Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[BarnGoddess01]

WHile I understand the sentiments of anti-commerical production, we are already short on producing enough food for ourselves and the world. WOrld wide, meat protein is the most lacking in diets. When you look at the foods provided via food pantries, these are canned and dried goods and Not fresh meats and vegetables and fruits. THose people, usually families, most desperately in need are getting the poorest of foods, foods which are almost barren of nutrients.

Commerical facilites provide chicken at a very low cost, far lower than I can put chicken in the freezer. THe cost to produce a pound of meat is very efficient. I would love to see more people raising chicken and planting vegetable gardens, like the old Victory gardens, to supplement the food supply.

Sorry this is a subject dear to my heart as I have seen what children eat for snack and lunch in school, both provided by schools and from home.

Sorry Bob, for the off subject talk; I am all for heritage birds to fill our freezers!! Mine is full of 47 cckls and culled pullets. That will keep up in chicken for a short while--we eat a lot of chicken!! Yum- yum. ANd turkey all year long.

I am not foolish enough to think there is no market for "commercial" production. Human beings, like chickens, are meat eaters and there are a lot of us. BUT - I would eat my own culls from the backyard before I would resort to "commerical" birds and I would teach that to my children - even if the backyard birds had names. And I would teach that to my children too.

(Sorry for totally hijacking your thread .... )

 

[Arielle]

Barn Goddess, I certainly did not mean to imply you are foolish, far from it, I'm sorry I sounded that way. I have great respect for your input. Home grown birds are far more tasty than the commerical birds IMO unless they are they the hot and ready- to- eat pre-seasoned ones from Shaws!

I am planning to put two bourbon reds in the freezer for Christmas dinner and my birthday!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Barngoddess,

What is that bird in your profile picture?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Barngoddess,

What is that bird in your profile picture?

He is a white Silkie, my boy Elliot, not very happy with me - wrapped in a towel, just after a bath and before the blow drier.

 

[Lacy Blues]

OH!

I didn't see his eye under there. I had to enlarge it. His comb looked like a dark top of the head and the white looked like a fringe of feathers around the back of his head.



Good thing we can enlarge these things!

Can you see it the way I describe it? Just imagine the eye is not there and that the comb is the top of the head. Ha! I can't believe how blind I am!

This is something like the wire-haired griffin we were discussing not too long ago!

 

[desertmarcy]

 Home grown birds are far more tasty than the commerical birds IMO unless they are they the hot and ready- to- eat pre-seasoned ones from Shaws!    I am planning to put two bourbon reds in the freezer for Christmas dinner and my birthday!

Home grown birds ARE tastier. I think mostly because they usually are older, grown longer. The commercial birds grown so fast and are butchered so young, their meat never has time to develop flavor. I brined overnight 2 young Blue Slate turkeys that I culled last year and cooked them in an oven bag. They came out great---lots of flavor, meat falling off the bone tender. The brining process was a bit of a bother, but it sure is worth it. This should work well for older heritage cockerels too--brine then slow, moist heat.

 

[Arielle]

I haven't brined-- I find the meat and juices to be too salty already!! WOnderful that poultry can be served in limitless ways.

I raised 8 BBW last year and we dined all year on them. ANd 6 geese. NOt much meat there! Still yummy though. Have yet to eat our own bourbon reds . . . . first group I raised became pets: hens to the breeding shed and the three muskateers tour the farm and entertain visitors. LOL THe next group are not so special and will become dinner.

I eat low carb, so that means I eat a little more meat than most people. Turkey soup . . . . chicken soup . . . ..ummmm. Love the texture, I fell like I'm actively eating; the young birds from the grocery store are very tender and soft. I prefer the less tender meat usually. THough I can't say I have ever turned down any meat.

 

[DMRippy]

I haven't brined-- I find the meat and juices to be too salty already!! WOnderful that poultry can be served in limitless ways.

I raised 8 BBW last year and we dined all year on them. ANd 6 geese. NOt much meat there! Still yummy though. Have yet to eat our own bourbon reds . . . . first group I raised became pets: hens to the breeding shed and the three muskateers tour the farm and entertain visitors. LOL THe next group are not so special and will become dinner.

I eat low carb, so that means I eat a little more meat than most people. Turkey soup . . . . chicken soup . . . ..ummmm. Love the texture, I fell like I'm actively eating; the young birds from the grocery store are very tender and soft. I prefer the less tender meat usually. THough I can't say I have ever turned down any meat.

I have never found my turkey to be salty after a brine. I use kosher salt and sugar in equal amounts... usually 1 cup each and some juice like orange juice and cranberry juice but really ANY kind will work. I don't add any salt after the brine though but it is flavored all the way through.

Maybe you don't use much salt.... my mother was married to a man that had heart issues and we cut our salt WAY back and found thing too salty for a long time after she dumped him.

 

[Arielle]

Hi DOnna,

Love your brine. I can't use juices and sugar, but it sounds delicious. Maybe I do use less salt than most, I don't know, I put salt on most every thing. A little salt makes everything better!! I choose to not eat sugar and juice to prevent heart issues, and eat mostly meat and vegies, so I can have my salt. LOL Your brining methods gives me other ideas for infusing flavors though like using oranges or cranberries . . . my mind is spinning with new ideas!! Always need more recipes with chicken and turkey on the menu several times a week. Maybe I should just say 7 days a week. lol

Looking forward to turning todays roasted turkey into soup tomorrow. I have lots of big stock pots.

 

[DMRippy]

Hi DOnna,

Love your brine. I can't use juices and sugar, but it sounds delicious. Maybe I do use less salt than most, I don't know, I put salt on most every thing. A little salt makes everything better!! I choose to not eat sugar and juice to prevent heart issues, and eat mostly meat and vegies, so I can have my salt. LOL Your brining methods gives me other ideas for infusing flavors though like using oranges or cranberries . . . my mind is spinning with new ideas!! Always need more recipes with chicken and turkey on the menu several times a week. Maybe I should just say 7 days a week. lol

Looking forward to turning todays roasted turkey into soup tomorrow. I have lots of big stock pots.

Pot pies.....

I don't have any left overs we ate out and at families.

A brine is really a mix of salt and sugar. If you just use salt..... it might be TOO salty

I add all kinds of stuff... pepper, rosemary, thyme really anything you like. I usually soak for several days.