Image by Noonch
You’ve got a good idea of the type of turkey you want to buy from reading Get to know your Turkey, but now it comes down to the matter of size. How much turkey do you need to buy? Is a small turkey going to be enough, or do you need two turkeys? If you have all your friends and family over, the last thing you want is to run out of turkey.
Let’s figure out how much you’re going to need.
If you are like me you like to have a turkey sandwich or three. Or maybe you like to make gallons upon gallons of turkey soup. When I was growing up it seemed like I was eating turkey soup everyday for a month. In any case you are probably going to want some leftovers.
A good number to shoot for is 1 to 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person. This will give you enough turkey for everyone to have a generous portion plus leave you with plenty of leftovers. I would lean more toward the 1 ½ pounds per person if you decide to purchase one very large turkey, or a pre-stuffed turkey. In the larger birds, there will be a higher bone to meat ratio than in smaller turkeys, so you’ll want to go more toward the 1 ½ pounds per person.
Generally when you go to your supermarket you’ll find turkeys that range in size from 8 to 20 pounds. However you can find smaller or larger turkeys. Really large turkeys may need to be special ordered.
So you know how much turkey you’ll need to feed that hungry crowd, but should you buy one larger turkey or a couple smaller turkeys? The smaller the bird, the less cooking time, and also the juicier they are said to be; plus you’ll have the extra wings and legs. But the juiciness in all reality comes down to how you cook it. I’ve had very juicy, tender large turkeys. Smaller turkeys also have the advantage of easier storage; the carcasses after the feast will take up less room in the refrigerator than a large one. If you really want a nice presentation, you’ll want the large turkey. A nicely prepared large turkey in the center of the table just looks great.
You know the type of turkey you’re looking for, and now you know how much turkey you will need. Let’s get on to buying that turkey. Next up we’ll get into some more tips you won’t want to miss on buying that bird.
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