Grocery Shopping Tips

​We have all heard that "food preparation is a labor of love." Well, selecting the components for this labor delivers the satisfaction of a job well done.  This article concentrates on TURKEYS.

 Grocery Shopping Tips
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

​Now that the holidays are upon us, family and friends are gathering to celebrate.  Whether it is someone you see daily, occasionally, or just on holidays, it's a special time!  Make the most of your time together and TALK .......... put away the electronics etc., and talk.
Of utmost importance at these events is the gathering around the table.  Whether you have a Dining Room Table, an adult's table, or a kid's table, this is a special time for everyone!
 
The Start
Unlike our forefathers, we do not have to go out back and bring in the goods.  Instead, we go to the local grocery/supermarket, where an assemblage of goods awaits us.  It is the first step and an essential pre-occurrence to the holiday gathering.  It does not matter if it's at your home and you are the host, cook, server etc., or at a loved one's home, and you are making that appearance by bringing your specialty dish or dessert.  It starts at the 'grocery store.'
 
Selection
We have all heard that "food preparation is a labor of love." Well, selecting the components for this labor delivers the satisfaction of a job well done.  This article concentrates on TURKEYS, the bird of choice during the holidays.
 
The Bird
If you are analytic, you might think:  Fresh or frozen, and how big?  Also, there are two labels you should not pay extra for when getting your bird: 'no hormones' and 'cage-free.' No hormones are meaningless because all turkeys sold in the US are grown without added hormones, and cage-free is an ambiguous term.
 
Fresh vs. Frozen
According to the National Turkey Federation, there is no difference between fresh and frozen. 

• Fresh turkeys, especially organically fed birds, cost more than frozen turkeys.  Organic food is expensive, with the price passed on to the consumer.  The perishability of the turkey and the special handling necessary also comes into play when the cost is determined.  Fresh turkeys being perishable, are 'deep-chilled' but never chilled below 26 degrees. 
• Frozen turkeys are flash-frozen right after packaging to 0 degrees or colder.  Frozen turkeys can be stored in your freezer and defrosted gradually in the refrigerator (about one day per every 5 pounds).

 
How Big
Turkeys can be rated by weight: small turkeys weigh less than 12 pounds, and large ones are 15 to 20 pounds and up.  To figure your purchase size, figure one pound per person or one and a half pounds per person to give you leftovers.
 
Product Differences

• If the label states self-basting or basted, it has been enhanced.  It has been injected with broth, stock or water, melted butter, spices, and other flavorings.  The label will list the specific ingredients and the amount of added solution, which the USDA says can be no more than 3 percent of the total weight of the turkey.  The injection of these solutions is thought to make the meat moister and more succulent, with darker crisp skin. 

Instead of purchasing a bird that is 'self-basting or basted,' why not change your prep by placing fat (butter or strips of bacon) around the breast meat under the skin to retain moisture.  Or, consider tenting the turkey with foil, which will allow for carry-over cooking (retaining heat) without drying it out.

• Birds labeled Kosher have been slaughtered and processed under rabbinical supervision, and they come pre-brined, which lessens the chance of a dried-out bird.
  
  
• USDA Certified Organic turkeys were raised on organic, pesticide-free feed, with access to the outdoors (although how much time they spend outside is not defined).
  
  
• Free range means the birds were 'allowed access to the outside,' but that is as far as the USDA defines it.  So again, there is no telling how much time the turkeys were outside.
  
  
• According to the USDA, natural means turkeys were minimally processed with no artificial ingredients or colors added (a meaningless term).

 
Note:  It is illegal to give turkeys hormones.  If you are concerned about antibiotics, read the label for 'antibiotic-free' or raised without 'antibiotics.'