Saturday, November 14, 2015

Saving Money: Let's Talk Turkey!




Yes I know, I have probably started out every article I have written this month about how the holidays are coming and shown you how to make some delicious deserts as well as cook a turkey. Today, however, I wanted to talk to you about how you can purchase and preserve 50 to 60 pounds of meat for less than $20.00. I know it sounds like some sort of crazy scheme, but it is really the result of our free market economy. The thing is you just have to be prepared for the opportunity when it arises.

Hold on, don't stop reading yet, I promise you I am going to get to the heart of the matter in just a second. Every year, turkey farmers raise more turkeys than Americans can eat to help us celebrate our day of Thanksgiving. As a result, as we get closer to November 28th the prices for whole turkeys get cheaper. Last year the day before thanksgiving we purchased three whole 10 – 14 pound frozen turkeys for $0.29 a pound, the day after thanksgiving I purchased a 10 – 12 pound turkey for $0.19 a pound. That's four birds total combine weight 51.4 pounds for a total of $15.08 (12.3 + 13.1 + 14.1 = 44.5lbs x 0.29 = $12.91) (11.4 x 0.19 = $2.17).

I am not saying that every year you will find a turkey for $0.19lb, but I can almost always find them marked down to $0.29 to $0.49lb. The bottom line is that your local grocer clears out their frozen bunker space and fills them with a wide assortment of whole frozen turkeys that they generally only sell during the month of November. Let's face it, turkey is not a big seller the rest of the year and shelf space in the grocery store sells at a premium. So each year after thanksgiving, grocery stores have to move any leftover turkeys that did not sell at ridiculously discounted prices.

Just to compare prices, according the the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2014, the average price for an 8 to 16 pound hen, or female turkey was $1.18lb. For a 16 to 24 pound tom, or male turkey the average price was $1.16lb. I am sure that 2015 prices will be a little higher. As an example using 2014 prices, if you can only find turkeys on sale for $0.49lb, you would still be saving 59% off the normal price of a bird. If you can find a really crazy sale and get them for $0.29lb that would be a 76% savings versus the normal price. With those kind of savings you cannot afford not to buy a few whole turkeys.


Storing Whole Frozen Turkeys

So you find turkeys on sell for a fantastic low price, so how do you store them? The simple answer is to leave them the way you found them, frozen. According to Butterball, a frozen whole turkey will keep in the freezer for 2 years. Some other purveyors of turkey indicate that frozen turkey's are good for 2 to 3 years, although most recommend that you cook them with 7 to 8 months. Now, I don't know about you but that is a long time. Which is great, because if you have the storage space you can purchase several frozen turkeys at super low prices significantly reducing your food cost. Btw, the turkey I roasted in my article 'No Fuss Oven Roasted Turkey' I actually cooked in August of this year was purchased in November 2013 (20 months old) and it tasted great.


Canning Turkey

The great thing about canning turkey, chicken, rabbit and other meats is that it does not take up space in your freezer, and you do not need any form of electricity to keep the meat preserved. Most of the time when I can my cooked turkey by itself, I can it in water with a little canning salt. It is a light simple brine which allow me to use the turkey in other recipes in place of chicken or rabbit. I also have several recipes (mostly soups and gumbos) in which I substitute the turkey for chicken. So I start getting my canning supplies and recipes out a few days before I decide to cook a whole turkey in anticipation of canning leftovers. If you have the equipment and supplies, canning is a great way to preserve turkey, chicken and other meats and like my grandparents and great grandparents that lived on the farm, it is one of the ways I preserve cooked and ready to eat food for my family.



Conclusion

Now I know cooking whole turkeys is a cumbersome job, and I personally think that is why so many Americans overlook purchasing whole frozen turkeys during the rest of the year. I mean after all, how many of you are burned out on turkey just a few days after the thanksgiving holiday? Well I know I usually am, having said that if you can purchase whole turkeys on sale at incredibly low prices (50 to 70% off), then you need to get a few. Canning and freezing and leftovers will provide your family with an inexpensive great tasting form of protein that can really be important when you shopping on a budget.

If you are not sure what to do with any leftover turkey you have, remember it can used in any type of recipe that calls for chicken or rabbit. Off the top of my head I can think of a few that are minimalist pantry friendly such as: King Ranch chicken, chicken spaghetti, chicken and rice soup, chicken gumbo, chicken noodle soup, and chicken fried rice. There are an endless supply of recipes at your fingertips in which turkey can be substituted for chicken not only our blog but also on the rest of the internet. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.


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