Best turkey strategies?

22 years ago

I've accumulated several coupons for free turkeys, and turkey sales abound -- I'm looking for strategies to take adavantage of the low prices.

I'm a single person, and I don't really see roasting a whole 10-12 pound turkey. But I'm looking for ways to cook and freeze turkey, parts or whole.

I'm actually thinking of donating the coupons for free turkeys to the local foodbank, since the coupons expire 11.27. But now is the time to stock up on all those more manageable portions like breasts and thighs.

How do you take advantage of the great sales?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
22 years ago
I've asked the meat guy to cut the turkey in half so can freeze half and use the other half or freeze both til ready. Or roast it up and freeze the meat and broth in portions to your liking. Your idea for the foodbank is a good one.

SharonG/FL
Linda
22 years ago
Just the 2 of us, so when I get a turkey, I often give it a "masectomy" and remove one of the breasts before cooking. Then I make breaded cutlets with that. I'll then roast the rest of the turkey and have a regular turkey meal with some leftovers & sandwiches (maybe a casserole if it is big enough), and then, of course, use the carcass and leftover dark meat for soup. Makes a lot of varied meals out of one bird! Linda (I'm a newbie on this forum)
Related Discussions
Watering strategy for best flavor?
Q
Comments (2)
My tomato plants get huge, and I barely ever water them. One inch per week or so in rain means I do not water them. And they taste very good. I read about planting basil and carrots around tomatoes, basil for taste and carrots cause tomatoes supposedly suck the nutrients out of them. Could be an old tale, but I can see how it was started... tomatoes stun carrot growth, so the opposite must be true ;). Anyway, I got a couple basil plants near my tomatoes and craploads of carrots covering the ground below :P Thankfully my dog appears to be half rabbit or something... loves them carrots. Google companion planting... not something I would swear by, just a case of "if it doesn't hurt, try it incase it helps :P" Carrot seeds are like $.80 per packet.
...See More
Best Painting strategy for OLD clapboards?
Q
Comments (3)
If it were my house: Hand washing with scrubbies, sponge, detergent. (no pressure washer). Sanding problem areas with a sander hooked to a HEPA vacuum (to keep the lead contained) or wet-scraping and the necessary plastic sheeting to contain the mess, then double-bag in 6-mil black trash bags, seal w/tape and off to the landfill) Sanded areas get primed the same day (or as soon as dry if wet-scarping) to prevent any weathering of the exposed wood/feathered edges of paint/wood. Primer is as important as good prep: I use a thinned oil primer for outdoors. If it is not a linseed oil primer to begin with add a couple ounces of it per gallon, and thin with turpentine. Caulk and fill all your nail holes after priming. Perhaps spot prime over the nail holes if the spackle shows through as a dull or shiny spot. You want to avoid the freckles. Don't over caulk. There are discussions about where and how to caulk. Never caulk the horizontal seams of woodwork. They must remain unsealed to allow the wood to dry out and breathe. A house never fell down because of too little caulk, but great damage can occur from overuse. For speed roll on (4" roller) and brush it in. Or use an airless sprayer and brush it in for large areas. Don't ever simply spray on and walk away. Make sure painting happens after the dew is off, and stop painting an hour before dew could fall. The quality of the topcoat, then, is only going to determine how long before the paint fades, as a prep job I have described will give it every chance of adhering to the substrate. If your colors are light, you can get away with cheaper paint, but make sure dark accents are the best you can buy so they don't fade. Also, try to keep to the natural pigments and avoid colorants that are synthetic/dyes, they fade the worst. Casey
...See More
Want to start a Hellebore Garden, best strategy?
Q
Comments (6)
Jill, First question is: Where are you located? You need to get specific down to which part of what state, in case there are folks out there (like me) who have plants they would be willing to part with if someone would come and get them. Folks like me can't ship plants legally because we're not in the nursery business and do not have all the necessary permits, but I have given lots of plants away to folks who came to visit me for one reason or another. Second, I would take an afternoon and read every thread posted here on GW that pertains to Helleborus. I would go back at least three pages. There are posts (the one right below yours is an example) scattered around here that will answer lots of your specific questions. You will have to sit down and dig the information out, but lots of it is hidden away in these posts. After that, start asking questions about stuff you still don't understand, and there are lots of folks here that will be glad to help with answers. Good luck. Bill
...See More
Best commercial brands of turkeys in stores?
Q
Comments (13)
I love Butterball brand turkey. I always get frozen and about 15 to 18 pounds. It needs to go from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw today. I cook at 325* and it takes about 3 1/2 hours. I do the covered roaster pan, because no one in my family likes the skin and I carve the turkey before anyone gets here. If you want the pretty whole brown turkey cook like Annie's. The Chef Alarm needs to be deep in the thigh, not touching the bone. When it goes off, still check for doneness in several places. They say 165* for turkey breast and 180* for the thighs. It needs about 3O minutes to rest after it comes out of the oven. Yes, the thighs will wiggle. ETA: The newest advise is showing 165* for thighs and breasts, But I haven't ever had the thighs done at 165*. I cook the breasts to 165* and the thighs to at least 170*. Do you stuff your bird? If you stuff the cavity with the dressing, it takes a lot longer to cook. Is it COMPLETELY thawed? Once, I had ice inside and that took longer to cook. Check your oven temperature. It could be incorrect. Here is a link to a cooking blog I like. Elise has a lot of good hints to read about timing and the size turkey to buy. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_roast_turkey/ ETA: Butterball is a prebrined turkey, so you don't want to add any additional salt or brining of any kind. You do want to rub the skin with oil if doing the open roaster method. You can add the the celery and onion also, if you wish. If getting a plain turkey, you need to either wet brine or dry brine after thawing. That is why I like the Butterball, it skips a step.
...See More
yellowhair
22 years ago
I just cooked a turkey a month or so ago and we had several meals from it, then I froze some of it, including the legs. I think, though, the next time that I freeze turkey, I will freeze several 2-cup portions so I can use them for either soups or casseroles.

My DH is really not a casserole kind of guy, more like meat & potatoes, but I asked him a week or so ago----"Steak or turkey tonight? I'll probably make a turkey casserole." He surprised me by selecting the turkey!!

So, after cutting up some of the turkey meat, adding some leftover cornbread crumbs, cheddar cheese soup (don't know really what I bought this for---had it on hand) and some frozen broccoli right out of the pkg-----it was delicious!

So, I'll definitely do more casseroles, and it's one main dish to clean up.
alison
Original Author
22 years ago
I remember coming across a website once that had "sample strategies". The chicken one, for example, started out with a shopping list -- say, six roasters.

Then it went on to describe step by step: Cut up three chickens. Bag all necks and backs for stock. Set aside 3 breast for broiling. Cook 3 breasts and shred for enchiladas.

I'm looking for that kind of detail! Gotta keep surfing the web.
alison
Original Author
22 years ago
Finally found the site I was thinking of with the sample strategies.

I think I'll work backwards; group some recipes I like that involve similar ingredients and develop the steps.

Still need to accumulate good one-person, freeze and bake recipes, tho......

Here is a link that might be useful: Sample OAMC strategies...

Best turkey strategies?

Comments (5)

geezerfolks_SharonG_FL

Linda

Related Discussions

yellowhair

alison
Original Author

alison
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Best turkey strategies?

Comments (5)

geezerfolks_SharonG_FL

Linda

Related Discussions

yellowhair

alisonOriginal Author

alisonOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

alison
Original Author

alison
Original Author