Author Topic: Chicken grading  (Read 11629 times)

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Offline tnjimbob

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Chicken grading
« Reply #-1 on: August 06, 2013, 12:34:26 PM »
Rummm, thanks for your great information here on Ask A Butcher. I was wondering if there is a consumer recognizable grading system for chicken? I have seen a few things online, but they mostly relate to color, not a grading system. I know there probably aren't grades like choice & select are for beef, but something to go by when buying chicken would be helpful.
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Offline Rummm

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Re: Chicken grading
« on: August 06, 2013, 03:43:56 PM »
Rummm, thanks for your great information here on Ask A Butcher. I was wondering if there is a consumer recognizable grading system for chicken? I have seen a few things online, but they mostly relate to color, not a grading system. I know there probably aren't grades like choice & select are for beef, but something to go by when buying chicken would be helpful.

Chicken- Practically ALL chicken sold at retail level is Grade A. Chicken in this category will be firm, full breasted, meaty, no blemishes, no broken skin or broken bones. Grades B and C can have any or all of the defects listed above. As a rule, when supermarkets feature a loss leader item, such as .59 lb Leg Quarters, etc, they are Grade B or C and the grade label or may not even be labeled at all. If the word "blem" is mentioned, consider it B or C.

Same with turkeys and ducks
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Offline Pappymn

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Chicken grading
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2013, 08:03:20 PM »
For the record I like my women Grade A ???
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Offline tnjimbob

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Re: Chicken grading
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2013, 07:50:48 AM »
Rummm, thanks for the reply. Upon further review (a.k.a. scrolling further down the page  ::)), I found your meat grading post from a few months ago that included the chicken grading criteria.

Thanks for posting this. I was basically wondering if there was a difference between plain old chicken prepackaged from Kroger vs. organic, air chilled, free-range, holistic, blessed by Tibetan Monks and the Pope, etc. chicken. I have been buying chicken for competitions from a high end grocer, at a fairly good price, but still more expensive than what I can buy @ Kroger, and I was curious if there were any grading differences between the two that would justify the extra cost.
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Char Broil SRG
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Offline Rummm

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Re: Chicken grading
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2013, 08:22:20 AM »
The cost in raising a "regular" store bought chicken vs. organic, etc, is substantial and will reflect in the retail price, as these chickens are fed a vegetable grain diet. They have not been given any chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics. They are killed, hand plucked and gutted. Then hung up and spray rinsed and air dried or chilled. They don't come in contact with water again.

A little more on the Air Chilling process……during the traditional water-chilling process, chickens are slaughtered, cleaned, inspected, and the carcasses are immersed in often-chlorinated water below 40° F. The chickens are moved by paddles through the chill tank from 45 minutes to an hour to bring down their internal temperature to 40° F. After the optimum temperature is reached, the birds are pushed out of the tank and onto a shake table — and then to a drip line to shed excess water that was absorbed during the cooling process. Finally, the chickens are either packed whole or cut up into pieces.

In air chilling, chickens are suspended or sent by conveyor through two large chilling chambers and blasted with icy air. The first chamber reduces about 75 percent of the bird’s heat. The second chamber balances the 32° F to 34° F degree range.

A study by the University of Nebraska relays that air-chilled chicken have bacteria counts up to 80-percent lower than water-chilled chickens, extending its shelf life. Water-chilled chicken has whiter skin and a juicier flesh; air-chilled chicken has creamy-looking skin, a firmer texture, and shrinks less when cooked. Both chickens contain the same nutritional value.

Here is a good link to the types of chicken offered in the stores, markets, etc.........
http://localfoods.about.com/od/poultryrecipes/tp/Types-Chicken.htm
« Last Edit: August 07, 2013, 08:37:13 AM by Rummm »
"Culture is what your butcher would have if he were a surgeon.''

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