Choosing the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey? Here are 5 Tips You Need to Hear

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What Type?

There are a ton of different varieties of turkeys to choose from, perhaps more than you even realized existed. Other than the standard supermarket turkey, some of the most popular labels you might find on turkeys are the following:

Natural. This means it has been processed minimally and contains no artificial ingredients. These are best eaten within a few days of their purchase, as it's better to chill them rather than freeze them. They will likely be a bit more expensive than the standard turkey.

Organic. This means by law, the turkey must contain at least 95% organic products. That means the birds would not have been given any growth hormones or contaminated with pesticides and would have been fed with real grains. The taste is usually better, but these birds are also more expensive.

Heritage. These are the most expensive, but are usually some of the best. Since more than 99% of turkeys at stores are of one single breed, buying these rare breeds of turkeys can also help encourage more diversity in the market and support smaller farmers.