Turkey-Frozen or fresh

del44
del44 Posts: 686
edited November 2010 in The Clubhouse
We've been putting off getting a turkey and now it's too close to Thanksgiving to get a frozen bird. So we just picked up a fresh turkey tonight.That being said, the difference in price for a fresh vs. frozen is quite large. I was wondering if there is a difference in taste between the two. Or, is there anyone who prefers one over the other.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    I like to stalk and wrestle my turkey, smash it with a rock and field strip it in front of family but that's just me. There's nothing like the horror on a young childs face when your covered in blood.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • AudioGenics
    AudioGenics Posts: 2,567
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    I like to stalk and wrestle my turkey...

    stop action replay
    of the classical full nelson wresting technique
    as demonstrated .....
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  • messiah
    messiah Posts: 1,790
    edited November 2010
    Lasareath wrote: »
    Next year I am going to get a Fowl De Cochon!!

    http://www.cajunspecialtymeats.com/browse.cfm/fowl-de-cochon/4,135.html

    Holy F'kn crap!! I've made a turducken (total pita), but that's awesome!!
    "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
    Benjamin Franklin, February 17th, 1775.

    "The day that I have to give up my constitutional rights AND let some dude rub my junk...well, let's just say that it's gonna be a real bad day for the dude trying to rub my junk!!"
    messiah, November 23rd, 2010
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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited November 2010
    I take the easy route. I stay home order a Turkey Pizza and rock my brains out.:biggrin:
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,727
    edited November 2010
    I'm not convinced that the ones at the grocery store aren't all the same. I really think the "fresh" ones were just thawed by the store in their refrigerators.

    Its really a matter of convenience. If you don't buy a frozen one and start thawing it in your fridge on Monday, its not going to be thawed by Thursday morning. Trying to thaw a turkey fast is asking for trouble.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • wayne3burk
    wayne3burk Posts: 939
    edited November 2010
    I picked up a fresh / not frozen butterball (today) -- .$50 a pound mo expensive. 14lb bird - $7 US Bucks - and no thawing headaches. Priceless.

    -- wayne --
    Yamaha RX-V2700, EMI 711As (front), RCA K-16 (rear), Magnavox Console (Center & TV Stand), Sony SMP-N200 media streamer, Dual 1249 TT =--- Sharp Aquas 60" LCD tellie
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  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    billbillw wrote: »
    I'm not convinced that the ones at the grocery store aren't all the same. I really think the "fresh" ones were just thawed by the store in their refrigerators.

    I worked for 4 years as the butcher in an upscale food co-op. Each year the great pride of the store's meat department was the fact that we had fresh, locally sourced, free rage, humanely trea...... bla bla bla bla bla turkeys for thanksgiving.

    EVERY year half of them arrived frozen. Not rock hard mind you, but frozen.


    To answer the OP question, yes. A truly fresh bird has much better texture and overall flavor to the meat.
    I hope very much that your bird is actually fresh. But if not you did save yourself a big hassle thawing that thing out and the saved time and peace of mind that the middle of your breast isn't still an ice cube is well worth the added cost.
    Sounds good to me...
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,736
    edited November 2010
    Fresh. We get ours from Idylwilde Farms in Acton, MA... free range, organic, yadda, yadda... but ya gotta order them in advance.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Fresh. We get ours from Idylwilde Farms in Acton, MA... free range, organic, yadda, yadda... but ya gotta order them in advance.

    Same here. There's enough local farms around here, shocking, to not be an issue. It's a big difference in taste.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • JuanR
    JuanR Posts: 718
    edited November 2010
    Once you go Fresh you will never go back. OK maybe you will if your budget is kinda strapped. But Fresh does rule. Butterball has always been very good, and I have always been complimented, and all I do is baste it in veggie oil (wesson) and sprinkle some fresh black pepper on the top.
    You can always catch a last minute sale at your favorite grocery store, Jewel is offering Jennie-O's at 0.39c/pound (frozen of course)....sounds like a winner to me.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,736
    edited November 2010
    Turkey is really good cooked on a Weber grille over indirect heat. Coat with oil and season with fresh ground pepper and fresh ground sea salt or kosher salt. Cook as described in the Weber owners' manual. Superb and stoopit easy. We traditionally "smoke" a turkey (it ain't really smokin', just roasting over charcoal) every year for either Memorial Day or Labor Day.
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited November 2010
    Yes, there is a huge difference in taste between an organically raised turkey and a frozen, hormone pumped, cage confined, and "crap" fed turkey. It's good you got the fresh (hopefully organic) one.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
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    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Turkey is really good cooked on a Weber grille over indirect heat. Coat with oil and season with fresh ground pepper and fresh ground sea salt or kosher salt. Cook as described in the Weber owners' manual. Superb and stoopit easy. We traditionally "smoke" a turkey (it ain't really smokin', just roasting over charcoal) every year for either Memorial Day or Labor Day.

    Mark - Do you flip it during this process? When we're talking Weber...like Smokey Joe size or larger?
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited November 2010
    Fry that gobbler in peanut oil and you'll have a feast to remember.
    >
    >
    >This message has been scanned by the NSA and found to be free of harmful intent.<
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  • wuz_maximillian
    wuz_maximillian Posts: 8
    edited November 2010
    {sigh, still banned}

    About how much is an organic turkey? Never tried one but that sounds like a good idea. Alas I will be at my relatives house and don't have a say in the turkey department. Wife made a couple of delicious pies though.

    Speaking of stalking turkeys... I had to kill one in my back yard recently. I had a group of them coming around for 8 week straight tearing up my lawn looking for grubs. Even after I had the lawn treated for grubs they still came back many times. Chasing them out of the lawn didn't work either since they had become practically domesticated. Finally got sick of the growing 30 foot diameter dead patch that I shot one with my crossbow. The arrow went right through the bugger and even cut one of its legs off. Haven't seen them back since and it has been 6 weeks. Kids watched the whole thing and thought it was cool. Wish I didn't have to do it, but I am so over the cuteness of wildlife in the backyard.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,736
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    Mark - Do you flip it during this process? When we're talking Weber...like Smokey Joe size or larger?

    Standard 22" grille - nope, no flipping. Just put a drip pan under it and the coalsl to the sides (Weber's "indirect" method). Add soaked wood chunks (hickory, etc.) if you wish, but it's good with just charcoal.
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  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,624
    edited November 2010
    wuz_maximillian wrote: »
    {sigh, still banned}

    About how much is an organic turkey? Speaking of stalking turkeys... I had to kill one in my back yard recently.
    Since you killed one, apparently free........what'd you do with the one you shot? (granted, I'm not a "clean my own food" type of person, so I probably would have dumped it.....lol.
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    Thanks man...I'm trying to get something good in my usual awful Thanksgiving food with the in-laws.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    brettw22 wrote: »
    Since you killed one, apparently free........what'd you do with the one you shot? (granted, I'm not a "clean my own food" type of person, so I probably would have dumped it.....lol.

    You don't strike me as the cleaning or field stripping type Brett, lol. If so, if you ever visit aside from business, plan on doing some fishing.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • del44
    del44 Posts: 686
    edited November 2010
    The differrence in the price was about $1 a pound. One year we thawed the bird in the sink that was filled with cold water. Took about 36 hours I think. Seemed to come out OK.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,996
    edited November 2010
    Go fresh for best taste and end result. The price [provided you know how to cook] is more than worth it.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited November 2010
    Cajun' de-boned chicken,stuffed with shrimp and rice
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • wuz_maximillian
    wuz_maximillian Posts: 8
    edited November 2010
    brettw22 wrote: »
    Since you killed one, apparently free........what'd you do with the one you shot? (granted, I'm not a "clean my own food" type of person, so I probably would have dumped it.....lol.

    It was a medium sized bird. The arrow pretty much destroyed it so I simply threw it out. Also, living in the burbs most people put tons of chemicals on their lawns and the turkeys eat off the lawns. Not sure if the turkeys are really safe to eat.
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited November 2010
    Polkersince85 wrote: »
    Fry that gobbler in peanut oil and you'll have a feast to remember.

    What he said!

    A buddy and I deep fry 8-10 turkeys every year for a Christmas thing at a local Inn (bar). The wives make noodles and it is free for anyone who shows up. One year, we fried 40 turkeys for a national beagle hunt that was held locally. We had 6 fryers going and one was big enough to hold 3 birds.

    Do you realize how much beer it takes to fry 40 turkeys!? And then those same two drunk guys carving those same 40 with electric fillet knives! It was a sight to behold. We had pieces of turkey on the ceiling....
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  • AudioGenics
    AudioGenics Posts: 2,567
    edited November 2010
    del44 wrote: »
    ..... between the two. Or, is there anyone who prefers one over the other.

    It was fun going to a Turkey farm and picking out the unfortunate specimen.
    Luckily the folks took care of the nasty and we are able to enjoy the tasty
    result.

    So fresh is our vote

    who knows maybe there will be synthetic turkey and that little bit of guilt
    will no longer be part of the yearly ritual,

    Happy Thanksgiving !
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  • Lost
    Lost Posts: 48
    edited November 2010
    Frozen:)

    <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/49Qn38WdTTs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/49Qn38WdTTs?fs=1&hl=en_US&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
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  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited November 2010
    Depends on what you want to do with it.
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • scottyboy76
    scottyboy76 Posts: 2,905
    edited November 2010
    I have paid dearly for a free range organic bird, killed the day befor we bought it.

    It was good, but honestly a frozen butterball was not far behind at all.

    The most important thing is to brine any poultry in a salt water solution.

    You can find the amounts on food network site.

    Happy Thanksgiving all.
    humpty dumpty was pushed
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  • codyc1ark
    codyc1ark Posts: 2,532
    edited November 2010
    scottyboy76 wrote: »
    I have paid dearly for a free range organic bird, killed the day befor we bought it.

    It was good, but honestly a frozen butterball was not far behind at all.

    The most important thing is to brine any poultry in a salt water solution.

    You can find the amounts on food network site.

    Happy Thanksgiving all.

    +1 on brining. I do quite a few turkeys during the year, I like to brine for about 16 hours, then put it in the smoker for about 9 hours with a charcoal and wood combo. Can't beat it.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited November 2010
    My wife's church, "Holy Family," gave use a fresh turkey this year.

    The only time I didn't have a frozen bird was when I use to hunt. I bagged two wild turkeys and they taste totally different from any farm raised or free range turkeys I've ever had. . . and yes they were delicious.
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