bakechef
Executive Chef
How do you know if you are getting a "better" turkey?
Over the years I have had turkeys that grew up in good neighborhoods and in bad neighborhoods. They all tasted about the same.
I remember Julia Child commenting that she thought a frozen turkey was a safer bet than a "fresh" turkey because the frozen one was processed under optimal conditions and the so called fresh turkeys were processed far in advance of being used due to the high holiday demand.
I agree. Frozen turkeys are likely killed, processed and frozen the same day. "Fresh turkeys" could be weeks old by the time you get them (I've worked in grocery stores for about 18 years).
I've had lots of store brand, butterball and "fresh" turkeys and to be honest I've never seen a difference between any of them. Maybe the Butterball had a bit more flavor, but that's about it.
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