Where to buy/order a "Natural" Turkey?

Anyone have a good place to order a natural turkey for the holiday season?

I have to smoke a few for around Thanksgiving time and wanted to give a natural one a shot as well as the typical Butterballs from the grocery store (Butterballs have always been great so no problem using those).

Any good places to order from, hopefully near my Ukrainian Village home? Any clue on price? I generally like to make BIG turkeys but I am guessing you cannot get a 24llb natural, can you?

Jamie

I know this is not exactly near you but still do-able.

I get most of my poultry from Harrison's Poultry Farm in Glenview.

Harrisons Poultry
1201 Waukegan Rd
Chicago, 60025
(847) 724-0132

On a whim, I put $10 down for one of these at Green City for pickup around Thanksgiving. He has a listing for 20 lbs. and over, so you might give him a call and see what he expects to be available.

TJ's Free Range Poultry
2773 N. 1500 E. Rd.
Piper City, IL 60959
815-686-9200

I have had good luck here:

Undesser Turkey Farm
10292 Galena Blvd.
Bristol, IL 60512
630.553.5888

Hoka turkeys are natural if not organic. Lots of places to buy:

http://www.hokaturkeys.com/where%20to%20buy.htm

You can order them at Whole Foods or at any quality butcher (Pulina or Gepperth's, for example).

I generally purchase the Hoka turkeys at Walt's, my local grocery store -- they are very good and flavorful.

Suzy

Based on a couple of threads here from last year, I ordered a Bourbon Red Tom from John Caveny through Chicago Cooks. A deposit is required and pick-up is on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Evanston Farmers Market or Green City.

Even though their site doesn't list Treasure Island, HoKa turkeys are carried around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Waterman, IL, is a lot closer to Chicago than Bell and Evans while TI's prices for HoKa tend to be a lot lower than Bell and Evans and that ilk. HoKa turkeys are all pasture grown with corn and soybean feed although they are put in sheds once the weather really gets cold. The exposure to cold encourages the turkeys to have more subcutaneous fat than turkeys grown in barns even if they are let out a bit to qualify as free range (term can be a joke). The subcutaneous fat makes the birds self basting. We roast (or smoke) breast side up with no turning or brining and have always had juicy, flavorful birds. HoKa uses broad, breasted whites, so these are not heritage turkeys.

The Clybourn TI is probably the most accessible from Ukrainian Village. At least this store has carried both hens and toms, so there have been some big ones.

Thanks for all the advice!

Anyone have a ballpark estimate of price? Like $2 per pound?

Thanks-
Jamie

TJ's are $2.99/lb. under 20 lbs., $2.59/lb. for birds 20 lbs. and over.

Mike G wrote:TJ's are $2.99/lb. under 20 lbs., $2.59/lb. for birds 20 lbs. and over.

Ouch.

Seeing how I usually grab the 24 pounder, not sure I can justify smoking a $60+ bird when I have never gotten anything but compliments on even the $.39/lb sale birds I get.

Jamie

Try a smaller one, then. (I can tell you that TJ's prices are not high, for this sort of bird; the first time I looked at them, at Paulina, a couple of years ago, it was not much under $100 for a bird in the 16 lb. range.)

It's a different tasting meat, more like a roast goose than commercial turkey; especially when smoked, there's a distinct gaminess to it and the flesh is quite firm (though I've managed to both roast and smoke one without, as yet, turning the firm flesh into something too chewy to enjoy, thankfully).

Would I buy four of them for an event at my house? No. Butterball turkey is relatively cheap, and, hey, it tastes like turkey as people know it.

But would it be worth spending $40, say, on a smaller one for the novelty of the flavor? It would to me, depending on the crowd (whether or not they'd be receptive to the stronger flavor).

IIRC last year Treasure Island sold HoKa turkeys for 1.99.

you might also try a kosher turkey; they're fantastic. price might be under $2/lb., too. i buy at:

Romanian Kosher Sausage Co.
7200 N. Clark
Chicago, IL

foo d wrote:you might also try a kosher turkey; they're fantastic. price might be under $2/lb., too. i buy at:

Romanian Kosher Sausage Co.
7200 N. Clark
Chicago, IL

I tried one of these last year. It was very good and pre-brined due to the koshering process.