Is Honeysuckle White Turkey Good? An In-Depth Look at This Popular Brand

With the holidays right around the corner you may be wondering what turkey brand to choose for your festive meals. Honeysuckle White is one of the most popular options found in grocery store freezer sections. But how does it actually stack up against the competition? Is Honeysuckle White turkey worth buying or are there better alternatives out there?

In this comprehensive guide we’ll uncover everything you need to know to decide if Honeysuckle White is a good turkey brand for your family. We’ll explore the pros and cons taste, quality, pricing, and more to help you determine if it’s the right fit for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other celebrations requiring a tasty bird.

Overview of Honeysuckle White Turkey

Honeysuckle White is one of the major whole turkey and turkey product brands sold in American supermarkets today. Owned by Cargill, one of the largest private companies in the U.S., Honeysuckle White offers a variety of options beyond whole birds, including:

• Ground turkey
• Turkey breasts
• Turkey cutlets
• Turkey sausages
• Smoked turkey

The brand promotes their turkeys as all-natural, humanely raised on family farms, and free of antibiotics or added hormones. Their premium Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey line highlights birds that are free-range with access to pastures. The company also has a traceability program allowing consumers to enter a tracking code online to follow their specific turkey back to its original farm.

How Does Honeysuckle White Turkey Taste?

Flavor is subjective, but here’s an overview of what customers and experts are saying about how Honeysuckle White turkeys taste:

• Reviews praise the tender, juicy texture of the meat when properly cooked. Many highlight it as some of the most delicious turkey they’ve tried.

• The natural, minimal processing is said to produce a pleasant, subtly sweet turkey flavor rather than an overly strong taste.

• Some comments indicate Honeysuckle White can be slightly drier or blander versus competitor brands like Butterball. Proper roasting method impacts moisture level.

• A few criticize the flavor as not tasty enough compared to heritage turkeys. The mildness appeals to those who find some turkey too gamey.

• General consensus is the taste is very good, though not quite as robust as heirsloom varieties. Perfect for those wanting tender, juicy meat without an aggressive turkey flavor.

How Does Honeysuckle White Stack Up Against Other Brands?

Honeysuckle White is considered one of the top major brands, but how does it compare head-to-head against other popular options?

Honeysuckle White vs. Butterball – Butterball edges out Honeysuckle White in overall reputation, flavor, and welfare standards according to many customer reviews. However, Honeysuckle White wins points for its free-range whole birds and traceable sourcing back to family farms. Both are excellent choices.

Honeysuckle White vs. Jennie-O – These two brands are on par with each other for quality, taste, and ethical animal practices. Jennie-O has more size diversity for whole turkeys while Honeysuckle White offers the traceability advantage. It’s a toss up between the two.

Honeysuckle White vs. Shady Brook Farms – Shady Brook Farms is much smaller and not as widely available, but earns rave reviews for premium quality. However, Honeysuckle White provides strong competition, especially for a national brand.

Honeysuckle White vs. Store Brands – As expected, Honeysuckle White easily bests generic store brand turkeys in reputation, consistency, and raising standards. But store brands are cheaper, so they appeal for budget buyers. You get what you pay for.

Honeysuckle White Turkey Prices

Here’s a price overview for Honeysuckle White turkey products:

• Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey: $1.29-$1.59 per pound

• Honeysuckle White Turkey Breast: $3.99-$9.99 per pound

• Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey: $3.49-$4.99 per pound

Their pricing is competitive with other major brands sold at national grocery store chains. You’ll pay a small premium for the free-range whole birds compared to the standard Honeysuckle White turkeys. Given the quality and care put into raising the birds humanely, most agree it’s worth the extra cost, especially for holiday centerpieces.

How Honeysuckle White Turkeys Are Raised

Animal welfare is top of mind for many consumers today. Here’s a look at how Honeysuckle White produces their turkeys:

• The turkeys are raised on family farms located mainly in the Midwest and East Coast regions.

• They are fed a vegetarian diet of corn, soybean meal, vitamins, and minerals. Growth hormones and routine antibiotics are not used.

• The turkeys are free to roam in barns with access to fresh air and sunlight. Enrichment objects are provided.

• Once fully matured at 5-6 months, they are harvested. The company employs humane harvesting practices.

• Honeysuckle White meets the standards of Certified Humane and American Humane for turkey welfare, but is not officially certified under these programs.

• Their Whole Turkey line is free-range, allowing birds access to the outdoors on rotating pastures.

Overall, the brand prioritizes more natural, stress-free living conditions for their turkeys compared to conventionally raised birds. This does come at a higher cost to consumers, but ensures higher quality, humanely raised meat.

Pros and Cons of Honeysuckle White Turkey

Here’s a balanced look at some of the key benefits and downsides of choosing Honeysuckle White brand turkeys:

Pros

• Delicious flavor when properly cooked, according to most reviews

• Natural with no antibiotics or added hormones

• Free-range and pasture access for whole birds

• Traceability program allows you to track your turkey’s origin

• Reputable major brand with wide availability

• Competitively priced for the quality

Cons

• Inconsistent moisture levels depending on roasting

• Milder flavor profile not loved by all

• Not certified humane/organic (but meets basic standards)

• Smaller size diversity for whole birds than some brands

• Mixed feedback on taste compared to high-end specialty turkeys

Is Honeysuckle White Considered a Good Turkey Brand?

Given the decent flavor, traceable family farm sourcing, and natural practices, Honeysuckle White is generally regarded as one of the better mass-market turkey brands available today. While it may not match the taste and quality of premium heritage turkeys from specialty producers, it provides a tasty, humanely-raised option perfect for most family holiday meals.

The convenience, competitive pricing, and good flavor from a leading national brand with high food safety standards makes Honeysuckle White a smart choice for shoppers wanting quality without breaking the budget. We recommend trying their whole turkey line and buying when on sale leading up to the holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions About Honeysuckle White Turkey

Is Honeysuckle White organic?

No, their turkeys are not USDA certified organic, but are described as “natural”. Non-organic feed is used.

Are Honeysuckle White turkeys injected or brined?

Their whole turkeys contain up to 8% of a natural flavor solution to retain moisture. Many brands inject turkeys with a brine solution.

Where are Honeysuckle White turkeys raised?

They come primarily from select family farms in the Midwestern and Eastern U.S. states.

Are Honeysuckle White turkeys kosher?

Yes, they offer Empire Kosher whole turkeys that are certified kosher. Not all Honeysuckle White products are kosher, though.

What is the Honeysuckle White turkey traceability program?

It provides a code you can enter online to trace your specific turkey back to the family farm where it was raised. You can see details of that farm.

Is Honeysuckle White or Butterball turkey better?

Butterball tends to edge out Honeysuckle White slightly in terms of reputation, flavor, and animal welfare policy. But it’s ultimately subjective, as both are excellent turkey brands.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to widely available, high-quality turkeys with traceability from major brands, it’s hard to go wrong with Honeysuckle White. While it may not offer the absolute best tasting bird if you compare it to premium heritage breeds, it provides a delicious, humanely-raised turkey at a reasonable price point for most shoppers.