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
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of our new articles.
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