Oak Valley Farms

Feel Like Indulging? Try Deep Fried Turkey!

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

For years, the ubiquitous roast turkey has graced dinner tables around the world, served with a myriad of side dishes. While there is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a roasted bird, if you are looking for something more indulgent, you might want to try deep fried turkey. The crispy skin of a fried turkey, combined the succulent and juicy meat, makes for one amazing turkey dinner.

If you decide to deep fry your turkey at home, it is vitally important to take several precautions. Firstly, you will want to ensure that your turkey is free of any moisture. If you are cooking a frozen turkey, give yourself plenty of time to thaw the bird completely.

When possible, it is advisable to fry a turkey outside. In the event of an accident, this will reduce the risk of fire. You also want to carefully measure the amount of oil you place in the fryer. If you put too much oil in the container, the turkey will displace the excess and cause a fire to start. Most experts recommend adjusting your cooking time based on the weight of the bird, with every pound equating to an additional three minutes in the fryer.

Do You Know The Nutritional Facts About Turkey?

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey is an ever-popular holiday food as well as a common lunch meat, but not many people think to look beyond its taste to consider the nutritional facts. Is turkey healthy or unhealthy? Here are some answers to that question.

Like most meat, turkey is high in protein. A single serving of turkey, or about 3 ounces, contains nearly a third of the protein we need throughout the day. 100 grams of turkey skin contains 19 grams of protein, while 100 grams of turkey breast with no skin on it can contain up to 30 grams of protein.

Although high protein and low fat are the main nutritional reasons to eat turkey, it does also provide several other nutrients, such as iron, potassium, zinc, B vitamins, and phosphorus.

The skin does contain a lot more fat than the meat does, so the healthiest way to eat turkey is without its skin. The white meat and dark meat on a turkey contain about the same amount of protein, but dark meat is much higher in fat. Pre-packaged lunch meat turkey is also less healthy than freshly carved turkey at Thanksgiving, due to the chemicals processed along with it to preserve freshness.

Insuring Your Turkey Farm the Right Way

admin — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

“A fully-loaded gun and a good sheep dog are all the insurance a turkey farmer needs, Right?”

Wrong!

It doesn’t matter if you’re farm is carrying turkey, horses, sheep, cows or anything else. A good farmer insures their farm like the rest of the world. Typically it’s called “farm and ranch insurance” but there are plenty of sites and services out there like oregonhomeinsurance.com that can help you find the answers you need regarding that.

There are plenty of great reasons why you should get your turkey farm insured and there are plenty of things that can threaten your livelihood living on the ranch.

Rustlers could try to steal your crop or livestock, your valuable equipment could breakdown, and the weather could really do a number on your property. While not all farm and ranch insurance providers cover all of these things, it pays to know which ones do and which ones you can depend on when things get rough.

Let’s face it.

It might be nice living off the land and growing your own food and being self-sufficient. However, it’s also a lot of hard work and the last thing you need is for something to go wrong and sweep it all away. That’s why you insure that turkey, duck, horse, sheep, cow, whatever farm.

Turkey Handling Tips Everyone Should Know

admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The first thing to take into account is the selection of the turkey. Frozen turkey needs to be thawed in the refrigerator, never the counter top or sink. This is because of the density of the turkey, the outer portions will thaw much faster than inside and can cause spoilage if not done in a temperature controlled environment.

Keep all food preparation areas sanitized while preparing the turkey for the oven, washing your hands frequently to avoid cross contamination of the other foods. Roast the turkey according to the directions on the package after rinsing the inside and removing any giblets and the neck from the body cavity. A stuffed bird takes longer to cook through so take that into account when planning your meal.

Tenting the bird with foil or the cover to your roaster while cooking ensures the meat is cooked through and stays tender and juicy. Remove the cover during the last half hour to brown the outside, and put the cover back on after removing from the over to let it rest.

Most frozen turkeys have a pop up timer to let you know when it is done to the right internal temperature, and are self basting to make them even easier to prepare.

How To Cook Turkey Correctly and Safely

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The universal rule when dealing with poultry is to make sure it is cooked all the way through, no pink, no blood. The temperature you want turkey to reach is 165 degrees and you can easily detect this with a meat thermometer.

Different ways to cook your turkey safely:

Ground turkey in a skillet, you usually do not require a meat thermometer for this, simply make sure that the meat is all brown. Similar to ground beef, keep your hands clean and drain the meat when you are finished sauteing.

Turkey on the grill, no matter if you are cooking a breast or ground turkey it’s best to heat the grill prior to placing the meat on it. Cook until the internal temperature is at 165 degrees. Make sure to use a meat thermometer, because you will not be able to see the inside until you cut it open.

Turkey in an oven or microwave oven, set to 325 degrees and cook about 30 minutes a pound. Check the internal temperature towards the end of the time to assure your meat is at 165 degrees.

Turkey is a great and tasty meal, just make sure you are safe! Happy Cooking!

Turkey Tips For Creating A Unique Dining Experience

admin — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey tips for creating a unique dining experience helps to create delicious meals for your family. There is so much variety to creating one of a kind meals using turkey, you might want to start adding turkey to your shopping list often. Not only is turkey healthy for your family, but it will stretch your food dollar because one turkey can go a long way.

The favorite turkey tips for creating a unique dining experience is to slow roast a turkey stuffed with lemons and fresh Thyme until it is cooked through. Serve it with a salad, potatoes and your favorite dessert. Then split the leftovers up into two batches.

For one batch of the leftover turkey you can make turkey fajitas. Just warm the turkey up and shred it. Put it into soft tortilla shells with salsa, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. For an extra fun and unique meal, set up a “Turkey Fajita Bar” so everyone can create their own fajitas. You can also add ingredients such as sour cream and avocados depending on what your family likes most.

Turkey tips for creating a unique dining experience with the rest of the leftover turkey are to make the turkey into a pot pie. Just get two pie crusts, frozen vegetables, and turkey gravy. Bake until bubbly. Your family is sure to love eating turkey when you use turkey tips for creating a unique dining experience. If you like what you see, keep going: Turkey here i come !

Skip The Red Meat And Eat Turkey Instead

admin — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey can be an excellent substitute for any recipe that uses ground beef. Turkey is a meat that absorbs various flavors much like beef and you can’t even tell the difference. Turkey is typically a white meat, closer to chicken than beef, and is leaner then beef. Similar to red meat, ground turkey can be purchased with percentages of fat content, the leaner the meat the better for you. However, unlike red meat, turkey absolutely must be cooked all the way through (no rare turkey burgers)! The benefits to eating turkey is less calories, less saturated fat, less cholesterol, and sometimes even a cheaper alternative. Some people stay partial to beef due to the fear of things tasting different, however, turkey can taste the same if not even better then beef with certain recipes. Also, there is often resistance to turkey, because people are afraid of how to cook it. When recipes say substitute they mean it in every sense of the word, simply cook the turkey in the manner of the beef, but make sure it is all brown, easy as that. For anyone looking for a healthy alternative next time, skip the red meat and eat turkey instead.

Healthy Eating Tips Using Turkey

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey is a great meat to use for overall health because it is a low fat meat that is also low in cholesterol and high in protein. A diet high in protein and low in fat is great for weight control and feeling great. Turkey meat is made in many different forms so it can be used to replace other types of meat in favorite recipes and the daily diet as a healthier alternative.

Turkey meat is made in a ground form so it can be used instead of ground beef to make meatballs. With the addition of breadcrumbs, eggs and tomato sauce one can hardly tell the difference between the beef meatball and the turkey meatball but the turkey meatball is the leaner choice.

Another way to include turkey into the diet for a lower fat alternative is to use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. Regular bacon is very greasy, fattening and can raise the cholesterol. Turkey bacon is made into a form that looks and cooks the same as regular bacon but it is much less greasy and lower in fat than the regular kind. Incorporate it into breakfast for a healthier alternative to the real deal.

Does Frozen Turkey Taste The Same As Fresh

www.oakvalleyfarms.com — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey is a traditional meal for special occasions and holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas but can be cooked throughout the year. You can purchase fresh turkey or frozen turkey but which is better?
On a cost basis, fresh turkey is often more expensive due to the perishability of the bird and because many places offer organic fresh turkey which is also costlier. It’s claimed that fresh turkey tastes better but there are many quality frozen turkey’s including butterball, low sodium and more. You can choose the size of your turkey depending on how many people you need to serve.
For preparation purposes fresh turkey may be better as you don’t have to wait for it to defrost. However advanced planning will allow you to use frozen turkey whenever you’re ready to cook it. You can also take advantage of sales by using frozen turkey as there are often many sales around the holidays for frozen turkey and it can be stored (if you have room) in your freezer for months.
Once defrosted cooking fresh or frozen turkey is pretty much the same, the choice is up to you depending on factors such as time and cost.

Tips For Creating A Succulent Turkey Dinner

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Turkey can be a great food option when watching calorie and fat intakes as part of a healthy diet. Unlike other meat options, Turkey can provide beneficial aspects to its consumption. Turkey contains protein so it helps you combat hunger and it is low in fat so it will not cause health problems.

High In Protein
Turkey is a meat high in protein. The body uses protein as fuel and it takes longer to break down. During the process of the body breaking down the proteins in turkey, you are able to feel full and without hunger for a longer period of time compared to other foods. Instead of feeling hunger, eating turkey will help you feel satisfied and full for longer or until you are able to eat additional food.

Low In Fat
Other meat such as red meats can be high in fat. When too much fat is ingested there can be a number of health complications that can arise such as cardiovascular problems and unwanted weight gain. Turkey is lean so this collection of harmful fat does not occur if more turkey is eaten rather than red meats. This is a great option for those looking to become leaner.