Thanksgiving turkey sales — why I buy enough for the year

Thanksgiving turkey sales have started, and I’m getting ready for one of my biggest grocery purchases of the year.

While many shoppers are looking for a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, I’m thinking about meals for the coming year. I typically purchase at least six whole turkeys during the holiday sales, usually weighing 16-20 pounds each.

Why so many? Because turkey isn’t just something we eat at Thanksgiving. It’s a versatile protein that I preserve and use throughout the year.

And when I can purchase whole turkeys for 69 to 99 cents per pound, sometimes even less, it’s an opportunity I don’t want to overlook.

Of course, buying six turkeys is only a bargain if I have a plan for what to do with them.

Why I stock up during Thanksgiving turkey sales

I generally purchase whole turkeys during the holiday sales surrounding Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Over the years, I’ve found this is when I can get some of the best prices.

My usual target is between 69 and 99 cents per pound, although I’ve occasionally found them for less.

At those prices, a 16-pound turkey costs between $11.04 and $15.84. A 20-pound turkey costs between $13.80 and $19.80.

Six turkeys weighing 16-20 pounds represent approximately 96 to 120 pounds of whole turkey. At my usual sale prices, that works out to roughly $66 to $119.

That’s a considerable amount of food for the price, especially when I have a plan to use more than just the breast meat.

But the price on the grocery receipt isn’t the whole cost. There are canning supplies, energy used for processing, storage space and the time required to do the work.

I don’t calculate every minute of labor or every cent of energy when I preserve food, but I recognize those costs exist.

For our household, the savings, convenience and year-round supply make the work worthwhile.

How much turkey should you buy?

Six turkeys work for our household, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to buy six.

Turkey makes a good substitute for chicken in many recipes, which makes it easier to incorporate into everyday meals.

If you’re wondering how much turkey to buy, start by thinking about how much chicken your household uses in a typical week. 

For example, suppose your family eats approximately two pounds of chicken each week. Over a year, that’s about 104 pounds. 

If you wanted to replace half of that with turkey, you’d need approximately 52 pounds of usable turkey meat over the year.

That doesn’t mean you should purchase 52 pounds of whole turkey. Whole birds include bones, skin and other parts, so you’ll need to account for the amount of meat you can actually remove.

You also don’t have to replace every chicken meal with turkey. The point is to understand how much poultry your household consumes and use that information to estimate how much turkey you could realistically use.

Even purchasing one extra turkey during the holiday sales might make sense if you have a plan to preserve and use it.

How I process 6 turkeys

Purchasing six turkeys is one thing. Processing them is another thing.

Some years I tackle all six in one big processing session. Other years, I spread the work across several weekends, working on two turkeys at a time in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Processing everything at once gets the work finished, but it’s a substantial undertaking of about two full days of work. Spreading the work across multiple weekends makes the project more manageable when I have other things going on.

Either way, I need to plan for the work before purchasing the turkeys.

That includes having enough freezer space for birds waiting to be processed, along with the jars, lids and equipment I’ll need.

I also allow time for safe thawing, preparation, processing and cleanup.

Before the holiday sales, I review our pantry and freezer, use older food and make room for new purchases. I wrote more about that process in “Thanksgiving sales are coming. Make room with a pantry and freezer reset.”

The important thing is to choose a schedule that works. Food preservation doesn’t have to be accomplished in one marathon session.

Why I switched from freezing turkey to pressure canning

I used to freeze most of the turkey I purchased during the holiday sales. These days, I primarily pressure-can it. 

There are several reasons I made the switch.

First, properly pressure-canned turkey can be stored on pantry shelves without electricity. I don’t have to worry about losing my investment because of a power outage or someone accidentally leaving the freezer door open.

I also prefer the flavor and texture of pressure-canned turkey. That’s a matter of personal preference, but I’ve found it works particularly well for the kinds of meals we prepare.

Another advantage is storage flexibility. I try to use home-canned foods within about a year for best quality, but properly processed and stored jars aren’t dependent on a continuously operating freezer.

And then there’s convenience.

I use a raw-pack method, removing the meat from the bones and packing it into jars before processing it in the pressure canner. The meat cooks during processing, so when I need turkey for a meal, I can simply open a jar.

There’s no thawing or cooking a whole bird before dinner. 

Pressure canning takes time and requires specialized equipment, but I’ve found that the work I put in during the holiday season makes meal preparation easier throughout the year.

Poultry is a low-acid food and must be preserved using research-tested pressure-canning instructions, including the correct processing time and pressure for the jar size, method and altitude. A boiling-water canner is not safe for preserving turkey.

Freezing still has its place in our household. I’ve simply found that pressure canning works better for most of the turkey we use throughout the year.

How I use nearly every part of the turkey

One reason I appreciate buying whole turkeys is that I can decide how to use the different parts.

After removing most of the meat for pressure canning, I set aside the turkey legs to freeze and smoke later.

The bones go into a countertop roaster to make turkey broth, which I also pressure-can for use throughout the year.

Once the broth is finished, I remove the remaining meat from the bones and save it for our dogs, making sure it’s free of bones and ingredients that could be harmful to them.

Between the pressure-canned turkey, smoked legs, home-canned broth and meat for the dogs, very little of each bird goes to waste.

I estimate that we make use of more than 90% of what we purchase, although that includes broth and other uses rather than just boneless meat.

For me, this is an important part of the economics of buying whole turkeys. The purchase price matters, but so does how much of the bird I actually use.

Broth also requires a research-tested pressure-canning procedure. The instructions for poultry stock differ from those for other meat, so each needs to be processed according to the appropriate guidelines.

Making the most of other Thanksgiving grocery sales

Turkey isn’t the only food that goes on sale during the holiday season.

Thanksgiving and Christmas grocery promotions often include baking ingredients, butter, flour, sugar, canned goods and other holiday staples.

I watch for opportunities to purchase foods we regularly use, but I try not to buy something simply because it’s discounted.

Before stocking up, I consider how much we already have, how much we’ll realistically use and whether we have room to store it safely.

I also consider the household budget. Even when prices are good, buying several months’ worth of groceries at once can require a substantial investment.

A bargain isn’t helpful if the food goes unused or the purchase creates more problems than it solves.

Making seasonal sales work for your household

Thanksgiving turkey sales have become part of my annual routine because they fit the way our household eats, shops and preserves food.

I know approximately how much turkey we use, when I can usually find the best prices and what I need to do to preserve it.

Some years, I process everything at once. Other years I spread the work across several weekends. And while I used to rely primarily on freezing, I’ve changed my approach as I’ve learned what works better for us.

You don’t have to buy six turkeys or own a pressure canner to benefit from seasonal grocery sales.

Start by paying attention to what your household eats, what goes on sale and what you have room to store. The best opportunities are the ones that fit your family’s needs and habits.

For me, that means buying turkey at Thanksgiving for more than just one holiday meal. It’s a seasonal purchase that helps feed our household throughout the year.

New to “In Season?” Learn more about why I share these projects and my approach to living well by living with the seasons. 

Subscribe to Greenspeake Insights for original articles, useful perspectives and occasional updates delivered to your inbox.