Turkey Topics
A Bird for Every Budget | Leftover Love | Whole Deal Main Page
A Bird for Every Budget
What makes one turkey cost more than another? Here’s the straight gobble when it comes to the turkeys we’ve got for you to choose from—and do we have a selection!
To get just what you want, place your order early; size, type and availability varies from store to store.
| variety | value frozen turkey | chilled brined turkey | our basic fresh turkey | kosher turkey | organic turkey | heritage or heirloom turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| relative price | higher price per lb lower price per lb |
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| fresh or frozen? | FROZEN From this year's turkey harvest |
FRESH Birds are raised to reach the perfect size just before the holiday season, then processed and stored just above the freezing point, which can create a thin layer of soft ice on the skin, but allows us to offer to you the freshest, juiciest turkey vs. one that may have been raised and frozen months ahead of time. |
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| how it was raised | Whole Foods Market® standards for turkey: no antibiotics ever, vegetarian diet, no added hormones*, no added solutions** or injections, complete traceability to farm | |||||
| flavor | as good or better than a conventional supermarket bird | brining adds extra flavor and moisture | our delicious, fresh poultry that customers come back for time and time again; allows you to brine or season to your taste | breeds chosen specifically for flavor | ||
| cooking notes | prepare as you would any turkey | fresh turkeys cook a little faster than frozen | take much less time to cook | |||
| additional benefits | a great price for turkeys raised to better standards than you'll find most anywhere else | we've done the brining so you don't have to...in a traditional mix of sea salt and water | the birds have access to the outdoors | two Kosher certifications: Rabbi Babad and OU | organic certification includes feed, farm, processing and packaging | birds grow at a slower rate than most other turkeys and develop flavor naturally with less fat |
| size range | 10-20 lbs | 16-20 lbs | 8-30 lbs | 10-20+ lbs | 10-20+ lbs | up to 14 lbs |
*Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising turkey.
** Except for pure sea-salt solution brining where indicated.
Leftover Love
Your turkey leftovers will go the extra mile without extra groans and moans from your family with these tried-and-true recipes:
- Open-Face Turkey and Cranberry Sandwiches
- Turkey and Pasta Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
- Hearty Turkey Noodle Soup
- Spicy Turkey Soup
- Thanksgiving Weekend Strata
- Turkey and Roasted Vegetable Quiche
- Swiss Chard Rolls Stuffed with Turkey and Wild Rice
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Curry
- Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Turkey Enchiladas
- Tomatillo Turkey Enchiladas
And while you’re spreading the leftover love, don’t forget the bones! Follow our 6 Super Simple Steps to Perfect Homemade Stock:
- After carving, stash the carcass and bones and wingtips in the fridge or freezer.
- When you’re ready to make the stock, cut the carcass into pieces to put in a big pot.
- Cover with 2–2½ quarts water; add a celery stalk, a carrot and a yellow onion, all quartered.
- Drop in a bay leaf, a few sprigs fresh thyme and parsley, a teaspoon black peppercorns and salt.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer very gently 3–4 hours, skimming foam off the top as it forms.
- Strain, cool and refrigerate (2 or 3 days max) or freeze.
