges and lemons around it? I'm assuming in a bag? Thanks!