Fresh Turkeys for Thanksgiving
 

Hi everybody. I am looking for a source for a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. (and no , not the ones I see crossing the roads around here) I know you often have to order them in advance so I am looking now.
Thanks in advance for recommendations.

P.S. I made homemade applesauce for the first time in my life and it turned out great. 10-minute recipe.

Most of the super markets in the area have had fresh turkeys in past years!

Turkey Farms of NH
 

http://www.nhliving.com/turkey/producers.shtml

It's almost time to re-post my turkey recipe

Thanks mcdude for the listing. It is a great help to us up here on the mountain and I'm sure many others. Your Thanksgiving recipe will never be forgotten by this ole geezer.:)



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Win'ng Butcher
 

They will take orders for fresh turkeys.

I notice this weekend the have a takeout menu at their Meredith store.

It's a turkey shoot
 

All kinds of them over here in Belmont. Get your camo gear N gun an have at it. :D:D:D
don't forget your license.:eek:

BH if you can afford the Win'ing Butcher your doing very well. Most of us hard working stiffs can only afford them on special occasions. The last time I shopped them was when my son left to serve his country, about 5-6 years ago.

..It's The Right Thing To Do
 

Wilford Brimley has a good recipe for turkey. I think you can find it on You Tube. :D :D NB

A turkey will cost you about 2 or 3 gallons of gas in your boat.I think most people that own a boat can spring for a turkey.:laugh:

Belmont Resident:

In your posts you speak of a second home in Maine, expensive boats and snowmobiles. It sounds like you are doing well. Maybe if you cut back a bit on your toys you could eat fresh turkey, too!!!

There are fresh turkey and free range turkeys.
Completely different birds.

2nd home is a camp nothing special. Yes we have a boat, snowmobiles and ATV's as well. I sold my Baja so we now only have one boat!!!
Spending our money wisely and not buying high end food products helps us afford those things.
But what we choose to spend our money on and prioritize what we buy really isn't the topic at hand.
I have never said a bad thing about the Win'ing Butcher in fact I have made several comments on just how good their meat is. My or our problem is we can spend a whole lot of money on very high end products or we can spend that same amount of money and get 2-3 times the amount of less costly products.
Yes we have a lot of nice things and we are able to afford those things by making our money go as far as possible. We HAVE had fresh turkey before and it was very good, but for us not worth the extra money.
I would say the Win'ing Butcher is what a high end sports car dealer is to the auto industry. Great product for those who can afford it but still as a sports car is, not something you need to have but something you want to have.
I believe you would find they predominantly cater to the tourists and those few locals that are able to justify spending the extra money to get the quality product they sell. There are not many people I've talked to that can afford to shop there unless it is for something special. All do agree it is a great product.
I hope this explanation better helps you understand.

Why are you trying to justify anything?

Because some believe just because you have nice things you should automatically shop at high prices stores because you must have lots of money.
Heck all of my work cloths and my jeans come from Walmart.

Cate, check out this link, if your original post meant that you are looking for a locally-raised turkey.

http://www.nhliving.com/turkey/producers.shtml

On many occasions we have gotten our turkey in Methuen, MA (just over the NH border, outside of Salem) at Raymond's turkey farm. I think you have to order those in advance; if you take your chances at just walking in for a turkey, you may be out of luck. I've never been disappointed with one of their turkeys.
http://www.raymondsturkeyfarm.net/

We always order a 30 lb turkey for Thanksgiving from Raymonds and have never been disappointed.

Belmont Resident
 

As my uncle from Maine says: "I'm not cheap, I'm frugal!" That's how you get ahead.

locally raised turkeys
 

A few years ago i decided to splurge and get a locally raised, freshly killed turkey. It was $3/pound, 24 lbs cost $72.(What is the current cost?) It was good, but it wasn't THAT good.
I have since gone back to regular frozen turkeys and have had excellent luck with a brining recipe made primarily with apple juice, sea salt and some other spices. Soaked in the brine for 24 to 36 hours and I'll put it up against any locally raised turkey I've ever had. ( just a couple besides the one I bought).
Tender, moist, delicious, and it doesn't affect the quality of the nap after you eat plenty of it. :)

I like the suggestion made by the Phantom Gourmand.

If you're me, you're just as likely to overcook the fresh, (relatively) expensive turkey as you are the budget-priced turkey...so I'm going to save my money and take his advice. ; )

Last year I was dragging a deer out of the woods Thanksgiving morning. By afternoon fresh steaks on the grill. Take that any day over turkey!

;)

When we lived near the MA border we always had fresh turkeys from Raymond's Turkey Farm in Methuen MA, and they were always the best!. We have been up here for a coupla years and didn't feel we should make the drive back since there are other local opportunities and we like to support the local businesses. Last year we tried free range from a local turkey farm and were disappointed, but it was our first free range and we were unfamiliar with the taste which others may prefer, so it's somewhat of a gamble depending on on your taste buds. I'm sure there are some great local turkey suppliers here but for the "big meal" we'll be going back south this year to get what we consider the best from Raymonds Turkey Farm. FYI, great turkey pies, gravy, etc and you need to place your order well (weeks) in advance.

???
 

Would you mind posting or pm-ing that recipe? For the past 5 years we have been served at a hunting lodge up north. This year I thing I'm going to make a turkey dinner myself. I'll probably use the smoker but like the idea of your brine solution.

Im pretty sure his financial situation and what he decides to spend his money on is none of our business! Just my opinion.

Turkey in the smoker is fabulous. The smokiness even permeates the soup made from the carcass.


AND the cranberry sauce!

Just be careful getting them from the grocery store, some come already brined. This helps with their juiciness like brining it yourself but it also means you pay for some salt water, and you definitely don't want to brine it more.

Some brining recipes
 

Here's a whole bunch of turkey brining recipes.

http://bbq.about.com/od/turkeybriner...inerecipes.htm

I use a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket lined with a non scented kitchen trash bag. I put it on the deck with the cover on and have not had a problem with animals getting at it...yet!!
Here is the one I primary have used with some modification...

http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/11/...ine-that-bird/

Most important, be creative with spices according to your taste. My key ingredients have been kosher salt, brown sugar and at least 2 quarts of apple juice or cider. And then what I call Scarboro Fair spices...parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

If you try it, let us know your results!

Don't forget the garlic.

You have Beans and Green in Gilford and also Hermit Brooks Farm in Sanbornton.There was an article in one of the local papers a few years ago talking about Hermit Brooks Farm.

Harvest Market
 

Cate - since I know I can order a fresh turkey from Harvest Market in Bedford, I'd bet you can to the same at their store in Wolfeboro.

I just made an observation regarding facts that Belmont Resident has shared with us in the past. Interestingly, he took my observation in a positive manner while you apparently did not.

Just Orederd mine from Wine'ing Butcher - Gilford
 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/WineingButcherGilfordNH


I just placed my order at the Gilford Wine'ing Butcher. Here's their facebook page. They brine them for you - We had it from here last year and it was DELICIOUS!

There was a farm in Sanborton up near Steel Hill Resort that sells their own fresh raised turkey....don't know if they are still there ?

It's worth the money to not have to brine the turkey yourself. It makes a big difference in taste when the turkey is brined, but the bird takes up a lot of room in the fridge during the process. You lose all that space when you need it the most. I'd rather have someone do it for me.

I'm going to try that brine thing this year. I have looked up and printed out several recipes from the internet.
With the cost of the turkey being so much higher I wonder how much more your paying for the extra weight from the brine solution.
A block of ice in a cooler will last for several days but in many instances it is cool enough out just to leave the bird in a cooler out of the sun.
By Thanksgiving it's usually not above the 50's and sometimes even the 40's.

Alice Waters Chez Panisse Brine...Used it for years
 

Submerge for 24 - 48 hrs., rinse and roast at 400 deg. for 20 min per pound.

CHEZ PANISSE'S BRINE FOR TURKEY
INGREDIENTS:

--2 1/2 gallons cold water

-- 2 cups kosher salt

-- 1 cup sugar

-- 2 bay leaves, torn into pieces

-- 1 bunch fresh thyme, or 4 tablespoons dried

-- 1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

-- 5 whole allspice berries, crushed

-- 4 juniper berries, smashed

-- 1-2 Oranges, quartered (optional)

-- 1-2 limes quartered (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS: Place the water in a large pot that can easily hold the liquid and the turkey you intend to brine. Add all ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve. Put your turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey floats to the top, use a plate or other weight to keep it completely submerged in the brine.

Note: The recipe may be halved or doubled; the important thing is to have enough brine to completely cover the turkey. Before roasting, remove the bird from the brine and drain well. Pat dry

400 degrees, 20 minutes per pound? That's 8 hours for a 24 pound bird. Seems kind of hot for that long. Is 400 correct for this recipe?
I have started them out at much lower temp, 250 to 275 for about 3 hours, then bring it up to 325 for the remainder. I like to think it cooks more evenly that way and doesn't cook the moisture out. Using a meat thermometer, it still seems to take 8 to 9 hours for a 20 pound plus bird.
Any other thoughts on cooking times/temps?

I love using the pop-up temperture indicators.I prefer to start my turkey at 400 for 1 hour and then finish at 325-350.

The best trick I ever tried was to soak a cheesecloth in melted butter, then place this over the breast of the turkey for the entire cooking time. You won't believe how moist the breast meat stays with this method. :liplick:

Yes - this is how I do my turkey. And I drizzle more butter on later.

Now, add a drizzle of maple syrup and a little fresh sage under the wings (in the wing pits) before you place the cheesecloth on the turkey. I'm not joking - it's to die for.

Do it up with a good sausage stuffing (moist, with lots of onion and celery and carrot) - and it's the best.

pop-up thermometers
 

I stopped using the pop-up's. I've overcooked a couple of birds both chicken and turkey using them.
I believe it was last year or one before where one of the cooking shows said to throw out the pop-up and use a meat thermometer. The temp range varies and tends to be on the high end of cooked before many pop up.
I will admit that I have had some birds turn out great, but once you have had one overcooked with guests to serve you will prefer a more accurate meat thermometer. At least if you screw up using the meat thermometer you have no one else to blame but yourself.

Thanks for the info.
 

Not to break our 6 year tradition we took our ATV's down to a hunting camp to have our Thanksgiving Dinner. Saturday, yesterday, was the day I had decided to smoked our turkey.
After soaking the bird for over 24 hours it went into the smoker yesterday at 5am. I smoked the bird for the whole day but as the temps started dropped around 3pm and the wind picked up the temp started dropping in the smoker. So with the bird at 160 at 5pm I put it in the oven for the last hour to finish it off.
I have never in my life had a more juicy flavorful bird, and that smoke flavor was completely through the whole of the breast.
Even this morning as I was taking the meat off and prepping the bird for the soup pan it was still full of juices unlike the day after dry meat we usually have.
I will never cook another turkey without soaking it in brine first, what a great idea.
Today, Sunday it was 24 at 5am and it has dropped to 23 and the winds and snow have been howling all night.
The ground is white up here in northern Maine, glad we are staying till tomorrow instead of fighting all that traffic on the roads today.
I hope everyone else had a great experience with their Thanksgiving meal.

Brine Success
 

I brined our turkey before cooking this year and it was a huge success!! Juicy even the next day. Everyone commented on it.

Thanks for the recipes and suggestion.

I too was a first time briner and as others have said, it was more moist and flavorful than ever before.:D

Smoker
 

Although a lot of work, try smoking any meats and you will be even more surprised with the end result.
I smoke pork often and it is great, especially tenderloin. I have not used brine on the pork yet but that is next.
Oh and it is a learning process, one that I still have not perfected or even come close after 3 years.
The most important thing with smoking is you have to be around all day to monitor the temp and make sure you have enough water in the smoker to keep the meat moist.