Consider a Local Turkey this Thanksgiving

Originally published in the Lebanon Reporter on November 10, 2005

When my grandfather retired from dentistry he bought twenty acres just outside of Oklahoma City. He decided to do some planting and get a couple animals. One of his acquisitions was a pig we named Gertrude. My sister and I would often spend weekends with my grandparents and I became quite fond of Gertrude.

I vividly recall one visit when we arrived Friday night about dinner time. You can probably predict where this story is going. Pork chops were on the dinner menu and when I put two and two together there was a bit of trauma. Like many suburban kids I was completely oblivious to where food came from.

With my own children I’m trying to give then a different perspective. We have visited a dairy, we’ve reached under a hen for eggs, and last weekend we went to visit the turkey we will be eating for Thanksgiving. We’re getting our Thanksgiving bird this year from Promised Land Farm in Thorntown, Indiana.

Jim and Nancy Whelan have raised about 150 pastured turkeys this year. When they arrive as day old polts, Jim has a little chat with them, “You purpose in life is to make one family very happy on Thanksgiving Day.” He feeds and cares for them for them through the summer, into the fall, and then bids them adieu the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Two days later, on Saturday, customers can pick up their fresh turkeys.

As of last Saturday, the Whelans had about 40-50 birds yet to be spoken for. If you are interested you can call them at (765) 483-9268. If you would like to learn more about the Promised Land Farm you can check out their website.

 

I’ve tried a number of different preparation methods for my Thanksgiving turkey and have settled on brining as the best way to ensure a moist flavorful bird. Here is the recipe and instructions for brining a turkey.

Turkey Brine

• 2 gallons cups apple cider
• 2-1/2 cups kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• ½ cup of candied ginger
• 4 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 4 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 whole cloves
• 6 bay leaves
• Bag of ice

To prepare the brine, combine in a stock pot one gallon of apple cider with the next seven ingredients (through bay leaves), bring to a boil. Cook five minutes until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let this cool.

If using a frozen turkey make sure it is completely thawed. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a large plastic cooler. Add the cider mixture, the remaining gallon of cider, and enough ice to raise the level of liquid so that it covers the turkey. Close the cooler and let sit for 12-24 hours. Put cooler outside if cool and check a couple of times to see if additional ice is needed. The cooler should remain cold enough so that ice does not melt. If the outside temperature is below freezing, move the cooler where it will not freeze.

After the brining, remove the turkey, discard the brine liquid, and rinse the turkey in cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. After brining, the cooler should be cleaned with boiling water and bleach. You would not want salmonella to grow all winter and spoil your next tailgate.

You are now ready to cook the turkey in anyway you want. I have both roasted and smoked brined turkeys and both methods produced great results. I’m sure this would work equally as well on a deep fried turkey.

Comments

[Adam Bowling]

Scott, while my uncle's brining method differs from yours, he does brine his turkeys (3 of them for my mother's very large family) and deep fries them. The results have always been beyond amazing. That said, to those who haven't fried a turkey, but are interested in maybe doing so, keep your frying system well clear of your house, pets, children, etc. I have seen it done firsthand, and while the results are incredible, it is potentially a very dangerous process, and personal care should exercised in doing it.

[Linda Shumaker]

I have handed the preparation of Thanksgiving over to my daughter this year. I have suggested brining the turkey. I used your recipe last year. It was amazing. My daughter wants to deep fry the bird this year. I will pass on what I have learned here.

P.S. Just becasue I'm not doing a lot of the cooking does't mean I won't be in charge. I am the SUPERVISOR this year.