Turkey's: What is your favorite brand and do you buy fresh or frozen, (health, tuna)

[South Range Family]

Bought a 17 pounder last week for 66 cents a pound. It will go in the trash tomorrow because the refrigerator that I was thawing in wasn't turned on. The circulation fan was running, but I didn't have the compressor on.

We picked up 2 more today for the same price. One is an Amish Valley brand. The other is a Honeysuckle White. The wife wanted to try her own brine this year. I wanted to use the old standby citrus brine.

Now it's a competition. She will brine, and cook the Honeysuckle in an electric roaster. I will brine and cook the Amish Valley on a rotisserie with Cherry wood. No matter what happens, everybody wins.

[Debsi]

Kroger advertised Jennie-O for 39 cents/lb but they sold out of them and half their other loss leaders this weekend.

I picked up a store brand turkey for 79 cents/lb. I will make it sometime this winter as I'm out of town for Thanksgiving.

[B4U]

This morning I bought a fresh turkey breast @ $3.69 per lb., which I've re-wrapped & frozen. I don't have enough room in the freezer for a whole turkey, and we like the white meat for eating, thighs are ok for soup, don't like legs/wings.
And turkey thighs to make soup today @ @2.19 per lb.
I did notice whole turkeys were $.98 per lb., @ WallyWorld. Butterballs, I think.

[Grannysroost]

In Arizona, turkey breast, though frozen, was .99 pound last week....(couple in the freezer)...this week I got store brand for .58/pound and got a couple around 10 to 12 pounds...this one will be brined, but not sure if deep-frying or baking

[Xanathos]

If you live on the West Coast, there's only one proper answer:

Diestel Farms. They've somehow bred their birds to where they, quite literally, have double the breast meat of any bird you can find at a market. And they also happen to be the most delicious turkey you'll ever get. They cost quite a bit to order (coming in at about 3 dollars a pound last year), and you have to order them in advance because they don't kill the bird and ship it until the week of Thanksgiving, but worth every penny.

[cocomojo]

I got a frozen Kroger brand yesterday for 25 cents per pound (with a $20 purchase and my Kroger card). I needed groceries so it worked out. Didn't notice the regular price. I've never been able to tell the difference between store brands once a turkey has been brined and smoked/roasted.

I do remember having farm-raised turkeys as a child and remember really liking it. I'm kinda meh about turkey now, so I wonder if fresh vs. frozen or organic vs. not is the difference?

[lubby]

IMO not all Turkeys are the same. For years my mom has used shady brook farms fresh from her local butcher. Last year they had another brand and we were worried it wouldn't be the same. Let me tell you it was the best turkey I ever had. It was from miller farms. Norbest was another brand we have had in the past. What about you?

[brokencrayola]

Butterball.

[elnina]

Farm fresh turkey was not injected with saline/oil solution to plump it up. That's why...
Your mom's turkey was more natural, yours was more moist, but processed/enhanced.
Fresh birds cook about 20% quicker. The flavor is probably about the same in both, depends how you prepare it.
There’s also a big discrepancy in price for the fresh versus the injected.
Most store bought turkey is fed a strict diet of corn and soybean, and some vitamins or antibiotics might get mixed in with the feed if the birds experience any sickness.

I don't eat turkey, but we will have a farm fresh goose.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

My turkeys are home raised, but back when I did buy them, the big toms had the best flavor.

I do not like any of that "butter" injected chemical grease in my bird, which means that the cheap-o store holiday special birds are often the best ones. I would also be trying to find one that wasn't brine injected or broth added.

There is just no comparison between my home raised, happy, well fed birds who had space to wander around and no stress and what is available to buy in the market. There is no comparison about cost either. The holiday loss leader turkey specials from the supermarket are much much cheaper than home raising a turkey. Much. About 1/4 the cost.