General Chat Thread II

Mollyb60

I'm not a major fan of thigh meat but I'll maybe give them another go. The NI tesco only has a single option for a free range breast so it looks like I'll just have to brave the butcher with my face mask for decent quality breasts!

The Nal

rubadub wrote: »

In robbe's link it showed this affected breast meat. I am guessing you might be just getting chicken fillets. Maybe try swopping to thigh fillets which are becoming more available in shops nowadays.

I noticed the flavoured/marinated ones are cheaper than the plain ones in tesco.

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=thigh%20fillets

It can effect the legs too though

https://thepoultrysite.com/articles/why-does-woody-breast-still-have-the-industry-stumped#:~:text=While%20the%20condition%20can%20be,to%20disrupt%20the%20supply%20chain.&text=Lesions%20indicative%20of%20woody%20breast,the%20typical%20modern%20broiler%20chicken.


going by that smaller fillets might be better. The ones butchers have in those 10 for 10 deals are usually small.

As per above article - "Studying woody breasts under a microscope, the Aviagen team has found muscle-fibre degeneration".

Doesn't happen with proper free range chickens as they have access to open air and develop a lot better. We're lucky enough to have a lot of great options in Ireland.

Heres a battery chicken on the left and the same chicken after 12 weeks of free range living.

odyssey06

The Nal wrote: »

As per above article - "Studying woody breasts under a microscope, the Aviagen team has found muscle-fibre degeneration".
Doesn't happen with proper free range chickens as they have access to open air and develop a lot better. We're lucky enough to have a lot of great options in Ireland.

It may well be that free range birds aren't affected but the article doesn't mention anything about free range - it links it to:
In the laboratory, the condition can be detected in chicks as young as a week old, which suggests the problem might be genetic, says Dr John Glisson, vice president of research at the US Poultry & Egg Association. The condition seems to be associated with vascular problems in the birds.
&
"Selecting genes for growth and yield has caused breeders to inadvertently select for woody breast
&
A report by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware confirmed the condition seemed to affect chickens growing faster on the growth curve than other birds. Heavier birds at one week old were more likely to have a predisposition to develop the condition.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

It may well be that free range birds aren't affected but the article doesn't mention anything about free range - it links it to:
In the laboratory, the condition can be detected in chicks as young as a week old, which suggests the problem might be genetic, says Dr John Glisson, vice president of research at the US Poultry & Egg Association. The condition seems to be associated with vascular problems in the birds.
&
"Selecting genes for growth and yield has caused breeders to inadvertently select for woody breast
&
A report by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware confirmed the condition seemed to affect chickens growing faster on the growth curve than other birds. Heavier birds at one week old were more likely to have a predisposition to develop the condition.

The article is about American chickens then, very different laws compared to ours.

Mollyb60

If the chicken is in this bad a state now with EU regulations I am terrified what it'll be like if we get a bad Brexit and they start importing US chickens.

tangy

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Obviously this is in lieu of just going to a butcher for better quality chicken, but any ideas?

Maybe try switching to turkey breast?

L1011

Does anyone know of a decent set of videos on knife skills?

Mine are beyond abysmal - I've dyspraxia which doesn't help, but I can't dice veg or even get consistent slices really. Used to use some dicer style devices but they break after not very long (you put a huge amount of pressure to push half an onion through) and IKEAs jar choppers create weird stringy shapes.

I have good knifes and sharpening kit (my fathers dad was a commercial boat builder and my mother's parental side were butchers so both granddads were obsessed with sharp knifes!) so no ability to try blame the tools

beertons

Kids are strange. Baby potatoes, roasted, eh no thanks.

But coat them in butter, ground cumin, ground coriander, celery salt, onion granules, and garlic powder, they're licking the tray I baked them in.

I think I need to go back to work.

Gloomtastic!

beertons wrote: »

Kids are strange. Baby potatoes, roasted, eh no thanks.

But coat them in butter, ground cumin, ground coriander, celery salt, onion granules, and garlic powder, they're licking the tray I baked them in.

I think I need to go back to work.

Yeah, still can't figure out how kids decide what they like and don't like. They do get slightly better as they grow older but only slightly! :rolleyes:

Spon Farmer

I've googled this a few times but I only find people with the same question and no solution.

Is there a way to cleanly and neatly remove the transparent film for both plastic and foil trays on food packages?

I was just opening a Cully & Sully herb pie. No way it would peel off and I even put it in the oven for a minute.

All packages are impossible and it says the instructions to peel, not cut.

Just something I need to know.:rolleyes:

fryup

Jam - what's best to make jam set...gelatine, pectin something else?

the beer revolu

Spon Farmer wrote: »

I've googled this a few times but I only find people with the same question and no solution.

Is there a way to cleanly and neatly remove the transparent film for both plastic and foil trays on food packages?

I was just opening a Cully & Sully herb pie. No way it would peel off and I even put it in the oven for a minute.

All packages are impossible and it says the instructions to peel, not cut.

Just something I need to know.:rolleyes:

There's usually one corner designed to pull from.

New Home

fryup wrote: »

Jam - what's best to make jam set...gelatine, pectin something else?

Pectin.

phormium

A lot of jams set with just the sugar as they have enough pectin themselves unless of course you're making some sort of an uncooked or low sugar one. If you need extra pectin the jam sugar is handy as it's already added.

New Home

Or apple cores or the peel of a citrus fruit (incl. the white part) wrapped and tied into a muslin, or a chunk of quince.

RasTa

https://twitter.com/higginsbutchers/status/1276868851158974464

I see that sold out in an hour. Would anyone pay it?

Dial Hard

RasTa wrote: »

https://twitter.com/higginsbutchers/status/1276868851158974464

I see that sold out in an hour. Would anyone pay it?

I think you've just answered your own question.

RasTa

Dial Hard wrote: »

I think you've just answered your own question.

I'm talking about normal people.

Spon Farmer

RasTa wrote: »

I'm talking about normal people.

Who is normal?

Spon Farmer

the beer revolu wrote: »

There's usually one corner designed to pull from.

Yes they always have that but most times the film just will not peel

Lady Haywire

Spon Farmer wrote: »

Yes they always that but most times the film just will not peel

Then just pierce it with a knife & pull it off in pieces?

Spon Farmer

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Then just pierce it with a knife & pull it off in pieces?

Why would you bother to respond to a question you have not bothered to read?

Lady Haywire

Spon Farmer wrote: »

Why would you bother to respond to a question you have not bothered to read?

I did read the question, but I can't see why you wouldn't just cut it. It's removing it either way. Cutting it doesn't automatically poison the tray the food is in.

Spon Farmer

Lady Haywire wrote: »

I did read the question, but I can't see why you wouldn't just cut it. It's removing it either way. Cutting it doesn't automatically poison the tray the food is in.

Are you sure you read my original post?

Because you clearly don't get what I'm asking. And I don't know why it all bothers you you so much.

Lady Haywire

Spon Farmer wrote: »

Are you sure you read my original post?

Because you clearly don't get what I'm asking. And I don't know why it all bothers you you so much.

I merely asked why you wouldn't just cut it. Most people would do just that if it didn't peel, like a lot of them don't.

Gloomtastic!

I was in Higgins on Friday. Amazing place. €6 for two sausages is all I could afford. (They were large sausages mind)

Dizzyblonde

fryup wrote: »

Jam - what's best to make jam set...gelatine, pectin something else?

You definitely need pectin, and if the fruit doesn't have plenty you'll need jam sugar. I was actually out hunting some down this morning - Dunnes and Supervalu didn't have any but I eventually got it in Tesco.
I made raspberry jelly rather than jam because the seeds in jam drive me nuts.

Spon Farmer

Lady Haywire wrote: »

I merely asked why you wouldn't just cut it. Most people would do just that if it didn't peel, like a lot of them don't.

Read the post.

Lady Haywire

Spon Farmer wrote: »

I've googled this a few times but I only find people with the same question and no solution.

Is there a way to cleanly and neatly remove the transparent film for both plastic and foil trays on food packages?

I was just opening a Cully & Sully herb pie. No way it would peel off and I even put it in the oven for a minute.

All packages are impossible and it says the instructions to peel, not cut.

Just something I need to know.:rolleyes:

Spon Farmer wrote: »

Read the post.

So you refuse to cut it off because the instructions say to peel it off? I'm really not understanding your reasoning here or am I missing something.

New Home

It's the same as "resealable" packs that aren't.