FAQS Archive - Diestel Family Ranch

The Turkey
General
Shipping
View All

How do I thaw my Turkey?

If you need to cook your turkey in the next couple of days we recommend softening the bird in your refrigerator. Below is the USDA’s recommended refrigerator thawing times.

Refrigerator Thawing Times
4 to 12 pounds – 1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds – 2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds – 3 to 4 days

If you need to cook your turkey in less than one day we recommend softening your bird in a cold water bath. Allow about 30 minutes per pound. Submerge the turkey (in original bag) in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Below is the USDA’s recommended cold water thawing times. *Please note thawing the turkey more slowly is preferred.*

Cold Water Thawing Times
4 to 12 pounds – 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds – 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds – 8 to 10 hours

How are your deli meats flavored?

We use natural spices and seasonings with names you can pronounce, and you won’t find MSG or artificial ingredients on our label. The mouthwatering taste? That’s the taste of turkey done right.

Are your deli meats low in sodium?

No matter what you’re craving, Diestel Family Ranch has a bird for you. We offer a variety of low sodium and no added salt products. Our natural and organic oven roasted turkey breast, for example, has just 280mg of sodium per serving.

Are your deli meats gluten free?

None of our deli meat products contain gluten-full ingredients, but we can’t speak for what happens behind your local deli counter. If you’re sensitive to gluten, be sure to ask your deli about any potential contact.

How do your deli meats stack up?

No matter how you slice ‘em—yes, that pun is intended—Diestel Family Ranch deli meats have a luscious texture and exquisite taste that make a sandwich so much more than a sandwich. Every one of our products is:

Free from gluten, casein, phosphates, and MSG
Free from nitrates, nitrites, artificial ingredients and preservatives
Free from antibiotics or growth stimulants
Raised on 100% vegetarian diets
Made from whole muscle meat without fillers
Raised thoughtfully on independent family farms and ranches

How long can a fresh turkey be kept in the refrigerator?

We work hard to make sure our turkeys arrive to you as fresh as possible, but we’d urge you not to eat it after three days. If you don’t plan to eat it within three days, we recommend that you freeze it to ensure it’s safe, wholesome, and delicious.

Are the animals thoughtfully raised and harvested?

Yes! Flavor needs space to develop. Our animals are raised with room to roam, whether indoors or outdoors. They’re raised on a proprietary, all-vegetarian diet that encourages slow, natural growth, and they’re never given hormones, antibiotics or growth stimulants. The only thing we inject them with is our passion for thoughtful, compassionate agriculture. Ultimately, we believe that doing things right results in a happier, healthier animal—and a heftier, more flavorful product.

If you’d like to talk more about our commitment to animal welfare, give us a call at (209) 532-4950. We love to talk about this stuff.

Does Diestel work with other farmers?

We’re committed to advancing the art of independent and regenerative agriculture for everyone. For us, that means working with small and independent farmers like us who are fighting to sustain a method of farming and a way of life that’s existed for generations. Together, we’re creating an economic model that helps independent, values-driven farms and farmers to succeed and endure. If there’s one thing we hope to make our legacy, that’d be it.

Do you ship directly? Can I order online?

Not all of our products can be shipped, but most of them can be delivered right to your door. Visit our products to see which products we can currently ship. If you’ve got a hunger that can’t wait for delivery, use our product locator to find the turkey you’re craving at a store near you.

What’s the difference between your white-feathered turkeys and brown-feathered turkeys?

If by “book” you mean “turkey” and “cover” you mean “feathers,” then yes, you can judge a book by its cover. Our brown-feathered birds are part of our American Heirloom collection, a rare collection of turkeys just like the ones our great-grandma grew. We raise them just like our Diestel and Diestel Organic turkeys, but they have a richer, more complex flavor unlike any turkey you’ve ever tasted.

What is the Diestel Family of Turkeys?

Most producers use one standard breed of bird that’s been genetically engineered and fed to grow fast and cheap. Diestel Family Ranch raises a wide variety of birds, each of which is raised slowly, naturally, and with intention to bring out that breed’s unique, crave-worthy characteristics. To see the full Diestel Family of Turkeys, visit our breeds page.

How long has Diestel Family Ranch been in business? Who owns it? Where is it located?

Now in its fourth generation, the Diestel Family Ranch has been a real family farm run by a real family of farmers since 1949. Our ranch is located in beautiful Sonora, California, about 125 miles East of San Francisco as the crow flies. (Sure, it’s 125 miles as the turkey flies, too, but it’d take way longer.)

Cart

Frequently Asked

Questions