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I asked a lady I know and she said, “There are fresh turkeys all over the streets of Ajijic and on benches on the various malecons.“

I shouldn‘t have asked.

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I asked a lady I know and she said, “There are fresh turkeys all over the streets of Ajijic and on benches on the various malecons.“

I shouldn‘t have asked.

That's why they are only sold frozen

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There was a blog a few years ago, by someone who has long left Lakeside. His friend wanted a fresh turkey, and there are locals who raise them for extra cash in the backyaad. I remember that this one was expensive - about $35 U.S. The problem was that it was very much alive, and the farmer didn't want to be the one who killed it. So they trussed it's legs, threw it in the backseat of the VW Safari, then drove through down to the recommended butcher, attracting a lot of bewildered stares, of course. They got it to his friend's house and proceeded to roast it in the traditional way.They said it was the toughest bird they had ever tasted - it was inedible. So you see why the Mexican recipes like mole, gently cook the turkey for up to seven hours -and why the frozen birds from the U.S.A. are in high demand.

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In Chiapas we have lots of fresh turkey for sale , actually you buy a live turkey and these anuimala are good for stewing not roasting so I would be careful in buying a fresh one unless it is commercial.

I almost broke a tooth several times on rfesh turkeys. This week I had freshly killed

beef and I could not eat it it was so tough...

You would think indigenous would know to wait before eating th turkey or chicken if it is the reason it is so tough. I believe that feshness is not the only reason, as we were walking in a village this week -end, my friend told me that the geese were not fed anything, they were eating what ever was around and they do the same thing with the turkeys so they are freen range animals that are not fattened up with corn and I believe it is why they ar so tough.

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There was a blog a few years ago, by someone who has long left Lakeside. His friend wanted a fresh turkey, and there are locals who raise them for extra cash in the backyaad. I remember that this one was expensive - about $35 U.S. The problem was that it was very much alive, and the farmer didn't want to be the one who killed it. So they trussed it's legs, threw it in the backseat of the VW Safari, then drove through down to the recommended butcher, attracting a lot of bewildered stares, of course. They got it to his friend's house and proceeded to roast it in the traditional way.They said it was the toughest bird they had ever tasted - it was inedible. So you see why the Mexican recipes like mole, gently cook the turkey for up to seven hours -and why the frozen birds from the U.S.A. are in high demand.

A couple of things re fresh turkeys: we bought ours this year at a market in downtown Mexico City. It weighed 28 pounds--a crowd of friends (all Mexican) were joining us for their first experience of Thanksgiving, so we needed a big one. I ordered the turkey and it was delivered--fresh, never frozen--to our apartment--by bicycle. It was, hands down, the tenderest, most flavorful turkey my wife and I had ever eaten, and the most beautiful after roasting. The trick? The butcher killed it two days before we were going to roast it, giving the normal rigor mortis time to leave the bird's muscles. This same trick works for killed-that-morning chicken: if you buy a fresh-killed bird at the Chapala tianguis in the morning and want to eat it in the afternoon, it will be tough as shoe leather. If you put it in the freezer overnight, or let it rest in your refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, it will be tender, just the way you want it. Same thing works for recently-killed chicken parts.

2013 turkey pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62477123@N05/

Next, re mole with turkey: the turkey is not actually cooked from the raw state in the mole. The turkey (or chicken, or pork) is simmered separately until tender and then slowly re-heated in the mole.

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The turkeys and geese in Chiapas are not fed anything. They eat whatever they find and

they are tough as nails no matter how long you cook them.

This week-end we made 600 mole tamales and the chicken was shredded very fine so it was edible but often it is not and they are fed corn pure corn as well as are left to

run free.

The chickens were cooked for a long time and then we shreded 3 buckets worth and then we mixed it with the mole and cooked it again.. The tamales were delicious but I could tell how stringy the chicken was when I shredded it.

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The turkeys and geese in Chiapas are not fed anything. They eat whatever they find and

they are tough as nails no matter how long you cook them.

This week-end we made 600 mole tamales and the chicken was shredded very fine so it was edible but often it is not and they are fed corn pure corn as well as are left to

run free.

The chickens were cooked for a long time and then we shreded 3 buckets worth and then we mixed it with the mole and cooked it again.. The tamales were delicious but I could tell how stringy the chicken was when I shredded it.

Were those chickens killed the morning you cooked them?

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A couple of things re fresh turkeys: we bought ours this year at a market in downtown Mexico City. It weighed 28 pounds--a crowd of friends (all Mexican) were joining us for their first experience of Thanksgiving, so we needed a big one. I ordered the turkey and it was delivered--fresh, never frozen--to our apartment--by bicycle. It was, hands down, the tenderest, most flavorful turkey my wife and I had ever eaten, and the most beautiful after roasting. The trick? The butcher killed it two days before we were going to roast it, giving the normal rigor mortis time to leave the bird's muscles. This same trick works for killed-that-morning chicken: if you buy a fresh-killed bird at the Chapala tianguis in the morning and want to eat it in the afternoon, it will be tough as shoe leather. If you put it in the freezer overnight, or let it rest in your refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, it will be tender, just the way you want it. Same thing works for recently-killed chicken parts.

2013 turkey pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62477123@N05/

Next, re mole with turkey: the turkey is not actually cooked from the raw state in the mole. The turkey (or chicken, or pork) is simmered separately until tender and then slowly re-heated in the mole.

Very interesting--this makes sense. Thank you.

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I believe the chickens and turkeys we have been buying down in Chiapas are older than what we had in

France , they are also from different breeds .I asked my neighbor for her favorite provider at the

market where they sell pollo de rancho. Cooked the chicken the way I always cook it and it was so tough we could not eat it. All the chickesn and turkeys we have eaten in indigenous homes are not edible by my standard but the broth they make is fabulous ,more a sign that the chicken is older to me but I have

never raised chickens , never killed one either so I would not know about that part. As a young kid we

did not have refrigeration so chickens were eaten the same day they were killed.

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jfyi, if anyone decides they're looking for a Christmas in July turkey, not going to find it at Puritan. They'll get turkeys in October. Walmart has smoked turkey, if that's your thing. Best to plan ahead and put one in the freezer in the fall for such an occasion in July.

Well, You are correct. I just spoke with Puritan and they have 3 but they are sold. He told me a lady had already paid for them. So indeed it will be October before they get more. Grrr now I want turkey, Have tried the smoked turkey from Walmart. Not bad just not really my thing. Does anyone know if Costco carries Turkey?

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Not whole turkeys, not this time of year. However, we recently bought an oven-roasted turkey breast from Costco--sold by the kilo--and it's the next best thing to one you cook yourself. Really good.

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Not whole turkeys, not this time of year. However, we recently bought an oven-roasted turkey breast from Costco--sold by the kilo--and it's the next best thing to one you cook yourself. Really good.

Yes, I did know about the turkey breast and I agree ....delish!

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