Turkey Talk

October 8, 2021
11:16 am

Let’s talk turkey…

With so many turkey brands, labels, and categories you want to make sure your special holiday meal has the best turkey at a reasonable price.

As a consumer, you’ll see all kinds of turkey words being flexed around such as Grade A, utility, free range, and organic.

But what do they really mean?

And does it make a difference in the taste and price of this holiday bird?

Here is a quick summary that will help you to be better informed when purchasing your turkey:

Grade A vs. Utility: Turkeys are graded according to quality of appearance.

Grade A turkeys are well shaped, meaty with an even fat covering.
Utility turkeys are birds with minor skin tears or one or more parts missing which in no way affects the quality.
There is no quality or taste difference between Grade A or utility grade turkeys.

Fresh vs. Frozen: There are absolutely no quality differences between fresh and frozen turkeys.

Frozen turkeys are flash-frozen immediately after they are packaged to 0°F or less, and are kept frozen until they are purchased.
Once thawed, the meat of a frozen turkey is virtually as fresh as the day it was packaged.
Fresh turkeys are chilled after packaging, rather than frozen. Because they require special handling and have a shorter shelf-life than frozen birds, fresh turkeys are often more expensive than their frozen counterparts.
When deciding between a fresh or frozen turkey, choose the turkey that works best for you.
Frozen turkeys can be purchased in advance, allowing for consumers to take advantage of special sales.
Fresh turkeys, conversely, do not require additional time for thawing.

Basted or Self-basting: These are whole birds that are injected with or marinated in a solution that includes butter or other edible fat, broth, stock or water, spices, flavour enhancers and other approved substances.

This increases the moisture content in the meat but it also masks the natural taste of the bird.

Free Range/Free Roaming/Cage Free: These birds have access to the outside and the ability to move about a yard.

This increased mobility helps to develop muscle, contributing to a more fully flavored and complex meat.
A common misconception is that free range chicken is synonymous with organic or naturally processed birds.
These distinctions only refer to the animal’s ability to roam and its access to light, not feed or processing.

Kosher: The regulated standard given to turkeys that have been killed according to Jewish dietary laws.

Kosher birds are salted inside and out, and left to drain before soaking and washing.
Since the salt pulls moisture from the meat of the bird, the flesh is denser.
These turkeys also prized for their full taste, tend to be more expensive than non-kosher turkeys.

Natural: A turkey can be labels “natural” if there no artificial flavors, colourings, ingredients, chemical preservatives or any other artificial or synthetic ingredients were used to process the meat.

Natural poultry can have antibiotics as part of their regime.
Poultry labeled “natural” should not be confused with organic.
Sometimes “no hormones” will be added to the label which is meaningless marketing tactic because no hormones are never used in poultry or egg production in Canada or the U.S.

Organic: Organic poultry represent a two-stage process.

First, the farmer does not use any chemicals, antibiotics or roughage fillers when raising the birds and gives them access to the outdoors and direct sunlight as with free range.
In addition, the animal’s feed must be raised organically (without chemical fertilizers or pesticides).
These birds tend to be more expensive but are potentially the finest and fullest flavoured available.

Depending on your taste and budget, you will now be able to navigate the world turkeys choosing one that is customized your needs.

Here are a few local grocery store turkey highlights for you to check out:

Fortinos Butterball or PC, Butter Infused, Frozen: $1.69/lb.

No Frills Fresh Turkeys, Grade A: $2.27/lb.

Lococo’s Fresh Turkeys, Local, Grade A: $2.99/lb.

As an added bonus, you can use your favourite ZEG Sauces to marinate, baste, and glaze your turkey with this fantastic recipe: Roasted Turkey with Rosemary and ZEG Sauce.

And don’t forget you can also use ZEG Sauces for all your dipping needs and side dishes! Enjoy!

Savour the Flavour!

🦃 ZEG sauces are a multiple use condiment sauce that can be used on any food around the world.

🦃 You can use ZEG sauces for basting, marinating, spreading, as a side dipping sauce, or dressing) the options are unlimited.

🦃 Use ZEG sauces on everything from chicken, pork, and beef to vegetables, rice, and tofu.