Staff Reports
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the first item that will be on everyone’s menu is turkey, and some people may want to consider cooking a wild turkey this year.
The eastern wild turkey and the Osceola wild turkey are the two subspecies that live in Florida. Osceola wild turkeys are unique to Florida and do not live anywhere else in the world. The eastern wild turkey is found in the northern parts of the state.
“Turkey hunting in Florida is a chance to experience the outdoors in a really special way,” Buddy Welch, wild turkey program coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said. “However, wild turkeys are extremely wary and possess sharp eyesight and excellent hearing, so hunting them is a challenge.”
Not only are wild turkeys more abundant and can provide more hunting opportunities this year, but according to Exotic Meats USA, wild turkeys have darker meat, are more rich and flavorful, and have a better texture than the domesticated turkey that most families are used to cooking.
The breasts tend to cook faster than the legs or thighs because the wild turkey has smaller breasts than the domesticated. Smaller breasts mean there will be less meat, but they are still more muscular than the domesticated turkey, giving it a more intense flavor.
Not only is wild turkey a versatile protein that can be served as a main dish, but chefs from Fresh from Florida recommend using the turkey leftovers to create a delicious post-Thanksgiving meal as well. Dishes such as wild turkey quesadillas and wild turkey cottage pie are some of the highly recommended dishes.
Wild turkey can also be cooked in stew, soups and barbecue. According to Real Tree, the heart, gizzard and liver can taste just as good as any other part of the turkey as well.
Because wild turkey hunting takes place in the spring, there are methods on how to make sure it can stay fresh for up to a year so it can be enjoyed during Thanksgiving. Fresh from Florida chefs highly recommend skinning, then freezing, the turkey in a vacuum-sealed bag. Making sure no air is in the bag is important so the wild turkey meat can stay fresh for many months.
