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Choosing Your Turkey
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Choosing a turkey used to be pretty simple. Figure out how many people were coming to dinner and get the biggest bird possible to feed the crowd. Now it can be pretty daunting. Here's some advice to help you decide what's the right turkey choice for you.
The biggest difference for almost any turkey you choose at Whole Foods Market is that they are fresh. Our birds are harvested close to the time of being sold. You may not realize that the FDA allows birds to be harvested in February, kept at 27°F for months and then sold as fresh in November. That's not what we sell here, but people who are buying our fresh birds for the first time aren't used to getting turkeys that are really fresh.
Now, you may see ice on our fresh birds because we chill them below 30°F to keep them safe and fresh, but they aren't frozen. That said, we do offer some value options of frozen turkey, and they are from this year's harvest, not holdovers from last year like some frozen turkeys sold elsewhere.
So, your first choice is frozen turkey or fresh turkey. Well, actually, your first choice is if you buy your bird from us at all. It's important to know that all of our turkeys are raised according to our strict quality standards requiring no antibiotics ever, an all-vegetarian diet, no added solutions or injections, and complete traceability to the farm. We think this makes our turkeys a better choice.
Now, what about all those other options: Kosher, Organic, Heritage, Pre-brined, etc? We put together this handy chart to help you figure out what is important to you:
It just makes sense that the more care and time that goes into raising the turkeys, the more they will cost. We bring you a range of options so you can choose a turkey that matches your values and budget.
Oh yeah, one more critically important note! Now that you've chosen your turkey, please remember that fresh turkeys cook faster than older ones. You need to plan your feast so the turkey is ready at the same time as the mashed potatoes and dressing! Enjoy your special dinner!
39 Comments
Comments
@Joanne - For a 14 pounder, you are looking at about 3 1/2 hours of cooking time.
11/23/2009 6:00:01 PM CST
I just purchased a fesh uncooked turkey from you.
When i opened it up, the neck pleaced inside the body of the bird has ice on it.
I can understand some ice on the surface,
but i think if its frozen inside it was not chilled right.
comments please ?
11/24/2009 5:33:17 PM CST
I ordered the oven-ready boneless turkey breast. but it doesn't say how much it weighs,, and I don't know about how long it will take to cook in the oven. Can you tell me about how long it should take to get to the right internal temperature?
11/24/2009 9:34:43 PM CST
Cooking time will vary by weight. Your best bet is to get a meat thermometer and cook your turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, then take it out of the oven and let it rest til it reaches 165.
11/25/2009 4:03:43 PM CST
There is the possibility of some surface ice on our fresh turkeys due to the low temperatures they are stored in. They will not be frozen through and through the way frozen turkeys are though (and will not require defrosting). If you are concerned about the amount of ice on your turkey, you can feel free to bring it back to the store for an exchange or refund.
11/25/2009 4:06:12 PM CST
Re: the oven-ready boneless turkey breast cooking time: it took almost 2 hours at 350 degrees. I think it would be helpful in the future if Whole Foods listed the weight of each turkey breast and an estimate of cooking times. The 160 degree instruction is good, but doesn't help in planning the cooking time. Thanks. It was delicious, and I plan to order it again at Christmas.
12/01/2009 9:51:33 AM CST
I am looking for low sodium turkey (turkey breast preferred), but everything I have seen so far has too much sodium. Many have brine injected or packaged with the turkey. Do you sell any brands that do not have added sodium?
11/22/2010 1:29:34 PM CST
I need to know if these turkeys are absolutely gluten free????????
11/10/2011 8:11:23 PM CST
@Donna It sounds like you need this information for allergy or medical reasons. In this case, it's best to consult your community Whole Foods Market. To reach them please follow the link below to obtain their contact information. The Meat Department at your store will be happy to chat with you about our Turkeys.
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores
11/11/2011 12:49:01 PM CST
we just need a very small turkey - what is the smallest size you have?
11/19/2011 10:33:08 AM CST
@Nick To check the availability of birds and bird sizes at your store, I recommend that you check out the online shopping site for your store. You can find that by clicking on the link below. Most stores offer a bird that's 10-12 lbs as their smallest bird. If you'd like a smaller portion than that, we also sell just the turkey breast both prepared and unprepared. Those options should also be available through the online store. Thanks for reaching out.
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop
11/22/2011 10:39:51 AM CST
Hello there, I found your site via Google while looking for a related topic and your site came up, it looks excellent. I have bookmarked it and will return.
08/12/2012 2:24:33 AM CDT
What information is available on the handling of the turkeys, if they are free-range, and how humanely they are killed?
Thank you.
11/25/2012 12:16:40 PM CST
@BARBARA - You can find helpful information on one of our more recent blog posts at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/latest-gobble-turkeys-are-step-rated. You will then have the option of clicking on the site for further information on our GAP Rating Program.
11/26/2012 12:21:20 PM CST