November is already here, and now that Halloween is passed, it’s time to start preparing for Thanksgiving, and the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.
No Thanksgiving feast is complete without the turkey, but those can be fairly expensive when purchased from a pasture raised operation. The average pasture raised turkey tends to hover around $100, this upfront cost scares many people away from the idea of purchasing a naturally raised turkey. Is it really worth the money?
If all you use the turkey for is your thanksgiving dinner, then yes, it is a large waste of money. However, buying sustainably is only part of the sustainable foods diet, you also need to cook sustainably. The following breakdown of a single, $100 turkey, was done thanksgiving of 2010 by Jessica Smith.
Turkey Analysis
Meal # servings
Roast turkey 8
Turkey sandwiches 14
Turkey Salad Sandwiches 10
Turkey and Noodles over mashed potatoes 18
Turkey and Rice Soup 15
Cream of Turkey Soup 15
Total protein servings 80
Total cost per protein serving $1.25
The trick to making the turkey worth the full $100, is utilizing every piece of it. As you can see, a single turkey was used for several meals, and recooked to make multiple soups. Learning how to cook sustainably not only maximizes the nutrition of the turkey, but the value of the turkey. So when you cook your Thanksgiving turkey, don’t throw out the bones, save them, and utilize the nutritional (and taste) value of the animal. Keep an eye on our newsletter, for turkey recipes, and how to utilize the turkey to make broth for some wonderful soups. Or call us at 765-324-2161 for some expert advice and to order your turkey!