Bad news for turkeys this year:
Thanksgiving 2022 is shaping up to be a tough one for turkey. The star of the holiday meal will be both hard to find and more expensive than ever.
Turkey supplies have been tight for a long time. Producers began to cut back on raising the birds back in 2019 after turkey prices crashed. Then the pandemic hit, further curtailing production.
Inflation has also pushed up the price of whole turkeys. Farmers and processors are paying a lot more for feed, fuel and labor, which can be scarce. They face supply shortages and drought.
Actually, if we're eating fewer turkeys this year, I guess that's technically...good news for turkeys?
Well, in any event, maybe you can find one and maybe you can't. But if you're having doubts, might I gently suggest that instead of a big, lean, tough, mostly flavorless bird, you purchase...a chicken?
Seriously. Consider the benefits conferred by this bird:
- It's a better bird. It's moister, more flavorful, everyone likes it. You know why you only roast a turkey once a year? Because it's just not all that good. You know why you have chicken several times a week? Because it is that good.
- It's easier. Being in the kitchen is fun. I don't mind spending hours and hours in there. Still, there are better and worse ways to do it. Investing all that time and energy in a bird that, again, is just not that good — well, that seems like a worse way to do it. Chickens can be in and out of the oven in 1/3 of the time and you'll be happier with it.
- It's cheaper. Even during plentiful years, chickens are cheaper than turkeys. Turkeys are ornery, unpleasant creatures, and they require more time to reach slaughter weight, meaning the farmers have to put up more investment to bring them to market. All of this means they're more expensive. Chickens are abundant and easy and that means they have a lower price tag.
