Free-Range Eggs

Our large brown eggs are from free-range egg laying hens. We have a variety of breeds, such as Rhode Island Red, Barred Rocks, Red Star, Black Sex-Links, etc. They are out on fresh pasture and allowed to forage for insects and grass.  They are happy, healthy and living as God intended.

The yolks of our eggs are bright orange, firm, high and richly flavored. Our eggs have 400% more omega-3s and less cholesterol.

Chicken

Our chickens are raised without hormones, antibiotics, chemicals or preservatives. These chickens live their life in a stress-free environment as a chicken should enjoying sunshine, fresh air and lush green grass.  Pastured poultry is a sustainable method of raising chickens humane, healthy and natural. Birds are moved to a fresh pasture daily, ensuring they get an ample supply of fresh forage, grasshoppers and worms. Chickens are omnivores and receive about 30% of their diet from the pasture and insects.

Turkey

Our turkeys are raised similar to our chickens, on pasture in the fresh air and sunshine. Each year we raise heritage breeds as well as broad-breasted bronze turkeys. Turkeys are our favorite farm animals to raise. They are inquisitive, friendly and very docile creatures. We′ve even kept a few as pets (Henny-Penny used to sit in Jennifer′s lap - no kidding!). Our turkeys are harvested and ready for Thanksgiving. Please reserve your turkey early. If we have any extra turkeys we will have them available for Christmas, as well as for purchase during our winter CSA program.

Heirloom Pork

Our heirloom pork is free range and has wonderful marbling, a firm texture, and is very moist. We use a heritage cross with Berkshire and Tamworth or Red Wattle. Our pork production is growing to keep up with current demand! We have 12 breeding sows and 2 Daddy boars. We′ve been working hard to baby our Big Mamas, they are large and in-charge and we go all out to keep them happy!  Free-range animals get exercise, which is the only way to develop intramuscular fat. This marbling is what makes pasture-raised meats juicy. No more dry pork chops!

Piedmontese Beef

The Yoder and Ropp families work together to affirm our commitment to a standard of excellence in the production of safe, wholesome and healthy foods. The Piedmontese are are famous for their extremely lean, tender meat. This beef has the highest amount of "good" polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 essential fatty acids, such as DHA, while radically lower in saturated fats, cholesterol and calories (about 2/3 less). It′s healthy and tastes superior - it doesn′t get any better! Of course, there are no hormones, artificial chemicals or preservatives in this beef.

Turkey Cooking Instructions

Here are the turkey cooking instructions!

Your Pasture-Raised Turkey

Thank you for purchasing an Avalon Acres Farm free-range turkey this holiday season! 

It doesn′t get any better than farm fresh poultry raised on pasture. Our birds are lean, firm, and flavorful due to the healthy environment, fresh air, spring water and pasture that is part of their daily routine.  These turkeys are truly "free-range" and a big portion of their diet is clean, green grass. They scratch; eat clover and grass and chase grasshoppers. They also eat locally grown and ground whole grains.  Pasturing allows them to live like God intended.

We believe that turkeys raised this way have more flavor than supermarket turkey. And because turkeys raised on pasture get exercise and have a wholesome diet, the texture is firmer. It′s not mushy like supermarket turkey.  This is a wholesome turkey raised in a humane manner. We′re sure you′ll LOVE it!

How to Thaw Your Turkey

1. The most foolproof method of defrosting a turkey is to thaw it in the refrigerator. The key to this method is to plan ahead and allow approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of bird weight for thawing in the refrigerator. This method is the safest and will result in the best-finished product. Place the bird, in the original wrapping, on a shallow baking sheet in the refrigerator. The following provides good guidelines for thawing times.

Refrigerator Turkey Thawing Time (40° F)

Turkey Weight                      Days to Allow for Thawing Turkey
8 to 12 pounds                     2 to 2.5 days
12 to 16 pounds                   2.5 to 3.5 days
16 to 20 pounds                   4 days
20 to 24 pounds                   5 days

2. If you need to thaw the turkey more quickly, you may thaw the bird in COLD water, in the original wrapping. The cold water must be changed every 30 minutes. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound using this method.

COLD Water Turkey Thawing Time

Turkey Weight                      Hours to Allow for Thawing Turkey

8 to 12 pounds                    4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds                  6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds                  8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds                 10 to 12 hours

3. The most important thing to remember is NEVER to thaw the turkey at room temperature.

4. BRINING: Brining is a technique to add flavor, moisture and tenderness to a meat product. Our turkeys are moist and flavorful but you may want to add a holiday spice or salt flavor. When I brine I typically consolidate the thawing and brining process into one. The length of time meat soaks in flavor brine depends on the type of meat and its size, as well as the amount of salt used in the brine--the saltier the brine mixture, the shorter the soaking time. Here is a great Holiday brine recipe:

1 ½ Cups, Kosher Salt
1 ¼ Cups, Brown Sugar
10 Whole Cloves
3 tsp, Black Peppercorns
1 ½ Gallons Apple Juice or Cider
Orange Peel from one Orange
optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely. Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine. Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid). Cover the pot and refrigerate* for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual.

WHAT DO I DO WITH GIBLETS?

Your turkey giblets are in a package INSIDE the cavity of your turkey. Do NOT cook the turkey without removing this package first. These giblets include the neck, heart, and liver. These make excellent gravy!

Ingredients
1 Package neck and heart from TURKEY Giblets
1 Medium carrot, thickly sliced
1 Medium onion, thickly sliced
1 Medium celery rib, thickly sliced
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 TURKEY LIVER
3 Tablespoons fat from poultry drippings
3 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
½ Teaspoon Salt Pepper to taste

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, over high heat, place neck, heart, vegetables and salt in enough cold water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 45 minutes.
2. Add liver and cook 15 minutes longer. Strain broth into a large bowl; cover and reserve broth in the refrigerator.
3. Pull meat from the neck and discard bones. Coarsely chop the neck meat and cooked giblets. Cover and reserve in refrigerator.
4. To make gravy, remove cooked turkey and roasting rack from roasting pan. Pour poultry drippings through sieve into 4-C measuring C.
5. Add 1 C giblet broth to the roasting pan and stir until the crusty brown bits are loosened; pour the deglazed liquid/broth into cup with drippings. Let the mixture stand a few minutes, until the fat rises to the top.
6. Over medium heat, spoon 3 tablespoons fat from the poultry drippings into a 2-quart saucepan. Whisk flour and salt into the heated fat and continue to cook and stir until the flour turns golden.
7. Skim and discard any fat that remains on top of poultry drippings. Add remaining broth and enough water to drippings to equal 3-1/2 C.
8. Gradually whisk in warm poultry drippings/broth mixture.
9. Stir reserved chopped giblets into gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until gravy simmers and is slightly thick.

COOKING YOUR TURKEY

Your goal in cooking your turkey is a thoroughly cooked yet moist and tender turkey. A farm-fresh turkey is the best way to achieve that end. Farm-fresh turkeys roast faster than commercial turkeys, so please follow these guidelines.

After thawing, rinse your turkey and the giblets under cold running water. Preheat the oven to between 300 and 325 degrees. A hotter oven will dry out your turkey. An oven below 300 risks extending the time that the bird will be between 45 and 140 degrees, the temperature range in which bacteria multiply fastest. If you stuff the turkey, put the stuffing into the bird immediately before putting the turkey into the oven.

For turkeys up to 20 pounds, roast for 15 minutes a pound. For example, a 16-pound bird should roast for about 4 hours. Roast larger birds (over 20 lbs) for 12 minutes a pound. If you stuff the turkey, add 30 minutes to the total roasting time. Some customers report that their farm-fresh turkeys have roasted even faster than times given here. So, begin checking for doneness at least one hour before the turkey is expected to be done.

It is usually not necessary to baste a farm-fresh turkey. Some customers report (me too) very good results with a roasting bag. Others recommend covering the legs with foil after a couple of hours to prevent drying.

There are at least three tests of doneness:

• The most reliable test is a meat thermometer. The temperature in the deep breast should be 160 degrees. In the deep thigh, temperature should be 180 degrees. Happily, these two temps occur at the same time.
• A second test of doneness is stick a fork into breast and thigh. When the juices run clear, not pink or tan, the turkey is done.
• The third test is to lift the leg away from the thigh. If it separates easily, the turkey is done.

When the turkey is done, cool it at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before carving. This lets the meat solidify a bit more and makes for easier and more attractive carving. Refrigerate leftovers no more than 2 hours after removing the turkey from the oven. Wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or freezer-grade plastic, the roasted meat can be frozen.

Enjoy your Farm-Fresh

             Avalon Acres Turkey!