Defense So, I’ve never plucked a turkey, and.......

[Samuel Adams]

.....we have two, still on the hoof, and one is goin’ down for T-Day.

Scald same as a chicken, and go, or is there more to plucking a turkey ?

 

[Marie]

Yes same as a chicken.Most people scald. We tried scalding when we were kids. Couldn't stand it and plucked dry all our lives.

 

[Samuel Adams]

You have my sympathies......on both counts.

I have a large, stainless sink out back, next to the wood-fired water heater.

I’ll try scalding, first, and if that doesn’t work.....

 

[Border Collie Dad]

You have my sympathies......on both counts.

I have a large, stainless sink out back, next to the wood-fired water heater.

I’ll try scalding, first, and if that doesn’t work.....

You should kill him first, Sam.

 

[Samuel Adams]

You should kill him first, Sam.

You know......you’re right !!




Any recommendations as to how best .......?

 

[Border Collie Dad]

Take him out in the rain and hold his head up?
He'll drown

 

[dash8200]

Make the turkey watch the view, p-sacky or any other left wing commie hack and it’ll either take its own life or arm up!! Better to put it on the chopping block option I suppose!

 

[West]

In order to pluck a turkey right..got to do it from behind.



JK. It just takes time. Chop it's head off. And start plucking, have a good bench/seat to work off of. Pair of good hand shears, sharp knife, clean water, towls and some white vinegar/water spray 50/50 mix to clean it and your working area up. Then pat down bird with dry towels. Gut the bird after plucking goes with out saying but I'll add that.

 

[patriotgal]

If you can't bribe someone else to do the plucking, just skin it.

 

[Samuel Adams]

I do skin the chickens.

So simple......

But, good Sister-in-Law is doing the cooking, as usual (she’s great at it, gotta say) and I’m not sure she’d be confident doing a skinless, first time.

Any thoughts there ?

How does one thanksgiving cook a skinless turkey, to maintain the flavor and texture consistency everyone expects ?

OTOH..... Brother does have a turkey fryer....

Is there hope ?

 

[West]

I do skin the chickens.

So simple......

But, good Sister-in-Law is doing the cooking, as usual (she’s great at it, gotta say) and I’m not sure she’d be confident doing a skinless, first time.

Any thoughts there ?

How does one thanksgiving cook a skinless turkey, to maintain the flavor and texture consistency everyone expects ?

OTOH..... Brother does have a turkey fryer....

Is there hope ?

I've read here, someone saying to simply cover the skinless birds in bacon!

Sounds like a excellent idea!

 

[Samuel Adams]

Hmmmm......they’d go for that, too.....

 

[summerthyme]

I do skin the chickens.

So simple......

But, good Sister-in-Law is doing the cooking, as usual (she’s great at it, gotta say) and I’m not sure she’d be confident doing a skinless, first time.

Any thoughts there ?

How does one thanksgiving cook a skinless turkey, to maintain the flavor and texture consistency everyone expects ?

OTOH..... Brother does have a turkey fryer....

Is there hope ?

You dont! Pluck it, or make soup!

Summerthyme

 

[aviax2]

We did turkeys same as chickens, kill, scald, pluck, gut (DH always did the gutting since I never was good at it). The worst thing about doing turkeys for me was the smell of their feet, so nasty.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I do skin the chickens.

So simple......

But, good Sister-in-Law is doing the cooking, as usual (she’s great at it, gotta say) and I’m not sure she’d be confident doing a skinless, first time.

Any thoughts there ?

How does one thanksgiving cook a skinless turkey, to maintain the flavor and texture consistency everyone expects ?

OTOH..... Brother does have a turkey fryer....

Is there hope ?

This really isn't relevant, but what breed of turkeys do you raise? I raise bourbon red turkeys, but hope to transition to royal palms in the spring.

I skin mine just like I do chickens.

 

[Samuel Adams]

This really isn't relevant, but what breed of turkeys do you raise ?

Couldn’t tell yuh.

A white one......and a gray one ?

 

[Millwright]

If you occasionally do some chickens and a turkey, might be worth building or buyin a basic plucker.

 

[summerthyme]

This really isn't relevant, but what breed of turkeys do you raise? I raise bourbon red turkeys, but hope to transition to royal palms in the spring.

I skin mine just like I do chickens.

Royal Palms are beautiful, but TINY. Very slow growing, too. Mature hens dressed at 7#... smaller than 9 week old CornishX chickens! 6 month old Tom's rarely dressed above 9-10#.

Summerthyme

 

[Samuel Adams]

In my meager defense, our turkeys are huge.......both gifts from a sympathetic birder who further enables my obsessed 11yo chicken fanatic, from time to time.



Incidentally, Bro says please pluck.

Well, phl***.

 

[packyderms_wife]

You know......you’re right !!




Any recommendations as to how best .......?

Axe meets turkey.

 

[Faroe]

I use a hammer, and crush the head. I don't like seeing a severed head gasping for air while the body is off flapping around. WHICH one is the turkey??? Watching two things that were ONE slowly die, leaves me with a crisis of identity. (A prayer of gratitude helps settle my emotions, but doesn't leave me any less confused.)

Anyway, if you wear glasses, remove them before attempting to catch the turkey. Wear long sleeves, and expect to take a beating. I've always dry plucked. It takes time, but if it doesn't have to be perfect, it will take a lot less time.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Anyway, if you wear glasses, remove them before attempting to catch the turkey. Wear long sleeves, and expect a beating.....

If you only knew.....


Ex-farrier from my younger days....

Occasionally worked the Thoroughbred (drugged up to run) tracks.

Between that and various and sundry other life choices and events....by necessity, I became the one to give the beatings......

 

[Freeholder]

Actually, if the turkey is the right age and if it's scalded properly, the feathers should all come off with a few sweeps of your hands. I've had forty pound (after butchering) tom turkeys that were faster to clean than a Cornish cross chicken -- about five minutes to get all the feathers off except the wing feathers (need pliers for those). Then a quick sweep to get the little hair-feathers off, and you should be done.

Kathleen

 

[Samuel Adams]

I have two “volunteers” lined up, and a good scale tub.

How hot water ?
How long scald ?

 

[summerthyme]

I have two “volunteers” lined up, and a good scale tub.

How hot water ?
How long scald ?

145-155 degrees. 4-5 minutes... hold it by the feet and sort of slosh it up and down so the water gets to the skin. Test after 3 minutes by pulling on the tail feathers... once they pull out easily, the rest is ready to pluck.

Summerthyme

 

[Samuel Adams]

Thanks, ST.

I wouldn’t have expected it need be quite so long.

Looks like Tuesday gunna be the day
of reckoning.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

You can do it, Sam.
4-5 minutes seems a little long but I have no experience.

I would test before that

 

[West]

It's going to smell foul.

Just a nose up.

 

[FireDance]

Let the turkey out of your truck on the way to the grocery.

This sounds like a daunting task. I’m hoping it’s not that big a deal and all goes well for you! Let us know how it goes. I’m positive we can learn several things from your experience.

 

[Freeholder]

Let the turkey out of your truck on the way to the grocery.

This sounds like a daunting task. I’m hoping it’s not that big a deal and all goes well for you! Let us know how it goes. I’m positive we can learn several things from your experience.

It really isn't as bad as it sounds, once you've done it a couple of times.

Kathleen

 

[Tonic]

A couple drops of dish detergent in scald water helps the water penetrate. Get or make a kill cone then just make a cut to the jugular (right against-below the jaw) so the bird bleeds out. Heart continues to pump, bird goes to sleep. I believe no stress is best.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Oh, don't get me wrong.....helped Gramma (likely the single most mentorly influence in my life....and that's saying something) behead, scald and pluck hundreds before my tenth birthday.....and plenty after that.

But....that was long ago for details, and a turkey is a different animal.

After married to Angel Kay, she preferred them skinned, and have done so ever since.

Will definitely follow up with details, after.

 

[FireDance]

So? How did it go? Learning experiences?

Thought of you after I saw a flock of 10 wild turkeys in the pasture Weds. They heard me come out the door and moved up into the woods. Mostly Toms, fewer hens. They’re pretty to look at. The other doesn’t sound fun. I’m sure it’s not horrible, but since Turkey is my least favorite meat, meh. But you never know…

 

[West]

Maybe it didn't go so good, since no reply.

Hopefully it's not food poisoning.

 

[Samuel Adams]

The day got badly away from me, so Brother and I agreed we would do when schedule dust settles, and stick it in his freezer.

I’ll still convey the tutorial when time comes.
Needs be sooner than later.....

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

Hit a wrong button. Sorry.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Who told anyone to actually smell the turkey feet ?

 

[Doc1]

The folks who dress a lot of birds usually have a killing board, which immobilizes them while allowing the neck to be cut. I hate dressing chickens and pretty much do it under duress, though I have two roosters that need to be culled soon. I also hate cutting or chopping their necks.

I usually just shoot the heads off. Understand that I'm both in the country where I can do it safely and I reload so I can do it for pennies. When you shoot the head off, they will run around for a bit gushing blood, so you want to do it out in the pasture or backyard.

You can do it with a pellet gun or even a .22, but I prefer a larger centerfire cartridge like a .357 which literally blows the head off and lets them bleed out just as well as cutting their head off. Again, I can reload for pennies, but if I had to pay ammo shortage prices I'd probably just use the knife.

To scald the bird I have an outdoor Cajun crawfish boiler (it's like a big turkey fryer) and a slightly leaky big metal pot. It works.

Best
Doc

 

[aviax2]

Who told anyone to actually smell the turkey feet ?

When you’re butchering a turkey, you’re plenty close enough to smell the feet without going out of your way to smell the feet.

 

[Samuel Adams]

When you’re butchering a turkey, you’re plenty close enough to smell the feet without going out of your way to smell the feet.

Define……”plenty close enough”.