Free-Range-Turkey-Whats-the-Difference
November 8, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Le Cordon Bleu
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Free Range Turkey-What’s the Difference
We have all been to the store and seen turkey that is being sold as free range. As a chef or a student in a cooking class one of the culinary arts decisions you will need to make is what grade and quality of meat you will purchase. We have all been to the store and seen turkey that is being sold as free range. What does that really mean and is it worth the additional cost. That can be answered by how you feel about how the turkeys are treated during their life before they become dinner. The term free range has many meanings and the FDA actually has a pretty vague definition of what free range means. Essentially, free range means that the birds have access to outdoors at some point during the day. The FDA does not specify how long, what time during the day or what the conditions are that the birds live in while they are outside.
Different farms will have different standards of how they treat their birds during their life and to be honest, the only way you can really find out is by visiting or contacting the farm that is raising the turkeys. Lately is seems like the term free range is being used as more of a marketing term than an actual practice for all farms that raise turkeys.
The farms that do practice free range farming generally grow better tasting and healthier birds but it costs the farmers more to take care of them so they have to charge more. It seems that a great number of farms have seen that they can increase their profits by claiming their turkey is free range when in reality it is not quite what you think it is.
On some farms, the turkey range area is large, provides open pasture for the birds and provides them with plenty of shade and shelter where all the birds are able to come and go from the range day or night; on others, the range area may be less humane for the birds and more about turning a quick profit for the farm.
As you pursue your love of the culinary arts whether by enrolling in a cooking class or by experimenting in your own home you will have to make a decision about the types of food you will want to work with. The big difference between free range and regular turkeys basically comes down to its quality of life and free range turkeys will generally produce better tasting meant as well as be free of manmade chemicals that make the birds grow faster and bigger. But remember the next time you are at the store picking out a free range turkey, keep in mind that you may be paying extra for a turkey that is not as free range as you may think.
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