Turkey breast purchase weight vs. actual weight

uncle eddie · Aug 26, 2017

For the last couple of turkey breasts I smoked, I weighed the turkey after separating out the gravy pack, draining the excess juices/liquids, and trimming off the stray meat chunks and flaps of unwanted skin. They were both Honeysuckle White turkey breasts.

The 8.3 pound purchase weight dropped to 6.5 pounds going into the smoker...loss of 1.8 pounds

The 9.0 pound purchase weight dropped to 7.1 pounds going into the smoker...loss of 1.9 pounds

I mention this because it definitely affects the estimated smoking time to lose 1.8-1.9 pounds from what was printed on the package for a smallish turkey breast.

TMI below:

The gravy packs usually weighed about 0.65 pounds of the 1.8-1.9 lost.
The trimmings that I removed (tail, skin flaps, stray meat chunks) weighed about 0.25 pounds...

Which means...

About 1 pound of liquid being drained off which makes sense because the labels did state "contains up to 9.5% turkey broth, salt, sugar, and natural flavoring" - which is about 1 pound for this size turkey breast

bigpapi1869 · Sep 1, 2017

I work as a meat cutter, and we sell those HSW Turkey breasts, and I hate them, for the exact reasons listed. They aren't bad products, but the weight loss can be inconsistent.

I always cut my own breasts from a fresh or already thawed and drained whole turkey, that way I'm not paying for an extra pound and more that isn't used. Most grocers with a meat counter will do this for you, too, provided they have whole birds on hand.

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

BigPapi1869 said:
I work as a meat cutter, and we sell those HSW Turkey breasts, and I hate them, for the exact reasons listed. They aren't bad products, but the weight loss can be inconsistent.

I always cut my own breasts from a fresh or already thawed and drained whole turkey, that way I'm not paying for an extra pound and more that isn't used. Most grocers with a meat counter will do this for you, too, provided they have whole birds on hand.

I would think your going to pay higher prices for a turkey breast cut from a turkey in store. Packaged pieces they have are usually much more expensive than buying .69¢ per lb. Price or $1.29 Price of a whole frozen bird.
Then if you buy a whole turkey they have all that extra crap you end up cutting off too..

tropics · Sep 1, 2017

I have a whole bird in the smoker now,I cut a lot of extra skin and dumped the added water.My scale doesn't weigh pieces this big 20 lbs.

Richie

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

tropics said:
I have a whole bird in the smoker now,I cut a lot of extra skin and dumped the added water.My scale doesn't weigh pieces this big 20 lbs.
Richie

I'm going to get a couple Turkey's when they have those holiday sales. Have to put them in someone else's freezer lol

bigpapi1869 · Sep 1, 2017

Rings R Us said:
I would think your going to pay higher prices for a turkey breast cut from a turkey in store. Packaged pieces they have are usually much more expensive than buying .69¢ per lb. Price or $1.29 Price of a whole frozen bird.
Then if you buy a whole turkey they have all that extra crap you end up cutting off too..

Depends on the store. Some places charge cutting fees, others don't. A lot also has to do with the time of year and what's available as well. For instance, in a couple months turkey will be pretty easy to come by. Never be afraid to ask the people at a fresh meat counter what they will and won't do. My store, for example, charges slightly higher for fresh vs. frozen, but we also will cut anything fresh to however people want it done. A lot of places will do just about anything the customer wants, as long as it doesn't violate safe food handling procedures, or the safety of the workers.

Of course, that's just my experience working behind my meat counter. I've been to plenty of grocers and lockers that couldn't care less what I want.

uncle eddie · Sep 1, 2017

BigPapi1869 said:
...A lot of places will do just about anything the customer wants, as long as it doesn't violate safe food handling procedures, or the safety of the workers....

Yup!

Even Sam's Club butchers will split packages and trim some things.

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

Uncle Eddie said:
Yup!

Even Sam's Club butchers will split packages and trim some things.

Your not going to have any butchers taking a pound of fat and skin off your meat and then hand it back to you for the same price per pound as what you started.. they will trim and cut your $4.99 a pound $30.00 meat to your hearts content. But your still paying $30 without the fat and skin. Or, you pay a dollar more per lb for nicely trimmed pieces that they will do ... That's how it works.
Chicken thighs are a big one.. family pack 7 lbs bone in skin on... you've got 3 lbs of nasty fat and extra skin in those you can end up trimming. They won't take all that off and loose $3.90 per package. They weigh it and price it.the price is final . Then maybe they would trim it and give it back at the same price.

3montes · Sep 1, 2017

When I get asked to do turkey breast for a wedding or other event I buy the pre cooked breast that they use in the deli for thin slicing and then sell by the pound. They usually come in at about 7lbs and are Jennie O Oven Roasted I believe is how they are labeled.. I think I paid about $4 a pound the last time I bought them. They work great because there is not a ounce of waste in these things it's all meat. Secondly they tale the smoke very well and finally they can be done in about 2 to 3 hours max depending on your temp and how much smoke you want on them.

People have raved about them whenever I've served them. I personally still prefer a bone in brined turkey breast. But when cooking for a hundred or more the Jenni O's are great!

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

3montes said:
When I get asked to do turkey breast for a wedding or other event I buy the pre cooked breast that they use in the deli for thin slicing and then sell by the pound. They usually come in at about 7lbs and are Jennie O Oven Roasted I believe is how they are labeled.. I think I paid about $4 a pound the last time I bought them. They work great because there is not a ounce of waste in these things it's all meat. Secondly they tale the smoke very well and finally they can be done in about 2 to 3 hours max depending on your temp and how much smoke you want on them.

People have raved about them whenever I've served them. I personally still prefer a bone in brined turkey breast. But when cooking for a hundred or more the Jenni O's are great!

Good stuff.. it's what I usually pay $5.99 a lb for when I get it at the deli.

3montes · Sep 1, 2017

Rings R Us said:
Good stuff.. it's what I usually pay $5.99 a lb for when I get it at the deli.

Yep that's about what it runs sliced in the deli. I get it from the same food service company that they do except I'm sure they are buying it for half or less per pound than what I'm paying because of the volume they buy.

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

Just that when people say they don't pay for the bits and pieces they don't want.. the added scrap weight they get taken off and don't pay for? That's not how the butchering works.. you pay for scraps and stuff you don't get.. one way or another. That unit of meat costs the butcher X amount.. he has to recover his costs one way or another. He or she isn't going to do all this trimming and work and give you the volume of trimmed pieces at the same price as the guy that took it untrimmed. Its going to be the same amount of meat you take home trimmed as the guy got untrimmed. Same thing but you don't have the scraps to make stock or soup.. But I understand some people like to have things done to save time. [emoji]129299[/emoji]

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

I just didn't understand this statement.

I always cut my own breasts from a fresh or already thawed and drained whole turkey, that way I'm not paying for an extra pound and more that isn't used. Most grocers with a meat counter will do this for you, too, provided they have whole birds on hand.

That's nice.. but you don't just have a butcher grab a bird and cut out the breast and sell it for anywhere near the price of a HSW price. It will be much higher price per pound 90% of the year. Then the butcher is stuck with the other parts that are left. Has to sell those cheap to get rid of it. Nobody has fresh turkey breast here 10 months out of the year either.

bigpapi1869 · Sep 1, 2017

Uncle Eddie said:
...Which means...

About 1 pound of liquid being drained off which makes sense because the labels did state "contains up to 9.5% turkey broth, salt, sugar, and natural flavoring" - which is about 1 pound for this size turkey breast

I'm sorry, I guess the point I've failed to make is that specifically when dealing with frozen HSW Turkey breast, it can be better to see what your butcher can do for you, because that lost liquid is loss, pure and simple. At the end of the day, prices vary, sometimes drastically, based on where you're buying, what time of year it is, and where you're located. And while most butchers and lockers will always charge a higher price for a custom cut, major retailers can be more likely to do more for less, due to sheer volume of business. Every situation is different, so knowing what your own local butchers and fresh counter folks are willing to do and for how much or little is important. At most, if you ask, the worst they can do is tell you no, and you end up doing it yourself anyway, which is fine for anyone who likes to do so. Equally fine is people who find a store that will custom cut for them, for whatever reason, at a price they're comfortable with.

Rings Я Us · Sep 1, 2017

BigPapi1869 said:
I'm sorry, I guess the point I've failed to make is that specifically when dealing with frozen HSW Turkey breast, it can be better to see what your butcher can do for you, because that lost liquid is loss, pure and simple. At the end of the day, prices vary, sometimes drastically, based on where you're buying, what time of year it is, and where you're located. And while most butchers and lockers will always charge a higher price for a custom cut, major retailers can be more likely to do more for less, due to sheer volume of business. Every situation is different, so knowing what your own local butchers and fresh counter folks are willing to do and for how much or little is important. At most, if you ask, the worst they can do is tell you no, and you end up doing it yourself anyway, which is fine for anyone who likes to do so. Equally fine is people who find a store that will custom cut for them, for whatever reason, at a price they're comfortable with.

I don't want to be the guy that the butcher dreads to see walk through the door.. like some picky old prune that thinks the world owes them a debt of gratitude because they are older and wiser and paid their dues.. I just buy my stuff and move on. [emoji]128526[/emoji] If I don't like it I don't buy it.
If his or her cuts are over priced and not looking good, I have other places to shop.
If the person has fallen asleep on a chair behind the meat counter and has drool falling off their lip in a daze, I might feel free to yap to them for a second but not bother them to much.. lol

I think those days of Sam the butcher and Alice the Brady Bunch maid relationships have pretty much gone by the wayside. You may find a hidden gem that needs your business very desperately.. it's not common by me.

bigpapi1869 · Sep 2, 2017

Rings R Us said:
I don't want to be the guy that the butcher dreads to see walk through the door.. like some picky old prune that thinks the world owes them a debt of gratitude because they are older and wiser and paid their dues.. I just buy my stuff and move on. [emoji]128526[/emoji] If I don't like it I don't buy it.
If his or her cuts are over priced and not looking good, I have other places to shop.
If the person has fallen asleep on a chair behind the meat counter and has drool falling off their lip in a daze, I might feel free to yap to them for a second but not bother them to much.. lol

I think those days of Sam the butcher and Alice the Brady Bunch maid relationships have pretty much gone by the wayside. You may find a hidden gem that needs your business very desperately.. it's not common by me.

And I completely understand that. I work for a large grocery chain, and I can tell you that there are people we hate helping. By the same token, there are numerous people who only buy meat at our counter and know us all by name. Like I said, I know every situation is different, and in my area we have two fresh meat counters and one butcher just in the town I work, plus a few full service lockers within a twenty minute drive, and six more stores with fresh meat counters within half an hour from us. We keep business by being better, being friendly, and doing a little extra for folks.

cksteele · Sep 5, 2017

im fortunate enough to live around some turkey farmers who sell untreated turkeys. im assuming you're referring to enhanced turkey where they put a salt brine solution in it i dont think they can do that here in Canada with meat legally . i know here when i buy a 4 lbs boneless turkey breast here thats 4 lbs of breast meat nothing else

Rings Я Us · Sep 5, 2017

bone in split breast halves today at regular price $2.99 at my butcher. No boneless or whole. Turkey was same price for whole frozen natural no liquids added.$40.00 average. The cut bone in breast doesn't look like it would be to good for carving slices . Would need to remove the bones to get better slices.

Rings Я Us · Sep 13, 2017

Uncle Eddie said:
Yup!

Even Sam's Club butchers will split packages and trim some things.

Found some today at kroger stores here.

Honey Suckle brand . Frozen bone in breasts are .99¢ a lb . Much better than split halves bone in for $2.99 lb.
Probably brine a couple and smoke with some bird rub of some kind and take them in to work to let people try. Maybe on buns with some kind of sliced cheese to go with.. mayo and lettuce maybe..

Turkey breast purchase weight vs. actual weight

Master of the Pit

Newbie

Smoking Guru

Epic Pitmaster

Smoking Guru

Newbie

Master of the Pit

Smoking Guru

Master of the Pit

Smoking Guru

Master of the Pit

Smoking Guru

Smoking Guru

Newbie

Smoking Guru

Newbie

Smoking Fanatic

Smoking Guru

Smoking Guru

Similar threads

Hot Threads

Featured Blackened Rockfish...