Frequently Asked Questions about Turkeys
About Lobel's Fresh All-Natural Turkeys | Selecting a Turkey | Preparing Your Turkey | Carving Your Turkey | Turkey Recipes
About Lobel's Fresh All-Natural Turkeys
WHERE DO YOUR TURKEYS COME FROM?
Lobel's fresh, all-natural turkeys are raised on family-run farms in New Jersey.
HOW ARE YOUR TURKEYS RAISED? WHAT ARE THEY FED?
Our all-natural turkeys come from a cross of heritage turkeys. They are bred to be broad-breasted and yield the moistest and most flavorful turkey you can imagine.
All turkeys are allowed to roam free and are fed a 100% vegetarian diet. Throughout their life span in the hatchery, these turkeys are raised humanely. They are never administered antibiotics, steroids, or growth stimulants of any kind. Any birds that, because of illness, require treatment are separated from the flock.
Selecting a Turkey
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A TURKEY FROM LOBEL'S OF NEW YORK?
Lobel's fresh turkeys set a new standard for a meaty, succulent bird that roasts to juicy perfection. Our turkeys are fresh, never frozen, and arrive at your doorstep via overnight delivery. Plus, our fresh whole turkeys are all-natural, free-range birds. Each fresh, all-natural bird from Lobel's of New York is hand-selected in accordance with USDA regulations.
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE AN ALL-NATURAL, FREE-RANGE TURKEY?
Our turkeys grow to size in an all-natural environment free of hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics. They are raised on a diet of minimally processed grains. The result is a fresh, wholesome turkey of incomparable flavor and tenderness.
WHY IS FRESH BETTER THAN FROZEN?
Freezing changes the texture of any meat to a greater or lesser extent, in part because of dehydration. And, when you buy a frozen turkey, you never really know how long it has been frozen. One thing is for sure: During defrosting, meat purges some of its inherent moisture, resulting in a less juicy result.
In storage and during shipping your turkey's temperature will register between 28ºF and 30ºF. (According to the USDA, poultry is considered fresh as long as its internal temperature does not go below 26ºF.) When you receive your order, the poultry arrives chilled—that is, its flesh will be firm, yet pliable, to the touch.
WHAT SIZE TURKEY SHOULD I GET?
Estimate 1 to 1.25 pounds of fresh, unstuffed turkey per person if you don't want leftovers. Estimate about 1.5 pounds per person if you want leftovers.
| Size of Turkey | Servings
(with no leftovers) | Servings
(allows for leftovers) |
|---|
| 10-12 lbs. |
8-10 |
6-8 |
| 12-14 lbs. |
10-11 |
8-9 |
| 14-16 lbs. |
11-13 |
9-11 |
| 16-18 lbs. |
13-15 |
11-12 |
| 18-20 lbs. |
15-16 |
12-13 |
| 20-22 lbs |
16-18 |
13-15 |
| 22-24 lbs. |
18-19 |
15-16 |
HOW LONG WILL MY TURKEY KEEP?
Kept in its original vacuum-sealed packaging, your fresh all-natural turkey from Lobel's will keep in your refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
Preparing Your Turkey
HOW LONG SHOULD I COOK MY TURKEY?
Oven temperature: 325°F
- Unstuffed: 13–17 minutes per pound
- Stuffed: 15–20 minutes per pound
Doneness:
- 180°F at the thigh and juices should run clear*
- 160°F at the center of the stuffing
* Remove the turkey from the oven when the internal temperature registers 165–170°F. Tent with foil, and let it rest for about 15 minutes. The turkey will continue cooking as it rests and the internal temperature will increase to about 180°F by the end of the resting period.
THANKSGIVING TURKEY PART 1: USING COMPOUND BUTTER
Evan Lobel shows you how to make compound butter. Use it under the skin of the turkey for a moist and delicious bird.
THANKSGIVING PART 2: SEASONING
Evan Lobel shows you a simple way to season your turkey for delicious flavor throughout. Plus, you'll end up with a beautiful looking bird!
HOW TO ROAST A TURKEY TUTORIAL
Take a look at our recipe tutorial on how to roast a turkey. Click here to view the tutorial or watch and listen as David Lobel breaks turkey-roasting down for you, step by step.
SHOULD I BRINE MY TURKEY FROM LOBEL'S?
We don't recommend brining our fresh all-natural turkeys. Frozen turkeys and turkeys of lesser quality generally benefit from brining.
Brining is usually done for two reasons. One, to add extra moisture so that the net moisture loss during roasting does not dry out the turkey. Or two, to add or change flavor.
A Lobel's All-Natural Turkey is a truly succulent turkey. They can be roasted without brining with excellent results—as moist, tender, and richly flavored as you could imagine.
Keep in mind that roasting a fresh turkey is different from roasting a turkey that has been frozen. Freezing changes the texture of any meat to a greater or lesser extent, in part because of dehydration. And, when you buy a frozen turkey, you never really know how long it has been frozen. One thing is for sure: During defrosting, meat purges some of its inherent moisture, resulting in a less juicy result.
We also don't recommend brining these turkeys because it could cause the meat to lose its texture. It could become mushy because it absorbed too much moisture during the brining process.
Brining strictly for flavor usually involves considerably less time, so it might mitigate the potential to change the texture. However, the clean, rich taste of these all-natural birds could be altered by the salt in the brine. Even with repeated rinsings, you might still be left with a very salty turkey.
Our all-natural turkeys have such a wonderful, deep, natural poultry flavor—it's truly a revelation. Why would anyone want to change that?
Carving Your Turkey
EVAN LOBEL'S TURKEY CARVING SUGGESTIONS
Evan Lobel gave a master's class on carving holiday turkeys live on Martha. He was featured in a segment called "30 Things Everyone Should Know" with Martha Stewart. The show was broadcast live on Monday, Nov. 21, 2005.
Carving Instructions:
1. Let the turkey rest 20-25 minutes after removing it from the oven.
2. Remove the leg and thigh by slicing down through the ball joint that connects the thigh to the body.
3. If the turkey is stuffed, remove the stuffing now.
4. Remove one side of the breast. Start at the breastbone and work your knife along the curve of one side the rib cage.
5. When you've cut down as far as you can go, make a horizontal cut along the bottom and remove the breast in one piece.
6. Place the breast on a serving platter or cutting board and cut slices from the breast.
7. Separate the thigh meat from the bone with your fingers.
8. Serve the drumsticks whole or remove the meat with your fingers being careful to remove the tendons as you go.
HOW TO CARVE YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY VIDEO
Ever wonder the best way to go about carving the turkey after you spent all that time roasting it to golden perfection? Evan Lobel shows you how!
Turkey Recipes
Here are links to some of our favorite turkey preparations:
