What is a Diestel Turkey? The Complete Guide to This Premium Bird

As the centerpiece of many holiday meals and a lean, tasty protein, turkey holds an important place at the table for many families. But not all turkeys are created equal. If you want a turkey that lives up to its billing as the star of the show, Diestel turkey is a name you can trust.

Diestel Family Ranch has been raising turkeys in California since 1949. Over the past 70+ years, we’ve stayed committed to our founding values of quality, care, and taste. We raise our turkeys on our family-owned ranch, without compromising on how the birds are treated or what goes into their feed. The result is a premium turkey packed with old-fashioned flavor.

Here’s a complete overview of what makes Diestel turkeys special how they’re raised, and why they taste so good

What Makes Diestel Turkeys Different?

There are a few key things that set Diestel turkeys apart from typical supermarket birds

• Heritage Breeds – Diestel turkeys come from heritage breeds selected for their ability to thrive in a natural setting and deliver exceptional taste. Common heritage breeds we use include Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Standard Bronze, and Black Spanish.

• Pasture-Raised – Our turkeys live outdoors with plentiful space to roam on rotating pastures. They get fresh air, sunshine, and exercise as nature intended.

• Vegetarian Diet – Diestel turkeys eat a vegetarian diet free of animal by-products, antibiotics, and artificial ingredients. Their feed consists of corn, soy, and essential vitamins and minerals.

• Step 5 Animal Welfare – Diestel Farm is GAP Step 5 certified, the highest level of animal welfare standards. Our turkeys are humanely raised from hatch to harvest.

• No Compromises – We never cut corners or compromise our values regarding how the birds are treated, what they’re fed, or anything else. We make the right choices for our turkeys, customers, and land.

How Diestel Turkeys Are Raised

From the time they hatch until they’re ready for harvest, our turkeys live pretty pampered lives! Here’s a look at how we raise them on our family farm:

• Hatching – Our turkeys hatch from eggs in a special facility with carefully controlled conditions. Turkey poults (babies) need extra care and protection when they’re just a day old.

• Brooder Barns – For the first 4 weeks, poults live together in spacious, temperature-controlled barns lined with soft pine shavings. They have constant access to feed and water.

• Pasture Time – Around 5 weeks old, turkeys move to open-air shelters and pastures. They spend their days interacting, foraging, and exercising.

• Pecking Perches – Enrichment like naturally growing pecking perches and natural light promote natural turkey behaviors. Our barns are thoughtfully designed with the birds’ well-being in mind.

• Fresh Air & Sunshine – Turkeys thrive outdoors with plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and space. We rotate pastures to provide the best quality grass.

• Vegetarian Diet – Our custom feed is plant-based, with no animal by-products or artificial chemicals. We supplement with vitamins and probiotics for optimal nutrition.

• Humane Care – Expert handlers treat the birds with care and respect throughout the process. We harvest them as humanely as possible.

Why Does Diestel Turkey Taste So Good?

After learning about how much we invest in our turkeys’ welfare, you may be wondering: what does all this mean for flavor? In short, our turkeys taste delicious because of the way we raise them.

Here are some of the biggest reasons our turkeys deliver unbeatable old-fashioned flavor:

• Heritage Breeds – Heritage breeds have more flavor in their genes after centuries of selection compared to commercial breeds. You can taste the difference.

• Pasture Access – Free-ranging turkeys develop more muscle tone and rich flavor compared to confined birds.

• Balanced Diet – Our custom vegetarian feed provides the perfect nutrition for juicy, tender turkey meat. There are no unwanted additives.

• Low Stress – When turkeys live in low-stress conditions, it positively impacts flavor. Our humane handling prevents abnormal pH.

• Hand Selection – We hand select the best looking birds to become Diestel turkeys. Only those that meet our premium quality standards make the cut.

• Artisan Preparation – We use minimal natural seasonings and old-world smoking methods. It’s just real, rich turkey taste from start to finish.

Choosing Your Diestel Turkey

As a premium bird sold directly by the farm that raised it, Diestel turkeys command a higher price than typical grocery store brands. But you certainly get what you pay for in terms of quality and taste.

Here are some tips for selecting the right Diestel turkey for your holiday meal or everyday enjoyment:

• Whole Birds – Pick a whole turkey if you want to roast or smoke the entire bird. Diestel offers heritage breed turkeys from 10 to 24 pounds. Choose a 1-2 pound bird per person.

• Turkey Parts – For easy meals, choose bone-in or boneless turkey breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, tenderloins, etc. Parts are more versatile for weeknight cooking.

• Deli Meats – Try quality Diestel deli meats like smoked turkey, oven-roasted turkey, or turkey pastrami for sandwiches, charcuterie boards, salads, and wraps.

• Ground Turkey – Our juicy ground turkey made from whole muscle meat is perfect for burgers, meatballs, chili, and more. Try it in any ground beef recipe.

• Sausage & Hot Dogs – For flavorful plant-based protein, Diestel makes sausage, kielbasa, and hot dogs in a variety of savory flavors.

Cooking Your Diestel Turkey

One of the joys of cooking quality meat is that you don’t have to do much to make it taste incredible. Here are some tips:

• Season Simply – A simple olive oil rub with herbs and spices is enough to let the flavor shine. Avoid complicated marinades.

• Cook Low & Slow – For maximum juiciness, roast the turkey at a lower temp, around 325°F, allowing plenty of time to cook through.

• Rest & Savor – Let the turkey rest 15-30 minutes before carving so juices can absorb back into the meat. The flavor is at its peak!

However you choose to prepare your Diestel turkey, you can trust it will be moist, delicious, and the star of the meal when you start with a premium bird. Our turkeys truly capture the rich, nostalgic flavor so many of us crave.

Experience the Diestel Difference

From our heritage breed turkeys to humane animal welfare to artisan handcrafted products, everything we do at Diestel Family Ranch is focused on delivering the best possible eating experience. We’re committed to keeping our family farm values strong and continually improving how we raise turkeys and craft premium meat.

Next time you’re shopping for a special turkey, look for the Diestel brand to enjoy the hands-down best taste. We think you’ll find our turkeys are worth every penny, with an old-fashioned flavor sure to make new family traditions. When you serve a Diestel turkey, you’re getting the absolute best.