Deutscher’s Turkey Farm
We are so excited to have local small scale, free range, rare-breed turkey producer Deutcher's Turkey onboard for Christmas and Thanksgiving this year!
Raised by turkey farming veteran Daryl Deutscher on an 80 acre farm near the northern tip of Grampians National Park, Victoria, these turkeys spend their days free ranging luxuriously through grasses and scrub, surrounded by shady river red gums. When we say that Daryl is a turkey farming veteran, we really mean it - this legendary farming figure has been raising turkeys since he was a teen, starting as a hobby and eventually transforming into the business we see today.
Deutscher's is a relatively small, family-run operation, but they are truly a one-stop-mom-&-pop shop - equipped to breed, raise and process the birds all on-site - meaning their care and attention to detail is ever-present and the turkeys aren’t subjected to the stresses of transport. Their birds are also raised free from added hormones and non-therapeutic antibiotics. This style of turkey raising is rare in the industry and means that birds can spend their entire life cycle in one place - the absolute gold standard for poultry rearing.
Managing a handful of breed cycles throughout the year, the Deutscher's breed to order, raise and process the birds before snap-freezing on-site. They work this way so the birds are never overcrowded, and the freshness of the meat is properly trapped in for the festive season. Turkeys are also often at their seasonal best during the winter period, when they have a great fat covering and ideal plumpness, so freezing allows these seasonal birds to be produced earlier in the year and enjoyed at Christmas.
Deutscher's are well known in the free range turkey community for producing birds of the highest quality - in fact, these full-flavoured free range birds were lauded as possibly the "tastiest turkeys in the country" by Good Food Magazine in 2019.
A few tips from Daryl Deutscher for cooking your turkey to perfection this Christmas - cook them low and slow, and keep them covered in the oven. This will mean you have more moisture retained in the meat. You can add a bit of water to the bottom of your pan as you're cooking to keep the moisture in as well.
Other honourable mentions from Daryl include brining your bird, which is another awesome way to keep your turkey nice and juicy while cooking, and cooking on the BBQ which can be a great way to free up some oven space on Christmas Day.
