When it comes to holiday dining, turkey and ham are festive dishes to serve family and guests. But there's nothing merry about going from store to store, lugging a 25-pound bird to your car, in the middle of winter! Avoid the hassle and the hunt by buying your holiday groceries online. You can browse through numerous stores, buy online and have your main course delivered right to your door.

Grade-A, brand name turkeys are available at online grocers across the country. Lower grades are not generally sold online, so if you're looking for a utility bird or a less well-known brand you may have to head out to the store. Grocery Gateway and the PeachTree Network are popular choices that cover a wide residential area. More and more online grocers are popping up on the Web so be sure to check your local listings or do an online search for retailers serving your area.

Number crunching

Before you hit the Web you need to determine what size turkey or ham you need. How many guests are you expecting? What are their appetites like? Do you want leftovers? Generally you should account for 1.5 pounds (0.675 kilograms) of turkey per person. Remember, stuffed birds have a higher initial weight. For boneless hams figure on 0.5 pounds (0.225 kilograms) per person and 0.75 to 1 pound (0.325 to 0.450 kilograms) per person for bone-in hams.

Weighing in

As in brick and mortar stores, turkeys are sold by random weight online. Hams are usually sold on both a per unit price or by random weight depending on the brand. When buying online Jeff McMullen, VP of Perishables for Grocery Gateway http://www.grocerygateway.com/ recommends buying a ham or turkey on the larger side. "Stick to the ranges you find on the site," he says. Turkeys are broken down into 2-kilogram ranges. Smaller turkeys come about 3 to 5 kilos, right on up to 11 kilos or larger. Boneless hams can come as small as 1.5 pounds (0.675 kilograms) to 9-pound (4 kilo) whole hams and larger. It you are looking for an 8-kilo turkey and buy a turkey in the 7 to 9 kilo range, you may actually end up getting a bird closer to 7 kilos than 8, and less turkey than you wanted. It's better to get the next size up.

Oh the choices

Basted or non, fresh, frozen or stuffed? Boneless or bone-in? Ready-to-serve hams or fresh pork roasts? What you decide on is limited by your time, budget and proficiency in the kitchen. More convenience usually means more money. Keep in mind that different curing procedures will produce different tastes, so consult your recipe and menu before buying ready-to-serve meats.

"Avoid disappointment by getting your bird early, " recommends McMullen. He says frozen turkeys are available about 6 weeks in advance. Fresh birds on the other hand start selling approximately 2 weeks prior to Christmas. "If you see it online you are guaranteed to have that size," assures McMullen, "we are constantly updating out site based on available stock."

Don't forget to stock up on all your other holiday grocery needs while your online. There is usually a flat fee for delivery regardless of the order size, so take advantage of the savings and convenience.

Happy holidays!

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