Best Time of Year to Buy Turkey

We raised three turkeys one year out in a little pen attached to a building we called a woodshed. They were happy, although sometimes loud, and they got HUGE - mostly on corn and watermelon - before we were ready to butcher them. When it came time to butcher, one of my son's young friends asked to help, so my husband let him hold the feet of the forty pound turkey while he stretched out the neck on the chopping block.

All went well until the neck was severed and the sudden weight of the carcass made it impossible to hold. The huge body flopped and ran around for what seemed like an hour before stopping - and my son's friend took off running, too, as far away as he could get! To this day, we talk about the big turkey that got away, and I'm sure that little boy, now grown, remembers it as well.

Whether you butcher your own or buy it plucked and oven ready or even stuffed and already baked, turkey is one of the cheaper meats available this time of the year. Don't just settle for getting a good deal for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but think ahead to making very frugal meals from the leftovers. If you like turkey at all, it only makes sense to buy the biggest one you can handle while the price per pound is low.

If you REALLY like turkey, buy an extra one or two right now. There's no sense in waiting until the price goes back up and then deciding you'd like a turkey breast or drumstick. You can cut (or have the butcher cut) a large turkey into quarters for easier preparation at other times of the year.

Whole or quartered turkeys keep very well in the freezer, but if you intend to cook a whole one in the oven later, do it before summer to avoid overheating the house during the long roasting time it takes to keep a turkey moist. Deep fried turkey is a summer treat, so keep that in mind as you look at sizes and prices now.

To make the most of a turkey, after the first great feast, and maybe a few meals of leftovers just as they are, slice the remaining meat into portions for sandwiches or to serve plain. After that, there is still a lot of meat left, so pick and pull all you can from it.