Well how was your turkey?

[longranger]

Well for me and my family it was an epic good thanksgiving. Somewheres around 45 people, 4 turkeys, many yummy dishes and deserts bought along pot luck style and good spirits.

The turkeys were 2 BR, one smoked and the other oven roasted, a smoked RP, and a peanut oil fried BS turkey. All were good. Interestingly different people has strong opinions as to which was the best with each bird and preparation method having favorites. Almost none had tried heritage turkey before. All agreed that this was as different from market turkey as BBW is from Kentucky Fried Chicken. The only bad thing was that everyone "volunterred to take home extra turkey so I have almost no leftovers. My guess is that we will end up with 60 guests and 5 birds next year. We are indeed blessed.

one pic

 

[Lu King]

I bought a "smoked" turkey from Walmart. It didn't taste "smoked" at all. We usually have an oven cooked turkey, and were very disappointed that this turkey wasn't as good as the oven cooked turkey. Otherwise, everything else was very good.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.

 

[greenfingers]

I cooked the second of the two turkeys we raised (BB bronze). He dressed out at 32 1/2 lbs and BARELY squeezed into my largest roaster (top wouldn't quite go in - had to 'tent' with foil!)

It was very good, but since I am used to store bought turkeys, I thought it tasted a little 'gamey'. The first one was this way also (28 lbs) we had in October. I thought it was because of the oyster dressing I had stuffed the neck cavity with - that it had flavored the whole bird. But the second one I just made giblet dressing and it tasted the same way - delicious, but definately very different. Is this anyone else's experience?

 

[GBov]

Quote:
I LOVE the difference home raising gives to BBBronze and BBWhites! But sadly this year it was a store bought for us, it was OK as I cooked it wiht some nice pork stock so was juicy but still sooooo SOOOO bland after home raised

 

[greenfingers]

Do you think the gamey, almost fishy flavor was because of the type of feed? For most of the time I was feeding a 20% protein pellet that derived the protein from fish meal. I switched to a different feed and added half cracked corn for about the last month before butchering. I remember we raised a couple turkeys years ago that tasted wonderful, and my DH says we fed them Purina Turkey Chow! lol

 

[GBov]

Quote:
My turkeys got layer mash bought for my hens plus what ever they ate in the pen, it was about a sixteenth of an acre so even though it wasnt big, 8 hens and 4 turkeys couldnt keep up with the grass and weeds.

They tasted GREAT, just super!

This bird we cooked yesterday was bland and tasteless compaired to them

Next year, by hook or by crook, it will be midget whites for the hollidays

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
it could have been the fish meal for sure I think, I used a broiler starter feed (I get Natures Best organic) the whole time and did not ever move onto the broiler finisher (but I did BBW) since they were turkeys. I gave some cracked corn towards the end and they free ranged the whole time. They tasted great, I would try a different feed next time and see, couldnt hurt

 

[purr]

DH said this years turkey was the best one to date
I bought a store bought turkey then brined it Just like Tyler florence said to. Then I stuffed it with an orange a lemon and fresh herbs. Then i smeared vegetable oil all over it with some poultry seasoning and put it in a 500 degree oven just like Alton brown said to , for 30 min. Then turned the oven down to 350. put cheesecloth soaked in stock on top of the whole bird till it was completely covered and cooked for another 3 hrs. pouring more stock over the cheesecloth every once in a while. Then checked it with the meat thermometer and took out of the oven at 180 degrees.Took the cheesecloth off and made a foil tent for it to rest under while the bun were baking.

 

[ChanceRider]

Fantastic! Probably the best ever turkey I've had. We cooked a 17 lb Bourbon Red that I had hatched in April from shipped eggs. As this was my first experience raising turkeys, I was sad at the thought of processing my beautiful birds and wasn't sure how I'd feel about cooking and eating them. We gave a processed 19 lb BR to our great next door neighbors and received raves from them (and their guests) about the meat.

I'm pretty certain that there'll never be another Butterball turkey in my future! Really looking forward to Chirstmas dinner now.... we'll be bbq'ing one of my Midget Whites, cooking 2 home grown ducks, and also a ham from our home raised pig. Not bad for a city girl who, until a year ago, had never raised or processed her own dinner!

Oh, FWIW, we stuffed the bird and cooked it in one of those oven bags... my first experience with "bagging" a turkey. The meat was tender and moist and surprisingly, the skin browned and crisped up nicely.

 

[the simple life]

I cooked a 27lb broad breasted that I bought from a local farmer. I cooked alot of side dishes and made sure to cook extra so the boys could have their favorite stacked turkey sandwiches all week.
It was great, I am actually simmering the carcass now for some nice turkey soup we are going to have for dinner tonight.