Thanksgiving Order Pickup & Preparation Tips

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We hope you enjoy your Pasture Raised Turkey or Ham- scroll down for some helpful information about pickup procedure and cooking tips from the butchery!

This year we will have a refrigerated truck in our upper parking lot, with staff members manning check out tables to assist you in retrieving your turkey. If you’re picking up a ham, you will do so inside the store with the retail staff.

Please note your pickup date chosen when your deposit was paid.

Picking up your Thanksgiving order at Hickory Nut Gap Farm.

This year we will have a refrigerated truck backed up to our Big Barn, with staff members manning check out tables to assist you in retrieving your bird! When you purchased your deposit you indicated your chosen pickup date, please notify us as soon as possible of any changes.

The staff members will take your name, check our master list, get your preferred size range, and find a turkey that is as close to your preference, as selected when you made your reservation, from our existing stock. Our stated size request policy at the time of your deposit purchase: your chosen range is an approximate. Please be advised that we cannot guarantee a weight range, we can only do our very best to accommodate your request or get close to it.

After your bird has been selected, we will check you out right there and deduct your deposits from the total. The turkeys will be in large plastic bags, secured with a tie, feel free if you deem it necessary to bring a large cooler, cooler bag. If you want to go into the store for more shopping, you can drop your bird off at your vehicle upon conclusion of payment and head to the farm store- we’ll be open to help you get stocked up!

All turkeys will be fresh* and ready for you to cook.

*Please note that turkeys may have been previously frozen.

TURKEY PICK UP DAYS:

Sat Nov 18th: 10am – 5pm
Sun Nov 19th: 10am – 5pm
Mon Nov 20th: 12pm – 5pm
Tues Nov 21st: 12pm – 5pm
Wed Nov 22nd: 12pm – 5pm
Thanksgiving: CLOSED
Fri Nov 24th: CLOSED

VEGETARIAN
FED

PASTURE
RAISED

NO
ANTIBIOTICS

NO ADDED
HORMONES

PREPARATION & COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TURKEY BRINING INSTRUCTIONS

Yield: This produces 1 gallon, which should be adequate to submerge a smaller bird up to 12 pounds. For a larger bird up to 20 pounds, double the entire recipe water included.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup kosher salt
½ cup granulated sugar or brown sugar
Small handful of aromatics(garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, whole peppercorns, bay leaves, lemon or orange zest)

  1. Remove giblets and neck from inside the bird, rinse bird, pat dry.
  2. Combine salt, sugar, aromatics and ½ gallon((8 cups) of water in a large pot and place over medium-high heat.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir an additional ½ gallon of cold water(or water and ice) and cool completely.
  5. Pour brine into a container just large enough to hold a turkey comfortably.
  6. Add turkey; add a little more water or ice to submerge it if necessary.
  7. Turn bird a few times and then leave breast-side down in the water; place a heavy plate over the bird if it floats.
  8. Chill overnight, up to 2 days.
  9. Remove bird from brine, and rinse thoroughly. Discard brine and roast or smoke as directed (standard roasting instructions below if needed).

TURKEY COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. If you are choosing not to brine, remove giblets and neck from inside the bird, rinse bird, pat dry and season as desired.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  3. Cover loosely with foil and cook approximately 15 minutes per lb.
  4. Baste with pan juices every 30 minutes.
  5. Remove foil for the last 30 minutes to brown the skin.
  6. Check internal temperature, it should reach 165 degrees F or until the juices from the thigh run clear.
  7. Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let the turkey rest 15-20 minutes before carving.

HAM WARMING INSTRUCTIONS

Your ham is cured and fully cooked, ready to eat. You can let the ham come up to room temp and serve sliced at table, or you can heat it with a glaze of your choice. 

When using a glaze: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place the ham on a sheet pan and baste with half of the glaze, cover with foil.
  3. Heat ham for 20-30 minutes.
  4. Remove foil, cover with the rest of the glaze and place back in the oven.
  5. Warm until heated through to 165 degrees F, the glaze should begin to brown.

When warming up to serve un-glazed with a demi-glace or sauce on the side, follow above instructions excluding the glaze step, leaving the foil on the entire process to maintain moisture. 

PASTURE-RAISED TURKEYS

Every Thanksgiving season, the Fairview Farm raises hundreds of pasture-raised turkeys for the holidays.  These birds can be reserved in advance with a deposit and picked up from the farm the week prior to Thanksgiving.

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