Why Thanksgiving turkeys keep getting fatter and fatter

[xchrom]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/21/why-thanksgiving-turkeys-keep-getting-fatter-and-fatter/



Thanksgiving’s almost upon us. And, seeing as how millions of turkeys are about to get plopped on dinner tables across the country this Thursday, the least we can do is give them their own wonky chart.

So here’s a graph from a surprisingly fascinating 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture overview (pdf) on the turkey industry. It shows that turkeys in the United States have been getting steadily fatter in the past two decades, even as the overall number of turkeys raised and slaughtered has been declining:

[KansDem]

1. Several years ago I convinced my family to have an "authentic" Thanksgiving meal.

So I researched what the earliest Thanksgiving meals included to see what the KansDem Thanksgiving would have.

Then I created the menu:
* clam chowder
* turkey (free-range so it was smaller than the standard factory-raised turkey)
* cornbread
* squash
* onions
* pumpkin pudding

I really enjoyed it!

It was simpler and quite tasty and I didn't feel stuffed at the end of the meal.

But my family confessed they would prefer the "Norman Rockwell" Thanksgiving:



...so we haven't had the KansDem Thanksgiving since.

[xchrom]

2. i'm feeding a lot of people - so i got a 17lb free range turkey and wild boar

for the feast this year.

so it goes:

1. cream of mushroom soup

2. wild boar bolognese

3. turkey, mash taters, sweet potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, corn and tomato hash, cornbread stuffing.

4. many pies

[KansDem]

3. Sounds delicious!

Especially the wild boar! I'll keep that dish in mind for next year.

Enjoy your day!

[xchrom]

4. it's VERY lean -- so you have add some fat.

this was put through a meat grinder -- because it's bolognese.

but if you don't don't do the long and slow thing with it -- just keep in mind it won't take long to cook.

i got mine from here:
http://www.dartagnan.com/

excellent on line source for good food.{i got my turkey from there as well}

[pipoman]

5. I would like to see a chart on the

growth of turkeys over the same period...how long from the egg to maturity, like 20lbs. Currently cornish cross chickens go from the egg to slaughter weight in 6 to 8 weeks. Most heritage breed chickens would take 4-6 months. Meat turkeys available now can't walk if let live over about 3 months. Genetic engineering.