![]() Natural does not mean “not injected” or “not self-basted” or “not enhanced”. Oddly enough, a natural turkey may contain a solution of water, salt, and other natural flavorings to enhance tenderness and juiciness. Look for the words “natural”, “minimally processed”, and “no artificial ingredients” on the label. ![]() They must also be minimally processed, meaning they have only been handled as necessary to slaughter, clean, and make them ready for human consumption. Natural turkeys may not contain artificial flavorings, coloring ingredients, chemical preservatives, or other synthetic ingredients. Buy a turkey based on weight and don’t worry about sex. Since supermarket turkeys are slaughtered at a young age-under 28 weeks old-both hens and toms are about the same in terms of taste, juiciness, and tenderness. Turkeys weighing 8-16 pounds are usually female hens, while larger birds are male toms. Most turkeys reach market maturity at 4-5 months of age. YoungĪccording to USDA regulations, a “young” turkey is a turkey of either sex that is less than 8 months old at the time of slaughter. The USDA requires that poultry producers prove that the retained water is an unavoidable consequence of the process used to meet food safety requirements and that they list the actual or maximum percentage of retained water on the label. Retained water is water that is absorbed and retained by the skin and meat as a result of washing and water-immersion chilling during processing. Do not confuse this with a self-basting turkey. The label on a regular turkey may include the phrase, “Contains up to X% retained water”.
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