*ALERT* Turkey Alert *ALERT*

THOSE of you planning on eating your (currently) frozen turkey on Thursday might want to get it out of the freezer today so it will be thawed by then. Air thawing in the refrigerator will take several days.

Alternatively, you can fill a 5 gallon paint bucket with water and the bird and leave it in your garage if it is unheated and at most 40 degrees F. This quick thaw method will still require 12 or more hours.

http://www.homedepot.com/s/5%2520gallon%2520paint%2520bucket?NCNI-5

Dad had a dedicated bucket for this task. He used it for brining his turkey too. IT became contaminated during the move, so he will have to get a new one. Speaking of which, a good video on brining is here.

Take note though. Many birds are treated with 10 ~ 12 percent solution of salt and water (brine) already. So additional brining could result in an over salty bird.

Fresh birds obviously do not need to thaw.

This year Dad investigated buying a Heritage turkey. But at $8 per pound, he declined.

Good article on Heritage turkey versus factory farm raised turkeys here. Does a Heritage bird taste better?

Testers sampled dark and light meat from both birds blind. People found the conventional turkey to be universally saltier and some claimed that it had a more artificial taste. Although most found the heritage meat to have better flavor, the biggest criticism was that it was the dryer of the two meats.

The Health Nut: Heritage. “I don’t notice a huge difference between the two, but I probably prefer the heritage slightly. It’s less salty and has more texture.”

The Foodie: Heritage. “I love, love the flavor of the dark meat on this bird. And the white meat of the other one has an almost chicken nuggety texture and flavor.”

The Kid: Heritage. “The other one is too salty.”

The Dude: Store-bought. “This meat is juicier.”

The Verdict
Heritage.

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/does-heritage-turkey-taste-better-than-conventional-in-a-blind-taste-test