Traditions abound at Thanksgiving—and each family has its own. For some, Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without grandma’s secret gravy recipe. For others, it’s the green bean casserole or the pecan pie. For others, it’s the tradition of Dad carving the turkey at the head of the table, or all the children reciting the things for which they are thankful.
But one thing is certain—nearly every Thanksgiving dinner centers around a big, juicy, golden brown, roasted-to-perfection turkey. That’s why we’ve put together this A to Z guide of how to select, prepare, and serve your Thanksgiving turkey.
This year, let us help you treat your family to the juiciest, freshest, most natural and wholesome turkey available anywhere—a fresh All-Natural Thanksgiving Turkey from Lobel’s of New York.
It’ll truly be your most memorable Thanksgiving yet.
About Lobel’s Fresh All-Natural Turkeys
WHERE DO YOUR TURKEYS COME FROM?
Lobel’s fresh, all-natural turkeys are raised on small Amish and Mennonite farms in rural Pennsylvania
HOW ARE YOUR TURKEYS RAISED? WHAT ARE THEY FED?
Lobel’s of New York is proud to offer our All-Natural Thanksgiving Turkeys for this holiday season. These unique, all-natural, free-range, antibiotic-free (ABF) birds are shipped absolutely fresh—delivered overnight to your door, ready for your holiday preparations.
Raised on farms in New Jersey, these birds come from a cross of heritage turkeys bred so they are 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 and 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 for holidays, special occasions, or anytime. Our turkeys are fresh, never frozen, and arrive at your doorstep via overnight delivery. Each fresh, all-natural bird from Lobel’s of New York is hand-selected in accordance with USDA regulations.
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, and 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 |
| 14-16 lbs. | 12-14 | 9-11 |
| 18-20 lbs. | 16-18 | 12-14 |
| 22-24 lbs. | 20-22 | 14-16 |
HOW LONG WILL MY TURKEY KEEP?
Kept in its original vacuum-sealed packaging, your fresh turkey from Lobel’s will keep in your refrigerator for up 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.
SHOULD I BRINE MY TURKEY FROM LOBEL’S?
We don’t recommend brining our fresh turkeys. Frozen turkeys and turkeys of lesser quality generally benefit from brining.
Brining is usually done for two reasons: To add extra moisture so that the net moisture loss during roasting does not dry out the turkey, or to add or change flavor.
A Lobel’s All-Natural Thanksgiving 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 and 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 INSTRUCTIONS
Check out our video in which Evan shows you a couple of ways to carve your turkey: How To: Carve a Turkey with Evan Lobel.
Turkey Recipes
Here are links to some of our favorite turkey preparations:
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