When I can buy fresh turkeys on sale, I buy a number of them. Before freezing, I separate the whole breast and freeze it separately from the legs and thighs which I use for stocks and soups.

I make several turkeys a year, and not just for holidays. I LOVE turkey. We eat the normal turkey dinner the first night. Some of the meat is turned into sandwiches a few days later. Most of the meat is cut in chunks and frozen for use in casseroles etc. The bones are cut up and simmered with carrots/onions/celery etc. to make stock. I even freeze leftover gravy to have on hand. Instand mashed potatoes taste better with real gravy ROFL. If you don't want the fuss of stuffing, you can roast the turkey unstuffed for a regular dinner. But we like the stuffing.

As far as the ham, spiral sliced are normally kind of lean and easy to work with (you could separate the slices and freeze some sliced, some cubed etc.) but usually it has a sweet glaze on it that might not be good in some recipes. Check it before you buy it.

Fresh ham is not smoked or cured, so you are buying the equivalent of a ham shaped pork roast. You could roast it for a dinner, then simmer any leftover meat with the bone until you can shred it with a fork. That is good in tortillas, casseroles, etc.

Shank ham is usually fattier, and has a bone. You could cook it for a dinner, then use the leftover meat and the bone in soup (bean soup for example).

Hope this helps a little!

{{gwi:336191}}

I love the fresh pork because they are not expensive and can be used in so many ways. We have market specials here often on them. I buy them, roast them, have roast the first night and all that is left is divided into packages for everything from soup, barbecue, fried rice, stew, stir fry, sandwiches, in casseroles etc...there is just no end of the ways you can use them....