Butterball, LLC, one of America’s most iconic brands, helps consumers celebrate Thanksgiving, bringing delicious turkeys to tables around the world. We are a vertically integrated company, which simply means we start with our farms and end at our consumers’ table. Located in the thriving Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area, our business model gives us the opportunity to provide a diverse array of career opportunities and paths which include our farms, processing facilities and support offices.

We are the largest producer of turkey products in the U.S., and we make a lot more than Thanksgiving turkeys. Our company’s measurable growth is in no small part due to our team members in North Carolina, Arkansas and Missouri, who each have a seat at the table to contribute to our success.

There are a number of considerations when buying a turkey. Firstly, how many people are you serving? From here you should consider how many adults versus children, whether they’re light or heavy eaters, and whether or not you want leftovers.

Butterball turkey expert Phyllis Krammer has some great pointers for your turkey selection. For more help, check out our calculators and learn why Butterball® Turkeys are the best available.

Choosing a fresh or frozen turkey depends largely on preference, but also on how soon you plan on cooking your turkey. Make the right decision for you by considering these general tips.

* Fresh turkeys are ready to prepare. Fresh turkeys are best if held in the refrigerator for 24 hours before final preparation.* Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance, but need several days to thaw and require adequate space in your freezer and refrigerator.* Allow 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey. NOTE: Turkeys need to be thawed in the refrigerator or by cold water thawing. See our How To Thaw for more information.

Safely thawing your frozen turkey is one of the most important steps in your meal prep. Watch Christopher demonstrate our two recommended methods:

* Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor-intensive but requires more time.* Cold water thawing takes less time but requires more attention.

Regardless of which method you choose, never thaw a turkey at room temperature. If you’re running low on time, try a Fresh Whole Turkey—they’re just as delicious and require little prep.