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How to succeed with a natural farm direct bird. Tips for thawing and cooking.

written by

Marie Reedell

posted on

November 8, 2024

whole-turkey.jpeg

So, you're getting a farm direct Thanksgiving turkey this year...

Failing to cook the turkey is basically the worst thing that can happen on Thanksgiving. This is especially true when you buy a farm direct turkey. When you know the farmer, you probably care even more about that bird (I'd even say it tastes better for that reason, too).

For a small regenerative farm like ours, freezing turkeys right after processing is the best way to give you the best quality turkeys (while not wasting any, too). Thawing takes a little more planning, so we're here to help you get set up for success.

It's so important to plan ahead. You need to make sure:

  • Your turkey is fully thawed before you cook it. 
  • You know how long it will take to cook, so you can serve Thanksgiving dinner on time.

Keep reading so you can make your choices now. Then, you can know how much time is needed for each step.

How to thaw

Keep your turkey in the freezer until you're ready to thaw it. When you get a Triple E turkey, it will arrive frozen (or maybe slightly thawed). 

And now you have 2 choices on how to thaw it:

  1. Slow thaw in the fridge. For every 4-5 pounds of turkey, you’ll need about 24 hours of thawing time. So, for a 11-13lb bird, plan for 2-3 days of thawing in the fridge. I recommend putting your bird on a plate/platter in the fridge. This is just in case there's a small hole in the package. You don't want turkey juices on everything in your fridge!
  2. Quick thaw in cold water. For every pound of turkey, plan for 30 seconds of thawing. So, for a 11-13lb bird, plan for a 5-7 hour thaw time. Put the turkey in a sink or bowl of cold water. Check the water every 30-60 minutes. If it's warming up, change it to fresh cold water.

Once thawed, it will last 1-2 days in the fridge. Always keep a turkey cold, when thawing or when storing in the fridge after thawing. This keeps it in best quality and safe for eating.

How to cook

This part is only about cook time. How you prep and season, to brine or not to brine, to stuff or not to stuff. Those are your choices!

Standard cooking. This is likely the way your mom cooked a turkey! It's probably the most common way to cook a turkey nowadays. Here's how it's done:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
  2. Cook your turkey uncovered for 30-45 minutes.
  3. Tent the pan with foil or put a lid on your roasting pan. 
  4. Lower the temp to 350F.
  5. Every 45 minutes, brush or baste your turkey with the pan drippings.
  6. Continue cooking until done. This should take a total of 13 minutes for each pound of unstuffed turkey (15 minutes for every pound of stuffed turkey). Your meat thermometer should read 165F when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Low and slow cooking. Pastured birds like ours that get a lot of exercise. Natural birds like ours that aren't injected with saline or tenderizers. They're old fashioned. So, they tend to have more bite than a modern store bought turkey. For this reason, slow cooking is a great idea. And, it's how everyone used to do it 100 years ago. Here's how you do it:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
  2. Put your turkey in the oven uncovered, and turn down the heat to 250F.
  3. Every 1-2 hours, brush or baste your turkey with the pan drippings. While you do this, watch to see if the skin is getting too dark. If it is, tent with foil or put a lid on the pan.
  4. Continue cooking until done. This should take a total of 15-17 minutes for each pound of unstuffed turkey (17-19 minutes for every pound of stuffed turkey). Your meat thermometer should read 165F when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Leave time for extra cooking or resting. In case your turkey needs a little more time to cook, make sure to leave some wiggle room. Also make sure to leave at least 30 minutes for your turkey to rest before serving. This makes sure it's nice and moist and juicy. 

More from the blog

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