The Gourmet Mama

The array of turkeys in the grocery store can be a little overwhelming if you aren`t sure of what to look for. Do you want smoked? Cured? Pre-cooked?

To start with, if you are planning to make the Garlic-Herb Turkey that is featured in this Perfect Thanksgiving Series, then you want a plain, frozen turkey. It`s a good idea to buy it now, before supplies start to run low  . . . it`s no fun hunting through half a dozen stores the day before Thanksgiving, trying to find a turkey, any turkey!

To help you out a bit, we`ve put together a FAQ for buying your turkey.

How much turkey do I need?

You should allow for 1 lb per person . . . more if you want leftovers. So if you are feeding a family of 4, you could easily go with a 5 lb turkey.

Which brand should I buy?

For the best flavor, you`ll want to stick with birds that have been allowed to grow naturally. Heritage is a good choice for flavor, but any turkey that has “organic” or “pastured” should be good, as well. Avoid Butterball turkeys, while popular, they also tend to go mushy thanks to being injected with flavoring.

How do I know if a turkey is good?

You do need to be careful when selecting a turkey to ensure that it`s a good one. Look for packages that aren`t leaking and that have the latest sell by date, since these will be freshest. If the turkey smells odd, don`t buy it. If you are buying early and going for frozen, you probably won`t have any problems at all.

Frozen or fresh?

We recommend frozen, since you can buy it now and keep it until Thanksgiving, but if you don`t have the space in your freezer to store a whole turkey, you can certainly go for fresh and keep it in the fridge for up to three days.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Perfect Thanksgiving series . . . How to Cook Your Turkey.