Heritage turkeys

General info about our turkeys with some tips for preparing

Reserve your 2024 turkey here 

We raise free-range black turkeys (Artisan Gold) on our pastures and with certified organic non-GMO feed. Every year we get several compliments on how delicious our turkeys are. Try one this year for Thanksgiving or put in the freezer for other special holidays. They’ll be available this November for on-farm pick up.

>> Reserve your 2024 turkey here

Your $80 deposit reserves your turkey and is applied to the price when you pick up. Final price depends on weight ($12/lb + tax). Our turkeys typically dress out at 8-20 pounds (so total price approx. $100- $250).

Turkey will be available for pick up Friday, 11/22 (9-5:30) and Saturday, 11/23 (10-3).

Turkeys are processed on site by us and are packed with giblets inside in a separate bag. Your turkey should be kept refrigerated/cold until you cook it for Thanksgiving Day or frozen if you will be preparing thereafter.

Once our turkey reservation is full, all following orders will be added to our turkey waiting list and we will notify customers on the waiting list first come first served if one becomes available. No deposit is required to be on the turkey waiting list.

Here are some real cooking tips from an actual farmer-chef…

Cooking Your Heritage Turkey

By Sandra Kay Miller

“Besides the fact that most these old fashion birds are also raised the old fashioned way — with plenty of grass and sunshine — they need to be cooked quite differently than their modern, mega-farmed counterparts… Remember having to cover the breast with foil to keep it from drying out while the rest of the bird cooks — not with a heritage turkey. Their smaller breasts create a better balance between the dark meat and white meat, which means roasting a bird to perfection is much easier since white meat cooks quicker than the dark meat. If the breast is covered during roasting, it should be done with oiled parchment paper — not foil — which is then removed 30 minutes before the turkey is finished roasting.

Heritage turkeys are also much leaner and smaller than sedentary commercial birds. This means that fast cooking at high temperatures is a better method than slow roasting — another big plus since you won’t have to set your alarm to get the bird in the oven to be done in time for an early dinner. Heritage turkeys should be cooked at 425-450 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 140-150 degrees F. Butter or oil can be added under the breast skin to add flavor and moisture during roasting.”

This tried and true recipe (which serves 10-12 people) will make the best of your Heritage bird this year.

Ingredients:
– 15-pound fresh heritage turkey at room temperature
– Kosher or sea salt & fresh ground pepper
– 4 cups giblet broth (see recipe below)
– Rosemary Maple Butter (see recipe below)
– Oiled parchment paper
Directions:

  1. Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
  2. Loosen the skin around the breast with your fingers and insert Rosemary Maple Butter between the meat and the skin as well as on the inside of the bird’s cavity.
  3. Set bird in deep roasting pan. Use a wire rack to lift the bird off the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the giblet broth to the bottom of the pan. Using a sheet of oiled parchment paper, tent the roasting pan with the oiled parchment paper. Any type of cooking oil can be used. Brush it on both sides with a pastry brush. The parchment paper is easily affixed to the roasting pan with a strip of foil on each end or you can use clean, oiled wooden clothespins. Remove parchment paper and the last 30 minutes of cooking to develop a crispy, golden skin.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 425F-450F. Roast the bird until the thigh temperature reaches 140F-150F. Let the bird rest 10-15 minutes before carving to let the juices settle.

A word about basting
Quick roasting at high temperatures means the oven temperature needs to be maintained and frequent basting defeats that purpose. By adding butter under the skin, the bird is self-basted. Baste the bird when you remove the parchment tent. If there is not enough liquid for basting, add either more water or wine.

Giblet Broth
– 2 cups white wine (a deep, oaky chardonnay lends a wonder taste)
– 2 cups water
– Giblets & neck
– Bay leaf

Simmer everything in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and neck. Giblets can be discarded if they aren’t your type of thing or they can be finely chopped and added to the broth.

Rosemary Maple Butter
– 1/2 pound butter
– 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
– 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary

Bring butter to room temperature and whip all ingredients together.

Sandra Kay Miller raises pastured heritage turkeys on her farm in Pennsylvania. Sandra has contributed to several cookbooks and frequently wrote for the Los Angeles Times Food Section.