Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Keep in mind that these turkeys have not been broth-injected, so cooking them in
bags, as you might with a supermarket bird, tends to make them a bit dry. We prefer
to cook ours in a roaster with lots of water in the bottom and covered with a lid to sort
of steam them. Use a rack and add water up to the level of the bird. Roast at 350°F.
Remove the cover for the last hour of the cooking period to make the skin crispy if
you wish.
Instead of a set time we use a meat thermometer. A whole turkey is safe when
cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the internal temperature
in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
Prepared this way, the flesh is succulent and tasty, and leaves you craving more.
We've discovered over the years that some people who hate turkey because it gives
them indigestion have no problems with a heritage bird meal. It seems that the broth
injection and flavorings added to the commercial white birds affect not only the fla-
vor, but also the digestibility of the bird.
Foraging
The wild and carefree nature of traditional turkeys helps them easily adapt to ranging
and foraging for part of their feed. Heritage-type turkeys stroll around, search our pas-
tures and gardens, and gleefully devour nutritious insects, seeds, vegetables, and fruits.
This is all part of the natural heritage inherited from their wild ancestors. The more they
range and forage, the more slowly they will grow, to some extent, because they are using
up energy in all their traveling around.
Free-ranging makes turkey meat slightly firmer and not quite as tender as that of
types just sitting like couch potatoes next to the food, eating, drinking and not getting
any exercise. But please don't get the idea that this will make free-rangers inedible. It
just means that they will not be extremely tender before cooking if they get a lot of exer-
cise. You'll have to practice some alternative cooking methods to tenderize these birds.
That means cooking at a slightly lower heat for a longer period of time with plenty of
water in the pan and the pan tightly covered (see box above).
Supplemental Feeding
In addition to feeding a standard turkey starter, heritage breeds respond well to garden
produce and are particularly fond of soured milk. They will eat green, leafy vegetables
and are extremely fond of watermelon, pumpkins, and squash. In the fall you can keep
them busy — and happy — picking and eating these autumnal fruits and veggies. They
will eat the protein-filled seeds, as well as the vitamin-rich flesh and rinds. Our turkeys
love watermelon season.
