I know this is about buying, not cooking, but gathering your ingredients is the first step, and right now this is the one worrying me most.
I'll be cooking the Thanksgiving bird this year, due to my wife's work schedule. I know that in the past she's had issues with getting to the store after the entire selection is picked over, and having trouble finding any left that are the right size.
The tempting thing to do is just go buy one now and stick it in the freezer, but this early I'd worry about it getting frostburn in the intervening month.
So when is the best time to go pick out a turkey?
Best Answer
Most turkeys sold in the United States for Thanksgiving are frozen. It simply is not feasible for meat processors to process the huge spike in turkeys for the holiday and provide everyone a fresh turkey. Expect to pay a premium for a fresh turkey over a frozen one.
If you buy a frozen turkey, from a quality standpoint it does not matter whether you buy a turkey a month out from Thanksgiving (now) or wait to buy the turkey later. You will basically get the same product.