'Turkey Overkill' (or why do people buy big birds for Small Groups.)

[tucsoncoyote]

Okay Now I am really stumped on why people do this, but every year, just about the time the holidays roll around, (Such as Thanksgiving and Christmas), I see a ton of folks go out and buy 12 to 24 pound Turkeys for maybe a family of just 4 to 6 people (sure sometimes there's more then that), but still it's what I call:

'Turkey Overkill'....

What is "Turkey Overkill" you ask? Well back when I was in Home Economics in High School, the teacher i had had a simple rule of thumb.. that if you're going to buy a turkey to roast on thanksgiving (or Any holiday), you allow a total of 1 pound per person for the size of the turkey that you are going to buy. So for example, if you are going to have six people, you buy a six pound turkey...(or a six pound turkey roll).

But just as true to form, a lot of folks go out here and buy 12, 18 and even 20 (or more) pound birds and are only going to have the usual family of 4 to 8 eat it..

but then what does 'Turkey overkill' get you? Easy...

LEFTOVERS!

And now a word from our Culinary Expert: :p
http://www.savedisneyanimation.org/kpcaps/images/41%20Go%20Team%20Go%20Pics/PowerDVD%202006-07-03%2010-51-18-76.jpg
Ron Stoppable:
That is the second Biggest Turkey, I have ever Seen!

So are any TZ.net folks out there who are going to be a victim of "Turkey Overkill?" Will there be leftovers till Christmas or New Years Perhaps?

and if so , why do you guys buy such huge birds?

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome..

So then.. Let's hear those "Turkey Overkill" stories (either good or bad..)

:coyote:

[J'onn J'onzz]

I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat turkey.

[Romanesque]

Leftovers? We've never had leftovers last more than 24 hours, regardless of turkey size... We buy large birds just to guarantee ourselves those 24 hours of leftovers. I still have no idea where it all goes so quickly. There have been a few years where I was lucky to grab just a slice the day after.

The problem with the "one pound per person" philosophy is that if you buy a whole turkey at a pound per person, you won't end up with a pound per person after subtracting cooking juices, bones, and the parts no one wants. Then you're in even more trouble if one of those turkey guzzling relatives pops in to devour your already tight supply of fowl.

--Romey

[Patchwork]

I honestly wouldn't know, since we almost never have turkey at all. We eat a couple of cornish game hens (since there's only three people anyway.... and it tastes better) and at the most there might be leftovers for lunch tomorrow, but that's really none too likely.

[purplehairedwonder]

The days after Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house are officially, Pie for Breakfast and Hot Turkey Sandwiches for Dinner Days. We'll have leftovers anywhere from 3 days to a week after the holiday, though my mom usually does end up freezing a lot of the turkey to use later.

[Kagetsu]

Can you even buy small turkeys?

It wouldn't seem to be economic for farmers and processors to go to the trouble of young, undersized birds.

Duck is a good smaller alternative, but I never liked getting chicken for Thanksgiving. Don't know what a gamehen tastes like.

Thankfully, we have dinner with my Aunts and Uncles, so we get turkey and trimings. The sad part is we don't get leftovers. I really like turkey.

[Chris Wood]

Why do we have to buy turkey at all? It's never been one of my favorites.

Why can't it be chicken or beef? Damn pilgrims.

[Kury Wagner]

Parents always make turkey breasts, because the family mostly likes white meat. The last three years, this year excluded, we ate at my sister's house, and she had a full bird, but there would be only a little left for each group [i.e. parents and I, other sister and brother-in-law, and other sister]. My parents almost always made a side bird, though, especially for sandwiches or what have you. This year, Mom did Thanksgiving and made two breasts. There was enough for a little to give away to the two sisters who joined us, and we have a little.

There always has to be some left. A little, at least, for a sandwich. But a couple pounds? Yeesh, never.

[Dr.Pepper]

I never cared much for turkey but we don't have a ton of leftovers

[Timmay]

Last year I had leftovers up to 3 months after Thanksgiving, although Christmas' turkey compounded the problem.

[weredog]

I'm dissapointed if we DON'T have leftovers. I'm a turkey addict. The more the better.

[True Noir]

Psh. Pizza's the way to go.

[Gatomon41]

We still ghave left overs, even after the whole extended familly came.

Either way, the Turkey must go. It only is good for 4 days until it becomes toxic.

[Timmay]

It only is good for 4 days until it becomes toxic.
???
Tried the refridgrator?

[tucsoncoyote]

I'm dissapointed if we DON'T have leftovers. I'm a turkey addict. The more the better.

Good Lord, are you trying to overdone on the 'Triptaphane' Turkey has? (and yes Chicken Has it too as does Milk..(hey why do you think you get sleepy when you drink warm milk?)

Psh. Pizza's the way to go.

Amen though I will say one of our local pizza places here sells a pizza that put you to sleep (Just like turkey)...



Either way, the Turkey must go. It only is good for 4 days until it becomes toxic.

and then you can sell it to a toxic waste company and make some quick dough.

And if you leave the Turkey in the fridge too long? Well it's like what happened to the folks aboard the Bebop (in Cowboy Bebop) when the Ganymeade Rock lobster got loose.. in short:

http://members.cox.net/aerodyne2/Inthe%20fridge.jpg
Spike Spiegel:
And what was the real lesson?
Don't leave things in the fridge...

Tucsoncoyote:
Especially the week old leftover turkey..

:coyote:

[Martianinvader]

Um....somehow, we always get it right. I'm not the one that makes the turkey, but there is barely any left when we're all full. I guess it helps to have 18 relatives in the room.

Leftovers only happen for things that aren't turkey and will keep longer than a day. You have to specifically request to save a pan of something, or it'll be thrown out (so we're wasteful...kill us). I asked that the brownies and rolls be saved for me, and I've been enjoying the rolls for breakfast since.

[Fan of Sponge]

People want to have the perfect turkey to go along their Thanksgiving dinner which is fried and whole. Others just want to sheer creativity to have dinner types of meals with turkey in it. That's exactly what my Home Economics teacher did after our Thanksgiving dinner last week. She had different uses with leftovers like turkey noodle soup, potato candy, and creamy potato soup. Still this is the only time of the year our family eats turkey so have some while it's there.:)

[Patchwork]

Duck is a good smaller alternative, but I never liked getting chicken for Thanksgiving. Don't know what a gamehen tastes like.

Basicly, like chicken.

[Delia]

We still ghave left overs, even after the whole extended familly came.

Either way, the Turkey must go. It only is good for 4 days until it becomes toxic.

Toxic? Come now.

If that were true, I'd have died from eating leftovers long ago.

[IDistractedYou]

I work in the quality control department at a food warehouse and have to attend food safety seminars. According to one I attended on standards for restraunts techincally anything cooked should be eaten within three days of its original serving, assuming its stored correctly. However from my personal experience about five days is about the limit. After that I've gotten sick or its started to smell funky. I actually just pitched my last two slices of leftover turkey not because its bad or anything just because they've turned into dry bricks inside my fridge.

[Beat]

Usually, the way it's been going is that the turkey is served fresh on Thursday, and the leftovers are divided into care packages for people that are leaving. For me, because I'm heading up to college, that means one meal I can heat up right away.

My family is usually pretty big with gatherings though, so we can get a larger turkey.

[The Guitar Slayer]

In general, my family of four gets a 9 to 10 lb bird. Part of joke -- I was born on Thanksgiving and was about 9 lbs. So it's partially tradition. But we usually eat a fair amount of it, then use it for sandwiches, straight up "mini Thanksgivings," and turkey divan. It's gone within two weeks, and then we have beef or ham for Christmas.