Fall heralds a time of fellowship, thankfulness, and family. Food is what brings all of these things together in perfect harmony, and nothing quite makes the start of the holiday season better than a marvelous Thanksgiving turkey! As a highlight of many a celebratory table, these birds are best cooked fresh, not frozen, for many reasons.

It’s a given that almost anything frozen will be better if it is fresh. The same goes for our favorite holiday birds. Frozen turkeys may still be delicious when prepared well, but nothing can beat a fresh, never frozen turkey for your family meal. Frozen turkeys are often refrozen, which creates ice formations in the turkey’s muscles, making the meat tough and lacking in moisture. For this reason, fresh turkeys will always make for a juicier, tastier dish than frozen turkeys.

In addition to different texture and moisture levels, frozen turkeys and fresh turkeys tend to cook a lot differently. Whether you have all day and just like to get the turkey finished or you’re in a hurry, it’s good to know that fresh turkeys cook up much faster than frozen ones. Even if the frozen bird is thawed beforehand, which can take days depending on the size, fresh turkeys require no thawing and cook faster just by nature of their freshness, bringing out more of the naturally succulent textures and delicious turkey flavor you know and love.

You want the best for your family during this special time of the year, especially if it’s one of the only times you get to see each other. Whether you’re looking to feed a big table or a small one this year, stop by Ascot Meats, your local butcher, for a perfectly fresh turkey that the whole group will gobble!