Eating geese, does age matter?

[cassiadawn]

I picked up a few Embden cross geese at an auction last month, and we're considering processing one of the ganders soon. No idea how old they are, but the goose laid some eggs, and the ganders were both trying to mate with her, so they're sexually mature at least.

Will the gander still be good for roasting? Or are geese like chickens, with the older birds being tougher and better suited to stewing?

 

[dancingbear]

I've never raised geese to eat, so I'm not much help, but when I read your thread title, "Eating geese, does age matter?", my first thought was, "Well, as long as you have teeth to chew them...."

 

[gogoalie]

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[uhuh555]

14 to 16 weeks is the ideal age; younger they are mostly bones; older they get tougher with each week of age.

 

[al6517]

Not so much with geese compared to chickens, But I make goose jerky out of the wild ones I take during hunting season and they all taste fine. Keep in mind if your only so-so in the kitchen and be honest, then perhaps an easy recipe is best.

AL

 

[cassiadawn]

Thanks for the advise. I may brine the goose, just to be on the safe side, but either way I'll likely try roasting it and see how that turns out.

 

[al6517]

Wrap it in a fat netting before roasting you can get them at any decent grocer, this will help keep the roasted bird from drying out due to it's lack of fat.

AL

 

[dancingbear]

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I've never seen a fat netting, anywhere, at any grocer. Haven't heard of one before. Can you post a pic? Sounds like a cool thing to try.

 

[ultasol]

try dry aging it. It makes the skin inedible but four or five days in the fridge dry makes a delicious tender older goose.

 

[al6517]

This what Fat netting or also called Caul fat looks like. wrap the goose meat with this, it shrinks slightly to adhere to the meat and adds the much needed flavor and more importantly keeps it from drying out. this works very well.

AL