Fresh turkey tastes better than frozen. Where to buy your Thanksgiving bird in metro Phoenix

Though most people head to the supermarket to pick up Thanksgiving turkeys, Arizona-raised turkeys offer a rare treat.

Grocery store turkeys are frozen prior to selling, while locally raised poultry don't have to be. According to chef and farmer Michael Muthart, that means fresh birds have juicier meat. When water freezes it expands, and the ice crystals damage the meat. During thawing, the meat will release juices, which leads to dryer meat.

Add to that the fact that most of the locally raised poultry are free-range birds that have the opportunity to roam in a pasture developing muscles and better flavor, and you can see why finding a local turkey could mean your tastiest holiday meal to date.

A few metro Phoenix butcher shops and ranches are offering pasture-raised turkeys for the holidays, but due to limited quality, most require customers to pre-order their birds.

Here's your guide to where to buy local turkeys in metro Phoenix this year.

Arcadia Meat Market

Arcadia Meat Market is offering local turkeys for pre-order beginning on Nov. 1. There will be additional birds available for walk-ins the week of Thanksgiving as well. Prices have yet to be determined for 2023, however, last year they were $7 per pound.

Details: 3950 E. Indian School Road, Suite 130, Phoenix. 602-595-4310, arcadiameatmarket.com.

JH Grass Fed Beef

JH Grass Fed receives fresh turkeys from Ridge View Farms, "Home of the Happy Chicken," in Paulden. Online pre-orders begin in early November. Once the customer chooses the size of the bird and places an order, JH will send a confirmation email with date, time, pickup location and total price.

Prices are not yet finalized for 2023, but were $5.50 per pound last year.

Details: 602-769-4614, jhgrassfed.com.

Moon River Beef

Moon River Beef is a woman-owned and family-operated ranch that raises turkeys for Thanksgiving. Customers can pre-order the turkeys online and pick up at either a Phoenix location or at the Uptown farmers market. Larger orders may qualify for delivery. Pre-orders are preferred and currently open.

If any birds remain up to a week before Thanksgiving, customers can pick them up at Uptown farmers market.

Turkeys weigh between 15 and 18 pounds and sell for $175.

Details: Pick up location: 4971 E. Rockridge Road, Phoenix. 602-684-5517, moonriverbeef.com.

Farm address: 15606 E. Perkins Ranch Road, Perkinsville.

The Meat Market

The Meat Market sources turkeys from Chiricahua Pasture Raised Meats, which according to owner Roni Terry: "Irrigated pasture means lots of bugs, which means tons of flavor." Online and in-store orders are now open. Supplies are limited and in the past years, the market has run out of turkeys by early November.

Turkeys are priced at $8.50 per pound and vary in size between 15 to 30 pounds.

The shop receives the birds fresh on Monday evening. Customers can schedule pickup between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Those who opt for brined turkey can only pick up on Wednesday.

Details: 37636 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Carefree. 480-575-4358, themeatmarketcc.com.

Underbelly Meat Co.

Underbelly has 80 broad-breasted white turkeys from Chiricahua Pasture Raised Meats. Birds are fresh and include organs and will be available for pickup during regular business hours on Tuesday, Nov. 21 and Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Turkeys are $8.00 per pound. Pre-orders are now open via email feedyourself@underbellymeatco.com with a required $50 deposit and will continue until the shop sells out.

Details: 1605 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-316-5348, underbellymeatco.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Where to buy the best turkey for Thanksgiving from local Arizona farms