The Thanksgiving Turkey

How Our Turkey-Raising Adventures Began

This is not our first year at raising turkeys, the first year was 2022, there was an egg crisis, a shortage of chicken layers laying eggs. (Sound familiar?) I went into panic mode, (familiar again right?) and started buying up hatching eggs, going to other farms to purchase chicks, and then because I was just that freaked out, I bought two turkeys, because I figured they also laid eggs and if people wanted eggs, we would at least have turkey eggs. Living on a farm with me is interesting.

Heritage Turkeys vs. Commercial Turkeys

I didn’t realize there was a difference between heritage turkeys and commercial turkeys, and I ended up with one of each. I should have known, by this time we had already learned the difference between heritage chickens, and the Cornish cross. One major difference is how fast they grow. Heritage animals grow slower, at a more natural rate vs their commercial counterparts. Most of the animals we raise on our farm are heritage animals. I believe the meat tastes better, but there are definite drawbacks, like the cost.

So here I am, with these two turkeys, and it’s definitely well past the time to send them to the butcher. My commercial turkey, those white turkeys, I nicknamed Taradactyl, (he came up to my hip, and I’m 5’6″). The heritage turkey was much smaller, and also more independent, he didn’t need me as much as the Taradactyl. I remember bringing scoops of food to the chickens, and the Taradactyl would chase me down and stick his head in the scoop, and walk like that all the way to the coop. He kind of became my buddy, but I was also scared of him… I heard male turkeys can be as aggressive as roosters, only bigger.

The 50-Pound Thanksgiving Turkey

Well, Thanksgiving was finally here, and we had two turkeys, for six people. We decided to go all in with the large turkey giving everyone plenty of leftovers. We researched how to cook this thing, is there a pan large enough for him? An oven large enough to cook him in? My mom and I had just signed a lease on a commercial kitchen in Downtown Battle Creek, and it came with a rather large oven. We debated having Thanksgiving in this kitchen, but that was going to be too much work, and not nearly as cozy.

I’m personally a fan of dry brining the turkey, the skin comes out crispier and it retains its natural moisture leaving you with a juicy bird rather than the famous dry turkey. So I dry brined it overnight, which I’m now positive was not long enough.

The Taradactyl ended up weighing 50 LBS, while the heritage turkey maxed out at 20 LBS. Getting him in the oven was eventful. We concocted a makeshift roasting pan out of an extra large baking sheet and a bunch of tin foil. It took two of us to get him in the oven. The three of us were up at 3am getting this turkey ready for dinner at 5, because the internet told me it was going to take a very long time to cook him. We got him in the oven at 4 am.

When Thanksgiving Dinner Doesn't Go as Planned

This was when I learned the difference between farm raised meats, and store bought meats, especially poultry. I went to check on the turkey at 10am, and to baste him. To my horrified surprise, he was a little more than well done.

I panicked! Are you kidding me?! How was this 50 LB turkey almost burnt in five hours? So we got the smaller turkey ready to go, we cooked this one by thermometer and to my surprise, this 20 pound turkey was done in just a few hours! Nice and juicy, even though we had no time to brine it. We had planned to have this one for Christmas, luckily we hadn’t frozen it yet.

It was the topic of conversation that night around the table, when someone finally suggested that store bought poultry always states that there’s a solution injected into the meat. So you have to cook that extra fluid out before you even start cooking the meat.

What We Learned About Cooking Farm-Fresh Turkey

From that day forward I have ALWAYS cooked with a thermometer. And so I suggest to you, do not rely on the internet for your cooking time, with any farm fresh meats, but most especially, your Thanksgiving (or Christmas) turkey. And give dry brining a try! It’s a much easier clean up, and easier to lift than putting your turkey in a large bucket of salt water… just saying.