Your thoughts on fresh turkey as opposed to frozen?

[Vernon]

I'm perfectly fine with a frozen turkey but I've been thinking about grabbing a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. I've had many wild turkeys but never a fresh turkey from the store, at least that I recall. Any thoughts on going that route? I don't mind spending the extra money if it's truly worth it but 3x is a lot to lay out unless it's justified.

 

[eerdoc]

I'm perfectly fine with a frozen turkey but I've been thinking about grabbing a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. I've had many wild turkeys but never a fresh turkey from the store, at least that I recall. Any thoughts on going that route? I don't mind spending the extra money if it's truly worth it but 3x is a lot to lay out unless it's justified.

Have leaned toward the fresh turkey for about 20 years. This year we needed to have Thanksgiving early (November 9) and the stores would not be stocking fresh birds till the week before thanksgiving. we settled for a frozen bird but only found out the lack of availability of the fresh ones on Monday evening. Got the 16 Lb turkey on Tuesday and knew we had to rush the thaw (could not wait for thawing under refrigeration because we needed to brine it over one night and be ready to start the smoking on Friday so it would be re-heated on Saturday for dinner at NOON. Thawed it in the sink with cool water cover half to 3/4 of the bird and a continuous slow drip. (Reduced water level in sink as necessary).
Smoked he Turkey (as we have done for nearly two decades) might have been the most tender of all the birds we have done (however, it was the largest we have done--in the past we used 10-12 pound birds).
So, I believe frozen birds, thawed and handled correctly throughout are not inferior to the fresh. However, must confess that we are going to have a repeat Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and we have reverted o ur standard 12 pound fresh bird---many fewer people joining us for this dinner that we had on the 9th.

 

[Mog]

I've done fresh the past few years and thought they were great. It's hard for me to really say how much of a difference there is with a normal store-bought turkey, though, since I pretty much only roast a turkey once per year. I'm actually just doing a fresh turkey breast this year.

Here's a video with a comparison (4:15 mark). They're obviously very much into the fresh free-range bird.

 

[WVUBRU]

Not a fan of fresh birds. Big fan of frozen Butterballs

 

[COOL MAN]

Not a fan of fresh birds. Big fan of frozen Butterballs

Curious as to what you've found the Butterball brand to deliver versus the typical store brand. I ask because I've had BB many times over the years, which I've personally never found to be remarkable in any way (and at a fairly higher retail price than no-names).

I also know you're serious about cooking, and am certain there's a reason why you feel the way you do.....so that's why I ask.

 

[WVUBRU]

Curious as to what you've found the Butterball brand to deliver versus the typical store brand. I ask because I've had BB many times over the years, which I've personally never found to be remarkable in any way (and at a fairly higher retail price than no-names).

I also know you're serious about cooking, and am certain there's a reason why you feel the way you do.....so that's why I ask.

Obviously, my words are opinion based on experience and is certainly debatable. Key is if you are traditionally roasting the turkey, in order to maximize flavor and have the best chance of not drying it out is doing an overnight brine. Butterballs are injected with a sorta brine solution before frozen and are raised in by only certain ranchers that is controlled with a special diet for their 4 months of life. Other brands, are neither for the most part. So you could be buying an older bird which isn't the worst thing but you really need to brine it where I don't with a Butterball.

Either way, if cooked improperly it won't be the best protein on the table.

 

[Snow Sled Baby]

Obviously, my words are opinion based on experience and is certainly debatable. Key is if you are traditionally roasting the turkey, in order to maximize flavor and have the best chance of not drying it out is doing an overnight brine. Butterballs are injected with a sorta brine solution before frozen and are raised in by only certain ranchers that is controlled with a special diet for their 4 months of life. Other brands, are neither for the most part. So you could be buying an older bird which isn't the worst thing but you really need to brine it where I don't with a Butterball.

Either way, if cooked improperly it won't be the best protein on the table.

always been a Honeysuckle White fan myself but we did filet mignons for T giving this year after 3 church occasions with turkey...btw please come back....we miss you