How to Buy the Best Thanksgiving Turkey

Much likeeggsorolive oil, Thanksgiving turkeys come with all sorts of words written on their packaging.

Is a fresh turkey better than frozen?

Fresh poultry should be used within one or two days, or frozen until ready for use.

Afrozenturkey is just thata turkey that has been stored at or below 0F and is solid to the touch.

These are the turkeys you are probably used to seeing at the grocery store.

Theyre wrapped in plastic and usually say previously frozen somewhere on the packaging.

Most frozen turkeys are flash frozen (frozen very quickly) to help maintain the turkeys texture and flavor.

In the first, cold purified air is run over each bird, which quickly reduces its body temperature.

The air-chilling process takes longer than the water bath, but many feel the results are worth the time.

Even if they were treated for illness, you will not be eating the antibiotics they were treated with.

AU.S.D.A-certifiedorganic turkey is raised under exacting specifications.

Organic turkeys tend to be a little more expensive, as feeding them is more expensive.

Weve written about the benefits of kosher turkeysbefore, but just to re-cap:

What makes a turkey kosher?

Cold water keeps the meat super-fresh during cleaning and processing, but the salting is the key step.

Plus, to state the obvious, salt makes food taste good.

These turkeys are usually raised in more humane environments, without antibiotics.

Beyond that, there are few other requirements a farm must meet to call their birds heritage.

This means longer legs, more fat, and a deeper flavor, but a higher price tag.

I would avoid water-chilled birds, however.

I dont like paying for water.