Talkin Turkey!

[calvcopf]

Are store brand turkeys as good as brand names? Frozen or fresh? Is Butterball any better or are they all the same, just depends how they are cooked that make them good?

Don't want to waste money on a brand name if I don't need to, but also don't want a turkey that tastes like crap.

Who has the best turkey prices this year? I think I saw somewhere that Food Lion had some for 59 cents a pound, but I will have to double check that price.

 

[glhs837]

I used to be a fresh bird guy, but Alton Brown talked me out of it. His point was that afrozen bird is locked into the level of freshness right then, while an unfrozen one, it's state is changing all the way to the store.

 

[PJay]

Butterball for me! Swerved other direction one year, or two..can't remember why but decided none better than Butterball.

 

[Roman]

I used Butterball also. Then I picked up a Jenny-O one time at Food Lion, and have been hooked ever since. They're cheaper than Butterball too.

 

[calvcopf]

So I see that Food Lion has off brand frozen turkey for 57 cents a lb, with $25 purchase, Jenny-O is $1.29 lb.
Safeway has frozen Butterball for 88 cents a lb, with $25 purchase.
Giant has off brand frozen turkey for 59 cents a lb. with $25 purchase and fresh Butterball for $1.49 lb.

 

[calvcopf]

I might try the frozen Food Lion turkey and see how it goes. The price is good. I just hope that the quality is good too.
I also found a website that says cooking the turkey upside down makes for a moist bird, so I will give that a shot too.

Upside down turkey: http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/roasting-a-turkey-upside-down-the-secret/

 

[Monello]

Make sure you baste often for a juicy turkey.

 

[calvcopf]

Make sure you baste often for a juicy turkey.

How often do you baste it? Is hourly too much?

 

[acommondisaster]

The last couple of years, I've roasted mine unstuffed in a countertop roaster. I put it in the oven for about 15 minutes to crisp up/brown the skin one year, but I've decided, since no one eats the skin anymore, that' it's not necessary. Nice moist tender bird. I dont baste. For a lot of years, i thought store brand was as good as name brand, but lately I've liked butterball better. Now I'm tempted to try the Jenny O.
I have brined a bird in the past and will say that brining it in apple cider makes a yummy turkey, but the gravy is oddly sweet. (I know,it should be obvious). I also learned not to skip the step of letting it air dry in the fridge for a day AFTER it's been brined. Not doing this leads to leathery skin.

As far as basting goes, remember that every time you open the oven and pull the turkey out to baste it, you've lowered the temp in the oven and added cookinig time. Adding cooking time contributes to a dry turkey. Better to rub it with some oil before you put it in and tent it real good for most of the cooking time.

 

[lovinmaryland]

I personally think it depends on how you prep/cook them. I've cooked 4 turkeys so far this month... 2 butterballs and 2 store brand (safeway brand) and there was not a noticable difference at all. I brined all of them and then roasted them in the oven. Supermoist and flavorful

 

[vraiblonde]

Frozen Butterball - the store brands always have a bunch of pinfeathers that need to be fooled with.

Also I brine my bird for flavor and moistness. Roasted unstuffed so nobody dies.

 

[Tami2red]

I might try the frozen Food Lion turkey and see how it goes. The price is good. I just hope that the quality is good too.
I also found a website that says cooking the turkey upside down makes for a moist bird, so I will give that a shot too.

Upside down turkey: http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/roasting-a-turkey-upside-down-the-secret/

I *always* cook my birds up-side down until the end. That way the fat from the dark meat gets into the breast. Best birds ever that way.

 

[mAlice]

I might try the frozen Food Lion turkey and see how it goes. The price is good. I just hope that the quality is good too.
I also found a website that says cooking the turkey upside down makes for a moist bird, so I will give that a shot too.

Upside down turkey: http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/roasting-a-turkey-upside-down-the-secret/

I always cook my birds upside down.

 

[MMDad]

Make sure you baste often for a juicy turkey.

Wrong. Basting just gets juice on the skin, not the meat, and it prolongs the cooking time so it dries out more. If you have enough juice in the pan to baste with you are doing it wrong. You should lock in the juices with high temperature to start.

Start it at 550 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn it down to 350. Cover the breast with foil. Insert a thermometer probe into the breast and cook to 163 degrees. The foil will keep the breast from overcooking while allowing the dark meat to reach the higer temperature it needs.

 

[MMDad]

Frozen Butterball - the store brands always have a bunch of pinfeathers that need to be fooled with.

Also I brine my bird for flavor and moistness. Roasted unstuffed so nobody dies.

Butterball is pre-brined so there isn't really a reason to brine it again. Look at the label - it usually says something like "10% solution of water, salt, and spices."

If you get one that is not pre-brined then it is crucial to brine it.

And if you do stuff the bird, make sure you cook it until the stuffing is fully cooked. That's about the time that the breast meat becomes turkey jerky.

 

[MMDad]

Also, make the decision if you want good gravy or good turkey. If you roast it low and slow enough to get usable pan juices the turkey will be dry. I'd rather make an awesome turkey and use the neck and other parts to make a broth for a gravy base. But you don't need as much gravy if the turkey isn't dry and your potatoes are tasty enough not to need to be smothered.

 

[Monello]

How often do you baste it? Is hourly too much?

About every 30 minutes. Don't overcook it either will go a long way to make sure it stays moist. When the breast juices run clear it's done.

 

[lovinmaryland]

Also, make the decision if you want good gravy or good turkey. If you roast it low and slow enough to get usable pan juices the turkey will be dry. I'd rather make an awesome turkey and use the neck and other parts to make a broth for a gravy base. But you don't need as much gravy if the turkey isn't dry and your potatoes are tasty enough not to need to be smothered.

Thats why Ive made so many turkeys this month lol For our Thanksgiving I am actually smoking the turkey but Ive been saving the juices/pan drippings (what minimal amounts there have been) to make gravy for Thanksgiving. Ive been using the meat for turkey & dumplings, turkey tettrazini, turkey pot pie, sandwiches, soup, etc...

 

[calvcopf]

We had 2 "Thanksgivings" this year on different days to accommodate both families that live far apart.
So, we ended up making two turkeys. The 13.5 lb frozen (thawed for 3 days) store brand from Giant was turkey #1 and an unfrozen 16 lb Butterball was turkey #2.
Cooked turkey #1 upside-down the entire time and it was juicy and maybe the best turkey EVER! The #2 turkey was cooked right-side up. It was ok, kinda dry with not much flavor and did not compare to the AWESOME cheaper "upside-down" turkey.
So, my conclusion is that it doesn't matter what brand of turkey you get, just roast it upside-down!
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!