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Food

Turkey tip sheet

By JANET K. KEELER
Published November 8, 2006

	Fresh or frozen, baked or fried, everyone can use these pointers on turkey buying.
[File photo]

Opinions are like turkeys. Everyone has one at Thanksgiving, which is just two weeks away. You say brine, I say deep-fry. You say frozen, I say fresh. You say baste, I say . . . let's go out. As you ponder the poultry possibilities this season and flip through the multitude of magazines with burnished birds on the covers, we offer a quick and handy guide to buying turkey. Carve on. Janet K. Keeler, Times food and travel editor

GOBBLER GLOSSARY

Frozen

These turkeys are the least expensive (less than $1 a pound sometime this week) and you can pick up one today, providing you have room in the freezer to store it. A frozen turkey should be thawed in the refrigerator. It will take 24 hours for every 5 pounds to thaw, so a 20-pound turkey needs to be in the refrigerator the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

You can thaw it in water but it's gross and requires too much attending, if you ask me.

Frozen turkeys are often injected with a solution of water, salt and "flavor enhancers" that helps maintain moisture and flavor lost in thawing. You pay for the extra water weight and additives. Read labels.

Fresh

A fresh turkey has not been chilled below 26 degrees, which is the point at which the meat begins to harden. Fresh turkeys should be bought no earlier than two days before Thanksgiving. Though it might be icy and hard in spots, it is not frozen. Store in the refrigerator on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

Talk to your butcher about reserving one or plan on getting to the grocery store early Nov. 21. You'll pay a little more per pound (about $1.19) for a fresh turkey, but it's probably your best bet at the grocery store.

Kosher

This is a turkey that has been processed following kosher laws and under rabbinical supervision. During the process, the turkey is packed in kosher salt, which gives it a salty flavor later. Also, the dark meat tends to be richer and a bit more gamey. At Jo-El's Kosher Foods in St. Petersburg, 2619 23rd Ave. N; (727) 321-3847, fresh and frozen kosher birds are $2.29 a pound. Jo-El's says that the supply is limited this year.

Heirloom

Okay, get out your wallets because you'll pay up to $10 a pound to eat a turkey like our forefathers. Independent farmers around the country are raising American Bronze, Bourbon Red and Narragansett turkeys, all descendents of the first domesticated turkeys.

They are usually pasture-raised, free of antibiotics and have no additives. Heirloom, sometimes called heritage, turkeys have less breast meat and might be stronger in flavor all around.

Wild Oats in Tampa, 1548 N Dale Mabry Highway; (813) 874-9435, carries heritage turkeys for $7.99 a pound. You can also order heritage turkeys in various sizes at www. heritagefoodsusa.com while supplies last. The $10 per pound price includes shipping.

Wild Oats also carries the Diestel turkey, a cross between a heritage and broadbreasted white, considered to be the next best thing to heirloom. It costs $2.99 a pound.

OTHER TURKEY TERMS 

Free-range

This means the turkey had the ability to play, skip and roam unencumbered, but it doesn't mean it did.

Hen/Tom

Generally, turkeys from 8 to 16 pounds are female hens. Birds larger are the male Toms. They won't taste different, but if you're buying a smaller bird, figure 1 pound per person. For a Tom, drop to 3/4 pound per person because there is a larger meat-to-bone ratio.

Natural

This means that the turkey has not been injected with additives. It does not mean the bird is free of antibiotics.

Organic

An organic turkey has been fed pesticide-free feed, was free-range and wasn't treated with antibiotics or hormones. Most whole or natural food stores carry organic birds.

BEWARE 

Words of wisdom

Gourmet magazine editors warn against:

- Turkeys with pop-up timers. They say the temperature gauges are "notoriously unreliable." Plus, they pierce the skin and allow juices to escape.

- Wild turkeys, which are an acquired taste. They are usually gamier and drier than we're accustomed to.-

- Free turkeys, which are often unsold birds from last year. Do you want that to be the centerpiece of your holiday meal?

SHOPPING GUIDELINES 

How much turkey to buy

If you want leftovers, and who doesn't, figure on about 1-1/2 pounds per person for large or small turkeys. This will give you enough for tetrazzini, pot pie or just Thanksgiving, Day Two.

For two to four people, consider a turkey breast, especially if they like white meat. A 4- to 5-pound breast is enough for a celebratory feast.

BASIC NECESSITIES 

Roasting pan & rack

The pan should be big enough so that the bird isn't touching the sides, and you'll need a rack to keep it off the bottom. Consider buying two if you use a foil pan, stacking them for extra support. Be careful when you bring it out of the oven.

Kitchen twine

Use the twine to tie the wings close to the body so they don't burn and to tie the legs together snugly. I do this instead of trussing the turkey.

Baster

Use the baster to moisten the skin during baking. (Some cooks recommend against opening the oven but I like to baste the bird about every hour.)

Meat thermometer

White meat is considered done at 170 degrees and dark meat at 180 degrees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that cooked turkey registering less than 165 degrees is unsafe to eat.

If you stuff the bird, the bread mixture should be at least 165 degrees.

Aluminum foil

Cover the bird with foil if it's browning too quickly.

[Last modified November 8, 2006, 12:37:37]