Turkey Picking 101

I don't need a calendar to tell me that Thanksgiving is near. The dozens
of questions in my inbox on how to buy a turkey are a sure sign. So back
by popular demand (with a few new tips, as well), here is everything
you need to know to select the best turkey at the best price!

Go For Cheap. John Smith, professional butcher and author of "Confessions of a Butcher: Eat Steak on a Hamburger Budget and Save $$$," advises, "Always go with the cheapest turkey and you'll never go wrong." He says one turkey processor will slap many different labels on his
crop of birds. The turkeys are all the same; only the labels are different.

No Enhancements. Roger Kutz, a butcher in Minnesota, suggests we skip the turkeys that come "enhanced", They are just loaded up with salty water and fl avorings. Never forget that a turkey with an 8 percent solution added is only 92 percent turkey.

Buy Frozen. Both of our butchers agree that these days, a frozen bird is best. By law, turkeys can be labeled "fresh" even when the moisture in the
bird is frozen. If you press very firmly on the bird, the meat is not frozen. The turkey processors have it down to a science. They bring the temperature of the birds down to the legal limit before sending them off to the store two weeks before Thanksgiving. Frozen turkeys, on the other hand, are quick-frozen immediately after butchering. So the freshest turkey is really a frozen turkey. The freezing process has no noticeable effect on the quality or the taste of the bird.

Bigger is Better. To get the best meat-to-bone ratio, opt for the biggest bird with the roundest chest. A bird of less than 16 pounds has a bad
meat-to-bone ratio, and one that is 12 pounds or less is mostly bones. The designations of hen or tom and young or mature apply only to size, not
to age or gender.

Safe Prep. You must have an effective antibacterial solution in your kitchen when preparing poultry. But don't spend $6 for a 12-ounce bottle of cleaner. Make it yourself: 1 quart of 70∞F (cool) water plus 1 teaspoon of liquid
bleach. Any warmer and the bleach evaporates; more bleach will harm some surfaces and fabrics. Regularly sanitize all surfaces with this bleach
water, particularly those that may have come in contact with raw poultry, including the inside of the refrigerator.

Do Not Stuff It! Liz Tarditi, a professional personal chef, warns us that as the bird cooks, raw juices drip into the soft, absorbent stuffi ng. Turkey must reach an internal temperature of 165∞F, and so must the contaminated stuffing. It's nearly impossible to cook a stuffed turkey to perfection and also guarantee uncontaminated stuffi ng. Prepare your stuffing as you always have, but bake it in a separate foil-covered pan while the turkey is roasting. Remember that an unstuffed bird roasts faster and more evenly, too.

Fill the Freezer. Frozen turkeys will be at rock-bottom prices during the next few weeks and through Christmas. This is a good time to fill your freezer. As long as the plastic packaging is intact, a frozen turkey is safe and delicious for a year, if not longer. Stretch your food dollars by roasting cheap turkeys throughout the year.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723