Turkeys For 2013

[Arielle]

Quote: Did he post the recipe??? Darn, how did I miss that-- Iwas keeping an eye for that!!

Leg meat on turkey should be similar to duck meat. All dark meat. Turkey breast meat would need a different flavoring IMO. Totally different flavors.

 

[chickadoodles]

Did he post the recipe??? Darn, how did I miss that-- Iwas keeping an eye for that!!

Leg meat on turkey should be similar to duck meat. All dark meat. Turkey breast meat would need a different flavoring IMO. Totally different flavors.

I don't know if he posted the recipe or not. But I was just thinking the flavors in duck would be different than turkey. I have never ate duck. My sister told me it was very greasy and that she only ate it once and it was served in a roaster full of grease. That cured me from wanting to try it. But thanks for letting me know that it is like turkey legs!

 

[Arielle]

Duck is my all time favorite. THe first time I remember it was served by an old woman named Gram, she was the mother of an avid duck hunter and sure knew how to serve up duck. Later I ate it at a restaurant-- couldn't compare to Grams-- maybe it was the great memories of visiting at Grams.

THe amount of fat on anything is a functin of feeding and cooking. I ate a turkey earlier this summer that was failing and loosing weight. THe amount of grease in the pan was amazing. My opint is that IMO domestically fed is definitely fat and needs to be cooked in a method that removes the extra fat ( to be used at another time , of course.)

I had goose recently-- good eats!!

 

[MumsyII]

My favorite way to cook duck is in the smoker. I put a brown sugar rub on it over night with pepper, thyme, smoke paprika, and other nice herbs and seeds. Smoked with apple or cherry wood chips soaked in apple juice. I put a small apple in the body cavity of the duck while it smokes. My family fights over it. Never enough to go around. I smoke turkey the same way without the apple. Duck doesn't taste anything like turkey.

 

[chickadoodles]

Duck is my all time favorite. THe first time I remember it was served by an old woman named Gram, she was the mother of an avid duck hunter and sure knew how to serve up duck. Later I ate it at a restaurant-- couldn't compare to Grams-- maybe it was the great memories of visiting at Grams.

THe amount of fat on anything is a functin of feeding and cooking. I ate a turkey earlier this summer that was failing and loosing weight. THe amount of grease in the pan was amazing. My opint is that IMO domestically fed is definitely fat and needs to be cooked in a method that removes the extra fat ( to be used at another time , of course.)

I had goose recently-- good eats!!

Ok, thanks we will have to try some! Maybe raise one for a supper? idk we'll see. Thanks!

 

[Arielle]

My favorite way to cook duck is in the smoker. I put a brown sugar rub on it over night with pepper, thyme, smoke paprika, and other nice herbs and seeds. Smoked with apple or cherry wood chips soaked in apple juice. I put a small apple in the body cavity of the duck while it smokes. My family fights over it. Never enough to go around. I smoke turkey the same way without the apple. Duck doesn't taste anything like turkey.

All the more reason to raise both!

 

[B J Hopkins]

Can someone tell me at what age or weight I should process my turky? I've Bourbon Red & Blue Slate. An adult male BR, 1 adult female BR & 1 adult female Blue Slate. 8 Poulets are 3 months & another 4 are 3 weeks. Do most people process just the males or both male & female?

I'm thinking the poultets that are 3 months should be ready for processing around the middle of Nov? The other 4 sometime in Jan. (keeping the brown poulet)

 

[chickadoodles]

My favorite way to cook duck is in the smoker. I put a brown sugar rub on it over night with pepper, thyme, smoke paprika, and other nice herbs and seeds. Smoked with apple or cherry wood chips soaked in apple juice. I put a small apple in the body cavity of the duck while it smokes. My family fights over it. Never enough to go around. I smoke turkey the same way without the apple. Duck doesn't taste anything like turkey.

Thank you Mumsy! Your smoker recipe for duck makes is sound so good! Now I will have to try some!!! Where do you find cherry wood or chips? I have oak everywhere!

 

[Arielle]

Can someone tell me at what age or weight I should process my turky? I've Bourbon Red & Blue Slate. An adult male BR, 1 adult female BR & 1 adult female Blue Slate. 8 Poulets are 3 months & another 4 are 3 weeks. Do most people process just the males or both male & female?

I'm thinking the poultets that are 3 months should be ready for processing around the middle of Nov? The other 4 sometime in Jan. (keeping the brown poulet)

I have processed at many ages due to unexpected injuries. THey taste good at any age. HOwever for more meat the older the better.

THe increase in size from 7 moonths on seemed to slow down. Yes the 12 month olds are larger, but I would also consider putting a 7 month old inthe oven too. I prefer larger birds for the amt of effort I put into processing. ANd I have a HUGE roasting pan to hold a big tom.

If you like the pretty bird or are keeping a hen for breeding, you can keep a few hens. We keep some of both. Hens gointo the breeding pens and the extra toms are free to roam OR put into another pen. My point is that you can cull the hensdown to good breeding stock so it is alright to eat them too.

Fortunately usually more males than females are hatched, and make for good eats!!

Nice that you can spread out the processing and enjoy the turkeys dinners over a number of months. We eat turkey all year 'round.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Arielle: So you're saying around 7 months is a good time for processing? Male & Female? Are Tom's too old if they are around a yr & 1/2?

Do you PLUCK feathers or skin them, generally?