What To Look For When Buying Chicken

Choosing Chicken Wisely – Looks Are Everything

When buying and cooking chicken and other poultry, there are always a few questions that come up over and over. You may be an expert at choosing the perfect chicken for cooking, but still have some issues when you cook your bird. Or, you may have excellent results when your chicken comes out of the oven, but you're always puzzled about the quality of the bird when you buy it.

Before people bought chicken out of a large bin in a grocery store, they were buying from a farmer. In some ways it was easier since the farmer would give you a chicken and you just bought it. Now, you dig through the piles and piles of chicken in the grocery store and wonder; "Is this one good, or is that one better?"
To help clear up the confusion, let's take a look at a few common concerns when it comes to choosing and cooking a chicken.

Color of Raw Poultry

When you walk up to the meat department, the overall color is the first thing you notice. You will find a color variance from white to yellow, even with hints of blue. These colors are all normal and are influenced by the age of the chicken, the breed, the exercise the chicken got, as well as the feed the bird ate. For instance, a young bird will have less fat, which would mean the bird is more blue than yellow in color. A very active bird, one who gets a lot of exercise, will tend to be darker in color.

Color of Raw Ground Poultry

If you buy ground chicken often, you'll notice the products don't always look the same. If the ground chicken looks very white, it probably contains more white meat along with skin. If the ground chicken is pink, it probably contains more dark meat and less skin. As long as the product is all meat, skin, and fat, the ground chicken is acceptable for sale. Much of the packaging today will also list the percentage fat content, which could help explain the color.

Color Changes in Raw Poultry
 

As we see, there are many reasons why chicken might be slightly different in coloration. The meat's color depends in part on the age, sex, feed, and exercise. Color changes are likely to occur in packaged poultry even when it's still fresh. Exposure to light and temperature changes can produce a slight color change. However, if this color change is also accompanied by an off odor, or a sticky or slimy feel, then the product is spoiled.

Color Changes in Frozen Poultry

When that poultry hits the freezer, changes naturally occur in the fibers. As a result, you can expect some color changes in the poultry. However, if you see white patches that resemble cooked chicken, it's freezer burn. This is still safe to cook and eat, but the area will be dried out and chewy. Trim away the freezer burned patches before cooking the frozen chicken. It will give you better results.

Color Seepage in Cooked Poultry

Even the best looking roasting chicken in the meat department can surprise you when it comes out of the oven. If you've ever had darkening or red 'seepage' around the bones of your roasted chicken, you know what I mean.  Don't fret. This does not mean your bird is dangerous or unhealthy. It means you have purchased a young bird who's bones have not hardened (calcified) completely.

  The pigment from the bone marrow seeps out of the thin bone and into the surrounding area, leaving a darkened or reddish tinge to the meat and bones. It doesn't look too appetizing, but it's safe to eat.  Always check a chicken with bones for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken. If you see 165 degrees, the chicken is done, regardless of how it looks.

The perfect chicken is a chicken that is fresh and suits your family. If it's blue tinged or yellow tinged, that means it's young or old, or perhaps has eaten some feed that colored the tissue. Ground chicken may have a larger percentage of white meat in it if it is pale, and more dark meat if it is pink. Darkening around the bones of your cooked chicken could mean you bought a young chicken.  Take all these things into consideration, then go ahead and cook your bird and enjoy!