Mrs. Cubbison's Thanksgiving Tips

Factory-farmed turkeys are the everyday frozen turkeys you'll find in chain supermarkets. Almost all of these turkeys are Broad-Breasted Whites – a breed developed in the 1960’s in order, as the name suggests, to have the largest possible breasts (and thus the most white meat). Broad-Breasted Whites were also developed to grow exceptionally fast – a marketable turkey can be raised in as little as 12 weeks – but some cooks believe the downside to this fast growth is a bird with less flavor. Because factory-farmed birds are raised in industrial conditions – thousands may live in a single barn – they are often fed antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease in such tight quarters. If a packaged bird at the store does not say that it is “antibiotic free, it is likely that that particular bird has been treated with antibiotics. Some factory-farmed turkeys (and any other type of turkey) will carry a label that says “hormone free.” This is essentially a meaningless point since the USDA does not allow any poultry (including turkeys) to be treated with hormones: all U.S. turkeys are hormone-free.

A “natural” turkey according to the USDA only means that the turkey should contain no artificial ingredients or added color, and be “only minimally processed.”

Natural turkeys are not necessarily free-range, antibiotic-free, or raised on an organic diet. Read the label carefully to see what claims the manufacturer is actually making about their “natural” turkeys.

A “free-range” turkey suggests one that has been raised in 19th-century conditions: walking around freely outdoors in a pleasant field, gobbling at passing farm wagons or schoolchildren with satchels of books slung over their shoulder. In truth, the USDA only requires of birds labeled “free-range” that it be demonstrated that the turkeys have “been allowed access to the outside.” It does not require the turkeys ever having taken advantage of that access.

With that rather unambitious definition of what constitutes “free-range”, consumers should keep in mind that a turkey labeled “free-range” could still be raised in an industrial farm environment while earning that label. On the other hand, the USDA does inspect every farm claiming to offer “free-range” poultry, so even if the requirements are not stringent, you can have confidence that the free-range label is not being applied willy-nilly to birds merely in order to charge you a premium.

Raising turkeys in a free-range environment is considered more humane to the birds, and, theoretically at least, offers a healthier environment for raising poultry.

Organic turkeys are free-range turkeys that, additionally, are raised without the use of antibiotics, and are fed a diet of vegetarian, organic, pesticide-free grains.

Organic turkeys tend to be some of the most expensive, as the rather stringent requirements inevitably increase the cost of raising each turkey. On the other hand, these are birds that you can be more certain are raised in a natural manner. For example, the requirement that they be antibiotic free doesn’t completely rule out industrial-sized barns, but it does make their use somewhat less likely, since it is challenging to house turkeys in such great numbers without the use of antibiotics to control disease.

A pasture-raised Turkey is what most of us likely imagine when we see “free-range” on a package. A turkey that’s been “pastured” has been raised mostly outdoors, in a fenced meadow, and is free to eat grasses there and other protein-rich natural foods.

Unlike “free-range” terminology, the USDA does not specifically define the minimal requirements for poultry to be considered pasture-raised. In this case you are somewhat at the mercy of the farmer’s own definition of “pasture-raised”, and you may wish to further research the particular method of farming a producer is employing to raise such turkeys.

Heritage Turkeys are specific breeds of turkeys that are descended from the breeds of turkeys raised by early American farmers. To understand heritage turkeys, you first have to understand that starting in the 1920’s, American farmers and agricultural companies began selectively breeding turkeys to produce more meat, more white meat, and to create birds that matured more quickly (thus allowing more birds per year to be raised on the same farm). This process of perfecting the roasting turkey culminated in the creation of the Broad-Breasted White variety of turkey – a breed that today represents the vast majority of turkeys sold in groceries. (Some estimate that over 200 million Broad-Breasted Turkeys are raised every year, compared with around 25,000 heritage turkeys.)

Today some farmers (and cooks) believe that earlier breeds of turkeys, more closely related to North American wild turkeys, are more flavorful, are more robust (and thus shouldn’t need antibiotics) and are healthier to eat. Breeds like the Auburn, the Bourbon Red, and the Standard Bronze are raised, usually in organic and even pasture-raised conditions, and then sold at a premium to like-minded cooks.

Heritage turkeys can sell for as much as $10/pound, a huge premium over mass-produced, brand-name turkeys that can be found sometimes for less than a dollar per pound.

Turkeys labeled “kosher” must be prepared under rabbinical supervision according to Jewish dietary customs. Kosher turkeys are also of interest to secular cooks who appreciate the particular qualities of a kosher bird for flavor or health reasons. Kosher turkeys are fed an antibiotic-free vegetarian diet, and are salted after the slaughter in a manner that gives the meat a juicy, salty quality. (Thus you would never brine a kosher turkey, as this would produce meat that is excessively salty.)

Kosher turkeys often have more quills left in the skin (due to the koshering procedures), so you should be prepared to pluck a few quills at home if you’re going this route.

Wild turkeys are not actually “wild” – that is, they were not found roaming in the woods – but are, rather, wild turkey breeds raised on farms. These small, slightly gamy birds have less white meat than domesticated turkeys, and the dark meat has a slightly chewy texture. Because they are lean, the meat can be dry if not brined or perfectly cooked. While serving a wild turkey at Thanksgiving in the 21st century might seem exotic, it’s actually closer to what the pilgrims ate at the first Thanksgiving, and as such could make for a historical experience for adventurous diners.

A self-basted turkey is simply one that has been injected with fluid (usually a solution containing some combination of broth, salt, oil or butter along with spices, herbs and even preservatives). While a self-basted turkey can be less trouble to roast, injecting the meat with a liquid mixture before it even reaches the store can negatively affect the texture of the meat, and deprive the turkey of some of its natural flavor. Self-basted turkeys shouldn’t be brined, as you will end up with an over-salted bird. Since the basting liquids are included in the weight of the turkey on the package, keep this in mind when comparing birds at the supermarket. Producers are required to disclose on the packaging all the ingredients in the basting solution, so read this carefully before you buy, to make sure you are getting a bird you are happy with. Even if a turkey is not advertised as “self-basted”, if it lists anything besides “turkey” on the ingredients list, it has probably been injected with a solution.