You can still find a green turkey in time. Liza McCorkle / Getty Images
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You meant to do it this year. You tried to remember to order your turkey right from the farmer when the sign was up earlier this month (or was it last month? Time sure does fly...). You swooned over the idea of picking up your turkey -- your turkey, grown especially for you -- the day before Thanksgiving, fresh and direct from the folks responsible for caring for it up until it became, well, your turkey. You thought about how great it would be to have a turkey who got to grow up and live like turkeys are supposed to, and how special the experience would be to honor its life with a perfect preparation, alongside the rest of your green celebration. You daydreamed about how delicious it would be. And then you forgot to make it happen. Don't worry, it isn't too late to get a good green bird.
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Nearly 50 million turkeys will be purchased for this year's Thanksgiving feast next week, and there are a lot of different green options for birds out there. While the greenest turkey is the one you don't buy, a fresh (e.g. never frozen) bird from a nearby poultry farm -- one that raises heritage breeds on organic feed and gives them a long, happy life -- is probably the most sustainable meat-eating option out there. If you didn't plan ahead, and place your order at your local farmers' market (or with the farm itself) already, it may be too late. What to do?
Never fear. You can still get a bird that both Mom and Momma Earth would be proud to serve, but, unfortunately, it probably won't be as easy as running to your local mega-mart and grabbing the 20 pound ice cube that passes for turkey in some places. Turkey labeling is a complicated, complex system that seems like maybe it should involve a decoder ring to decipher, and it can make it harder than it should be to find a worthy turkey. Here's a quick primer.
The Wild World of Turkey Labels
Sadly, many of these are labels that you'll want to avoid when doing your last-minute turkey shopping.
Fresh:
Any turkey with this word on it hasn't been cooled below a temperature of 26 degrees F, which is the point where turkey meat freezes. You may also see "refrigerated" on the label, which means the same thing. If you get one of these, it needs to be cooked within about 48 hours of purchase, but turkey cooks swear that going fresh is worth any time budget you have to follow. Recommended.
Frozen:
Or, the opposite of fresh. That means it's been cooled to a temperature of 0 degrees F or below. The flash-freezing process is designed so that once thawed, it'll be as fresh as it was before it was frozen, but it doesn't always seem to work that way. Avoid the frozen ones, if you can -- you waited this long to address the turkey, you might as well wait a bit longer.
Natural:
Supposedly these are processed without things like "artificial ingredients" and don't have any added color, but this label is essentially meaningless. Don't even reach for it if you're just trying to make yourself feel better about procrastinating -- it's unlikely to net you any real green advantages. Avoid it.
Basted, Self-Basting, or Enhanced:
These turkeys have been injected or otherwise infused with any variety of solutions consisting of oils, juices, and seasonings before they're (usually frozen and) sent to the market. Designed to add flavor and help insure a moist finish, it's a pretty gross idea all around and shouldn't really be trusted to help improve the finished product. Avoid.
Organic:
Now we're getting somewhere. Organic birds were raised without antibiotics or animal by-products in their feed, and the farm had to apply for and be granted organic certification. However, this does crowd out most smaller farmers -- certification is an expensive, often bureaucratic process that requires more overhead than many can afford -- so you aren't as likely to find a local bird. Organic certification also doesn't guarantee that your bird lived a free, happy life, as there are no real provisions for what conditions like "free range" might actually look like. Plus, wild turkeys are omnivorous -- they're mostly vegetarian but do feast on ground-dwelling critters from time to time -- so while it isn't necessarily unhealthy for turkeys to not eat "meat," it is a bit against their nature to not get a tasty bug every now and then. Food for thought, for sure, but, all in all, organic isn't a bad way to go.
Heritage:
Turkeys with the heritage label are pure bred birds -- as in, not bred to have breasts so big they can't stand up, as many birds borne from industrial agriculture do -- that live longer than a few months, are almost always treated with a great deal of care and respect -- they're more expensive to grow, so farmers want to protect their investment -- and many people believe you can taste that premium in the bird itself. Popular breeds include Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff, and Narragansett. The American Livestock Conservancy has a good deal to say about heritage breeds, so go read more if you like, but the bottom line: Get a heritage if you have the access and budget to do so. You won't likely be disappointed.
Where to find a green turkey the week before Thanksgiving
Okay, so, now that you know what to look for (and avoid) when shopping, where can you get one of these greener options?
Farmers' Market
If you still have a weekly market (or it falls sometime between now and then), this is probably your best bet. While you may not be able to meet the breeder or farmer who raised the turkey from a wee egg, you'll be able to talk to somebody about what sort of life the majestic bird had before it found its way to you. The caveat of getting one on the weekend, say, when many farmers' markets are open, is that you'll probably have to go with one that's been a little bit frozen, so it'll make it safely to Thursday.
Food co-op or other farmer-direct source
Any store that has a vested interest in providing a greener option for its customers -- food co-ops are a good places to start -- should have a couple of choices for you, whether its local -- increasing your bird's chances of super-freshness -- or organic or heritage (or some combination thereof).
The magical internet
If you hurry, and can abide the carbon emissions that come from 2nd-day or overnight shipping, then you can get a green bird online; if you're really lucky, you can find one close by that won't require flying or styrofoam packing to get to you on time. Local Harvest's Turkey shop and our
Good luck, turkey shoppers, and don't forget to read our guide for How to Go Green: Thanksgiving Day to have a greener celebration from top to bottom and appetizer to dessert.
