Pick the perfect turkey
A quick primer on 5 different types of Thanksgiving birds
Natural turkeys
Natural turkeys have been minimally processed, with noartificial ingredients or coloring added.
Organic turkeys
Certified organic turkeys have been fed organically grown feedall their lives and never treated with antibiotics. Many smallgrowers and free-range growers follow organic practices, but may ormay not be certified organic.
Free-range turkeys
Free-range generally means the animal is allowed to be outsideat least part of the time. For some growers this may be a shorttime, other growers allow the animals to roam a large area, withaccess to shelter as the animal desires. Look into the practices ofthe specific grower if this is important to you.
Heritage turkeys
According to the American Livestock BreedConservancy, heritageturkeys must mate naturally, have a long outdoor lifespan, anda slow growth rate. They tend to be smaller than commercially bredturkeys, with more evenly distributed meat and a stronger turkeyflavor.
Kosher turkeys
Kosher turkeys are prepared under rabbinical supervision. Manypeople like the flavorful poultry that often results from thesalting that is part of koshering meat.
