Question....About the turkey

[Lillith]

Hey guys. My husband is usually in charge of the Turkey buying…but he is out of town until wednesday

Simple question really…He wants a fresh not frozen turkey…so when should I buy it…would it be O.K. to get it today, and have it sitting in the fridge for three days, or should I wait until tuesday or wed…

I really wanted to do grocery shopping today(mon.), because it is the only day my children do not have after school activities…

Thank you
gobble, gobble

 

[CatholicSam]

Since your husband usually buys the turkey and can’t this year, why not ask his advice? It will make him feel more included if he’s disappointed that he can’t be there to make the arrangements himself Unfortunately, I am as clueless as you about when to buy a fresh one!

 

[dhgray]

It’s should be ok in the frig for a day or two. However, if your husband is making demands (from out of town) tell him to either bring home a “fresh” turkey or expect a frozen one.

 

[Lillith]

Gobble gobble…

I asked him…he doesn’t know either…usually he would buy it the day before, but with him out of town this year, I have to do all preparations…and I suppose I will make a special trip (grocery is thirty min. away) to buy the turkey on wed. But I don’t want to do all that shopping on Thanksgiving eve…what a madhouse that would be…

 

[Lillith]

dhgray:

It’s should be ok in the frig for a day or two. However, if your husband is making demands (from out of town) tell him to either bring home a “fresh” turkey or expect a frozen one.

I hear you about the fresh vs. frozen…what is the difference anyway…

A day or two…thank you
gobblegobble

 

[kmktexas]

Lillith:

Hey guys. My husband is usually in charge of the Turkey buying…but he is out of town until wednesday

Simple question really…He wants a fresh not frozen turkey…so when should I buy it…would it be O.K. to get it today, and have it sitting in the fridge for three days, or should I wait until tuesday or wed…

I really wanted to do grocery shopping today(mon.), because it is the only day my children do not have after school activities…

Thank you
gobble, gobble

I am doing a fresh turkey for the first time this year too. I asked this question at the meat counter last week since I was surprized that the fresh turkeys were already out. The gentleman told me that he wouldn’t get it any earlier than late Monday. We are picking up ours tonight after the kids activities.

 

[Lillith]

kmktexas:

I am doing a fresh turkey for the first time this year too. I asked this question at the meat counter last week since I was surprized that the fresh turkeys were already out. The gentleman told me that he wouldn’t get it any earlier than late Monday. We are picking up ours tonight after the kids activities.

Double triple thank you…

I wonder…is there that much of a difference (fresh vs. frozen)

 

[awalt]

I think I can tell the difference… the fresh turkey always tastes better, less dry, more flavorful. The meat is kind of soft and moist. Our family does a fresh turkey, and it’s always great.

That said, if it’s a big hardship you can overcome a lot by a good recipe! I will say it might be important to your hubby since its been his role to provide this for the family, and can’t this year – he may feel badly that his trip caused the family to do with a lower quality in his mind.

As for time - the closer the better. Meat really shouldn’t be in a frig that long, especially if you want it a few days for leftovers. I learned this from my wife, a former home ec teacher. Ideally the day before is when most people pick up fresh turkeys.

My .02 - I am not Martha Stewart

 

[maryjk]

I have always done a fresh turkey, this is the first year for a frozen one. You can get a turkey today or last week. I got mine last year about a week before Thanksgiving.
I like them better because they thaw faster. Yes, fresh turkeys are still frozen, just not at the lower temp that a frozen turkey is frozen. In other words, you will still need to thaw the turkey, just not as long. I also like them because I think they turn out juicier.

 

[Lillith]

Thank you for that information…

I haven’t ever had a fresh one so have always wondered…I will go wed. morning and get that turkey!

Gobble gobble…

 

[Joan_M]

Here I am, in a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving. However, we do have turkey for Christmas. And, I am thinking - huh? Fresh turkey is frozen??? Now, I have only ever cooked frozen turkey (thawed, of course ). Since I live in Trinidad, I have never seen a fresh turkey on sale here. In Ireland, however, where I grew up and lived almost half of my live so far, there are fresh turkeys - really fresh, not frozen!

In fact, one year our turkey was so fresh it was still alive when my mother brought it home!! It lived in the garage for a couple of days, fed and watered by my mother, and then she killed it!

Anyway - although I have only ever cooked frozen turkey, I have never cooked a turkey that was not moist and tender. In the last couple of days I have seen some posts about how to cook turkey and not a one does it the way I do!! I make bread stuffing with fresh bread torn up and well moistened with turkey stock made by boiling the giblets. I add finely chopped turkey liver to this, as well as finely chopped onion, herbs and salt and black pepper. This is stuffed inside the body cavity as well as in the neck cavity. The turkey is then trussed. I rub the breast and legs with oilve oil and dust on some oregano.

I put enough foil in the roasting pan so that I can rest the turkey on it and then package the entire bird loosely with the foil somewhat tented above the breast.

I follow the oven temperature and timing usually given on the plastic packaging the bird came in, but about an hour and a half before I expect it to be done I open the foil so that the bird can get browned.

The moist stuffing keeps the turkey meat moist - in fact, the turkey draws most of the moisture from the stuffing into it, resulting in delicious moist meat…

Hurry up Christmas - I love turkey!!

 

[Aurelia]

I went to the supermarket today and asked the butcher to put a fresh turkey away for me for pick-up on Wednesday. I’ve heard that the coolers in grocery stores are set at a lower temperature than that of the ordinary household refrigerator. If I were to keep the turkey in my home refrigerator, it wouldn’t be kept as cold because the kids keep opening the door (hoping to find some treat which has materialized since the last time they opened it, I suppose).
The frozen turkeys are all injected with that salty self-basting solution, and we don’t like that. So we always buy fresh.