What's the most efficient way to process whole turkeys?

[dogmom4]

Right now my local store has whole turkey on sale. I got a 13 pound turkey for $5.99. Right now I have 4 quart jars in the canner of raw pack meat. I have the carcass left over and will use that for making either a soup or broth. I guess what I'm asking if I did this right...it was a lot of work getting the meat off the raw turkey....to end up with 4 quart jars. Does that sound right and is there a better way to do this? A way to use up every bit of the turkey? The sale is on til Tuesday...I want to get more because we eat a lot of turkey...

[Canned Nerd]

Sounds about right to me and should know by looking at the carcass whether you got it all or not. Lots of bits and pieces, but you definitely got $5.99 worth of meat IMO. It's extra work, same with chicken, but that's why they charge such a premium for precut pieces and you have the bonus of that carcass to make soup/stock from.

 

[Virginia]

I always cook my turkeys first. I just don't like wrestling with that much raw meat. Just up to you, and you probably got the bulk of it off, but can do broth now.

 

Last Thanksgiving I had turkey left, so I chopped it up, used the leftover celery (raw) and got some carrots, broth and made a kind of turkey soup base. I did pretty much puree the veggies before adding. My daughter's family uses it to pour over noodles and they love it. Makes the turkey go a little further, too.

[JCK88]

I also cook my turkey first to can it. Last Thanksgiving I had the brilliant idea to cook a couple of turkeys at once and then can the leftovers, LOL. It worked fine--but then I spent the next day making broth and canning that and canning meat....and I was exhausted. I won't be combining this project with Thanksgiving THIS year. But, I did get a couple of large turkeys at the store the other day for forty-eight cents a pound. They are in the freezer along with some I got the week before for 59 cents a pound...and I'll be canning them one cold winter day when I'm stuck indoors.

 

 

[etp777]

Still waiting for sale on turkey here. But I'm a fan of the cook first, then can (and make broth witht he carcass).

 

When I find thighs/drums on sale I do same type of thing, but cookign int hat case is making the stock, then can the meat. saves the extra cooking step. Hot pack the meat in broth made with boullion (and throw in any extra broth that doesn't quite fill a pint jar that I can it in). Just used some for stir fry this weekend. Poured the broth out of jar to make the rice, then whipped up quick stir fry with the meat. Meat is SO flavorful if canned hot pack in broth this way.

[Shandy]

I haven't done turkey before, but I'm doing it this year.

 

I'll do it the same as I've done the chicken.

 

Pre-cook (roast in the oven).

 

Then cool, and cut the thing apart. Set it in the fridge overnight.

 

The next morning, debone and can the turkey.

 

Take all the leftover bones and put it in a big stock pot filled with water. Add some celery stalks and onion quarters, and simmer it all day. Strain and put the broth in the fridge overnight.

 

Skim off the fat the next day, add whatever turkey bits I got from making the broth, and can the broth.

 

3 days per turkey, but by dividing it up, I won't be spending all day canning.

 

That's how I've been doing the chicken I get on sale. Keep it all in the freezer. When I'm going to have chicken for dinner, I take out as many packages as will fit in my two hugest stockpot and my electric roaster. I cook them the first day, and then follow the same steps I outlined up there for the turkey.

 

Makes the job not quite so dreary and time consuming.

 

I'm hoping to do at least 6 turkeys, but will be thrilled if I can do 12 over the months of December and January.

 

I don't have the freezer space for 12 turkeys...or even 6. But I'm begging a spot here and there from friends and family that have bigger freezers.

 

I do have an extra fridge that we use for produce and storing huge amounts of margarine and peanut butter. I take the peanut butter and margarine out to make room for the chicken/turkey/broth to sit overnight.

[Christy]

Turkey costs what????

Mercy me, overhere you pay 5 euro per pound ladies.

That's it, me is packing the canner and two clean undies and moving to the USA.

[Stephanie]

How do you all thaw your turkey's?

 

This is always an aggravation to me and I never seem to be able to time it properly.

[Shandy]

Christy, I got our huge (26 lb) Thanksgiving turkey for .22 a pound.

 

But only one.

 

The rest will be between .75 and $1.00 a pound.

 

Stephanie, I set mine on the counter until all but the center is thawed. As long as the core of the turkey is frozen, my understanding is that it is good out on the counter. Depending on the size of the turkey, it can take 24-36 hours on the counter before it's thawed enough.

 

When all but the center is thawed, I put it in the fridge to finish thawing. About 24 more hours.

 

I usually take mine out and put it on the counter on Saturday. The outside is thawed by Sunday night or Monday morning. It spends the next couple days in the fridge. It's ready to go Thanksgiving morning.

 

NOTE: I do NOT leave it to thaw on the counter until it is completely thawed! Bad idea!!

[sassenach]

Stephanie, my mom and I have always just put the turkey in its store wrapper in a sink of cold water the day before starting in the morning. We flipped it occassionally and by night time it is basically thawed out and we could then either prepare it right then to cook, or dry off the packaging and set in the frig til morning and then start it roasting after stuffing it. As far as I know that is still reccomended.

Other than that, defrosting in the refrigerator would take a few days. I have done up to 26 pound turkeys this way ( sink and cold water thawing) and its always been fine.

 

I guess I have probably cheated a bit and used warm water at the first for a while, running it over the turkey before I have thawed it. We have never cooked a bad turkey either, always done correctly with cooking...

 

We did this thawing with the kitchen at 70 degrees F. If your home is colder, it would take longer like one person suggests above. I do not know if their home was any cooler though. They would have to figure that out. ( Since folks are probably lowering the thermostat some now, this might be an issue).

[Shandy]

Another note: I use really big turkeys...the biggest I can find. So my thawing time might take longer than yours. If you aren't sure, start it on Sunday. If it's a pretty small turkey, start it on Monday.

 

You know what? I think when I'm doing all those turkeys, I'm going to do an actual timing for thawing a 10 lb, 15 lb, 20 lb, and 25 lb turkey.

 

My daughters could use that kind of information.

[Rezgirl]

Originally Posted By: arby

Stephanie, my mom and I have always just put the turkey in its store wrapper in a sink of cold water the day before starting in the morning. We flipped it occassionally and by night time it is basically thawed out and we could then either prepare it right then to cook, or dry off the packaging and set in the frig til morning and then start it roasting after stuffing it. As far as I know that is still reccomended.
Other than that, defrosting in the refrigerator would take a few days. I have done up to 26 pound turkeys this way ( sink and cold water thawing) and its always been fine.

I guess I have probably cheated a bit and used warm water at the first for a while, running it over the turkey before I have thawed it. We have never cooked a bad turkey either, always done correctly with cooking...

We did this thawing with the kitchen at 70 degrees F. If your home is colder, it would take longer like one person suggests above. I do not know if their home was any cooler though. They would have to figure that out. ( Since folks are probably lowering the thermostat some now, this might be an issue).

If you don't want to tie up your sink all day, use your ice chest. Mine is large enough to cover the turkey with water better than the sink would.

[sassenach]

Great idea Rez!

 

[Virginia]

I usually get smaller turkeys or just turkey breast, and often I don't thaw it much at all, just cook frozen, takes a little longer, but then I don't worry about salmonella (sp?). A little breast can be done in a large slow cooker, even frozen, in just 2 or 3 hours.

[Stephanie]

Here's what I found 'googling'

 

Refrigerator Turkey Thawing Time (40 degrees F.)

 

Turkey Weight

Days to Allow for Thawing Turkey

 

4 to 8 pounds

1 to 2 days

 

8 to 12 pounds

2 to 2.5 days

 

12 to 16 pounds

2.5 to 4 days

 

16 to 20 pounds

4 to 5 days

 

20 to 24 pounds

5 to 6 days

 

***************************

 

COLD Water Turkey Thawing Time

 

Turkey Weight

Hours to Allow for Thawing Turkey

 

4 to 8 pounds

1 to 2 days

 

8 to 12 pounds

4 to 6 hours

 

12 to 16 pounds

6 to 8 hours

 

16 to 20 pounds

8 to 10 hours

 

20 to 24 pounds

10 to 12 hours

 

 

[Stephanie]

BTW here's the site where that info was ...

 

and it has lot's of other good info...

 

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/TurkeyBasics.htm

[Shandy]

Thanks, Stephanie. I'm going to put that in my recipe file.

[dogmom4]

Thank you guys for the responses. I'm probably going to do the next ones cooked ahead of time. Just too much to wrestle with all that raw meat. I need to make space in my freezer...plus the store had a BOGO for whole chickens yesterday and I got some in there now until I can process them.

[MommaDogs]

Hey all, I really want to try this this year. Please tell me what canned turkey is like. Is it at all rubbery, or is it tasty? I assume tasty as you are all doing it over and over.

[Virginia]

Tasty, never had a rubbery one that was canned, have had some that were baked that was rubbery. Much like canned chicken.

[etp777]

mmmmm, opened a can of dark meat that I had used to make broth, then hot packed the cooked meat. was SOOO good. Actually planning on pulling that meal out of freezer tonight (made big batch of stir fry with the meat and then canned the extra) for dinner.

[Robert Z]

I got 4 turkeys for $.69 per lb, I am going to do them like I do the big bags of chicken thighs I get from walmart. I put them in my 30 QT all American pressure cooker /canner, add just enough water to barely cover, and pressure cook them just until the meat is where it just pulls away from the bone easily +/- (15 mins after I reach 15 lbs), then I debone it all and place in jars. I then take the bones and brown them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 mins, I then put them in my stock pot, pour in the broth from the pressure cooker, if it is not enough liquid cover with water, add a couple of carrots, an onion, and some celery and simmer low for a couple of hours, then remove the bones and vegetables throw them away or feed them to the dogs. While the stock is hot fill the jars of meat with the stock and process.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted By: Christy

That's it, me is packing the canner and two clean undies and moving to the USA.

I would love to see the face on the custom agent. Bwahahaha!!!

[Violet]

Momma,

It falls apart. Acutally so tender you have to be gentle with it. I usually take the meat out of the jars. Fix the sauce or whatever I am using it in, then add the meat at the last minute.

 

[Crazy4Canning]

I've done the raw method. I was feeling like I didn't want to mess with the roaster or the crock...and I was given 2 turkeys, one 18 lb and one 12 lb. I didn't have a choice about defrosting them both because my freezer died - they were beginning to defrost.

 

I tossed them both in my large cooler, filled it with water. Let it sit for about 12 hours (overnight) and then pulled everything off the bone the next morning.

 

For both turkeys, I got 12 pints of meat. It was a lot of work.

 

When I do chicken, I do a raw pack I get from a wholesale butcher - chicken breasts that are just that - giant breasts and I clean them up a bit, cut into chunks and toss into jars. Add some salt and pressure can.

 

Both the turkey and chicken meat fall apart and are so succulent after canning.