LABELING: Basted with approximately 6 percent solution of turkey broth, salt, sodium phosphate, sugar, and flavoring. Butterball Fresh $1.39 per pound What was unique to this turkey was the visibly high fat content , which made the meat greasy yet somewhat dry. It received an overall average rating for tenderness. What did not help this turkey was that the meat was devoid of any flavor. Never ate anything quite so bland and boring, commented one taster. LABELING:All natural, no artificial ingredients, minimally processed. Empire Kosher Fresh, kosher $1.69 per pound Another winner, commented one taster. Very tender and juicy, with flavor immediately clean on the palate. The white meat in particular held its true flavor and tenderness. Clean, sturdy, and full-bodied. LABELING:All natural, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, minimally processed—soaked, salted, and rinsed. Plainville Farms Fresh $1.89 per pound One taster said it all: This sample was very tender, and if one discounted the flavor, it would be great. The downfall was a gamey flavor, described as sour and likened to liver. The texture, however, received high scores in terms of both tenderness and moistness. LABELING:No artificial ingredients, minimally processed, veggie grown, animal friendly. Norbest Refrigerated, Basted 99 cents per pound Tasters responses to this product were mixed. Some found it moist, some dry. Others said the texture was spotty—dry in some spots, moist in others—which might explain the mixed results. The overall tenderness of the meat was respectable but not striking. The dark meat was unpopular, strong in flavor, like that of liver, and stringy in texture. The white meat was clean but bland. LABELING:Basted with 5.5% turkey broth, salt, sodium phosphate, and natural flavorings. Shady Brook Farms Fresh $1.29 per pound This standard fresh supermarket turkey was a good bird, but not something to write home about. It was somewhat moist—more moist than many—but could have been more so. The flavor was good and the texture quite nice, all adding up to perfectly OK. This turkey could be great with brining, one taster duly noted. LABELING: None Butterball Frozen, basted $1.39 per pound As one taster appropriately summed it up: This reminds me of turkey I grew up with. This nationally known brand of turkey ranked medium-well in all categories. It carried a strong flavor that rang slightly of salt and butter—like movie popcorn, noted one taster who preferred her turkey on the bland side. It was not quite as moist as the higher-scoring turkeys, but it could not be categorized as dry. LABELING:3% of a self-basting mixture added—vegetable oil, water, salt, emulsifiers, sodium phosphate, annatto color, and artificial flavor. Bell Evans Fresh, All-natural, free-range $1.79 per pound This turkey was spongy—moist, tough, and stringy. Requires much chewing, noted one taster. The worst part, however, was the flavor. The overwhelming consensus was that the turkey tasted old and slightly metallic, although a few tasters said at least this turkey has flavor. LABELING:All natural, no antibiotics administered, no animal products, all vegetable diet, minimally processed, naturally lite—contains 55 percent less fat than other uncooked turkeys based on USDA data of standard turkey fat content.