IS A FROZEN TURKEY FRESHER TASTING THAN FRESH TURKEY?

November 10, 2007

If you want the freshest tasting turkey this Thanksgiving,  

don’t buy a fresh turkey.  
 

That’s what the editors at Cook’s Illustrated magazine dis-  

covered when testing fresh and frozen turkeys for their November  

issue. Turns out frozen turkeys taste fresher and more moist  

than fresh.  
 

It may sound counterintuitive, but science backs them up.  

Apparently, turkeys labeled "fresh" can be stored at 26 F, a  

temperature at which tiny ice crystals can form in the meat.  
 

Temperature fluctuations during transport and storage (at the  

store and home) can cause these crystals to thaw and refreeze,  

punching holes in the cell membranes of the meat and causing  

them to lose moisture.  

 
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A FROZEN TURKEY IS FRESH OR NOT?  
 

How can you tell its not a leftover frozen turkey from last  

year? There are no date codes on frozen turkeys.  
 

If the turkey is wrapped in see through packaging, rub it with  

your fingers to remove the frost off it. Look at the flesh  

compare a few others. The grayer the flesh the longer its been  

frozen. Also look at the weight on pack; the longer a thing is  

frozen the more chance it will have frost burn which makes it  

feel lighter.  

HOW CAN YOU TELL DONENESS OF THE TURKEY?  

 
Probably the trickiest part of roasting a turkey is being sure  

the breast and thigh meat are done at the same time. All too  

often, the breast meat ends up dry and overcooked while you’re  

waiting for the thighs to finish cooking. Any one of these  

techniques will help prevent the breast from overcooking:  
 

" For an unstuffed turkey, roast the turkey, breast side down,  

for the first one-third of the cooking time. This increases the  

rate at which the thighs cook, so they’ll be done at about the  

same time as the breast.  

 
" For a stuffed turkey, loosely cover the breast with a double-  

thick piece of aluminum foil for the first two-thirds of the  

cooking time. This slows the rate at which the breast cooks, so  

it will be done at about the same time as the thighs.  

 
Checking the Internal Temperature  

The breast and thighs must reach different internal temperatures  

for ideal doneness. The breast should register 165 F and the  

thigh, 175 F. Begin testing for doneness about 30 minutes before  

the total roasting time is reached.  
 

The turkey will continue to cook internally after you remove  

it from the oven, so you may take it out when the thermometer  

registers 3 to 4 F below the minimum temperature. Then cover  

the bird loosely with aluminum foil.  
 

If roasting a stuffed bird, be sure the stuffing reaches 165 F.  

 
TO TEST THE BREAST:  

Using an instant-read thermometer, insert it into the meatiest  

part, several inches above the wings.  
 

TO TEST THE THIGH:  

Insert the instant-read thermometer away from the bone, along-  

side the opening of the main cavity underneath the drumstick.  

This is the meatiest part of the thigh.  

Feeling more confident???  I surely hope so.  Anything I can  

do to help you…well, you can always count on me!  

Loretta

 

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