Tightwad Tip of the Day-Turkey season

Meat is extremely high in cost these days, especially beef. So it is that time of the year when you can reap some serious savings and put some meat in the freezer. Nope, I am not talking about deer season. I am talking about those 79 cent a pound turkeys. Think about it, 79 cents a pound for turkey vs. 4.99 a pound for the cheapest ground beef. I will take the 79 cents a pound. I have been buying 2 turkeys a week since thanksgiving and have a nice little bit of turkey in the freezer. Typically, I only put a couple of whole turkeys straight from the store into the freezer. I choose some smaller turkeys for this, since cooking a whole turkey feeds the 4 of us for a week. Then I buy the biggest size that I can find. I bring it home, let it thaw out if frozen, then I part it up. There are all sorts of ways that you can divvy up a turkey. I will sometimes keep the leg quarters for baking/grilling. Sometimes I will debone the whole turkey and grind it for ground meat. Then sometimes I will grind some, leave some intact pieces, and cut the breasts into cutlets. You can get a variety of cuts from a good sized turkey. Then when I have gotten every last scrap of meat I can off the bone I will make a large stock pot of turkey broth. I always put a few vegetables for added nutrition into our broth and a touch of vinegar to help leach the minerals from the bones. Then I simmer this on very low for about 12 hours. The result is a really nice rich broth, full of nutrition. I use a lot of broth since many times I will drink a cup of hot broth on a cold winter day or have a cup with a meal. So we really go through the broth. Yes, I would rather have my own turkeys going in the freezer. I know they are healthier, but right now for us not practical. This is a great way to add variety to our meat supply and stocking up now when it is so cheap just can't be passed up. So, a few more weeks left of cheap turkeys...don't miss out. Blessings, Kat