Here are some fun and/or interesting facts regarding turkey day:
The estimated number of turkeys raised in the US in 2005 is 256 million with about 45 million or about 18% eaten at Thanksgiving. I would have guessed a higher percentage.
In 2004, the turkeys produced weighed 7.3 billion pounds.
The top state raising turkeys is Minnesota with 44.5 million.
Cranberries are estimated to be at 649 million pounds produced in 2005 with Wisconsin producing the most.
Sweet potatoes produced in the US in 2004 totaled 1.6 billion pounds.
The typical American consumed 13.7 pounds of turkey in 2003 and another report showed 18.5 pounds last year.
There are 3 places in the US with Turkey in the name. Turkey, Texas was the most populous in 2004 with 496 residents. The other two are Turkey Creek, LA and Turkey, NC.
Age is a determining factor in the taste of turkeys. Old, large males are preferable to young toms. The opposite is true of female hens as older hens are tougher birds. I can vouch for that, I know some tough old hens. : )
Turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere.
Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining. They can also have heart attacks: turkeys in fields near the Air Force test areas over which the sound barrier was broken were known to drop dead from the shock of passing jets.
Do you get tired of eating turkey after Thanksgiving? Cooked turkey is good for about 3 or 4 days, while gravy and stuffing only make it for 1 or 2 days. Frozen turkey will keep for 4 to 6 months.
Giblets are the edible internal parts of a fowl, including the gizzard, heart, liver, and neck. The gizzard is a part of the turkey's stomach that helps it digest harsher items, like seeds. They are normally removed, placed into a plastic bag, and then reinserted into the turkey's vacant body cavity. A Southern tradition is to make gravy stock from it, while most people just give them to their dog or threaten their children with them. By the way, do you pronounce it with a g sound or a j sound?
What is your favorite part of your traditional Thanksgiving meal? Turkey, stuffing/dressing, sweet potatoes (with or without marshmallows?), green bean casserole, Grandma's green jello salad with whipped cream on top, or something else? And what kind of cranberries do you like? I like the kind that comes in a can served just like that.
OK, had enough? Don't forget to thank the Lord above for all His many blessings. True throughout the year, but esp. at Thanksgiving.
