What is the difference between a Fresh or Frozen Turkey?
September 28, 2022
The National Turkey Federation says, “There is no quality difference between a fresh and frozen turkey.” We can only assume they’re also referring to “refrigerated” turkeys. However, freezing any meat has a disruptive effect on cell structure — when meat is frozen, the ice crystals that form around the cells can cause cell damage and fluid loss, ultimately resulting in drier meat.
Techniques such as flash freezing now used, minimizes the damage of freezing.
Several factors that may be more relevant than fresh or frozen is the size or gender of the bird. Also, female birds or hens, generally are processed younger (i.e. smaller), while Toms are larger.
