Topic: Chickens

[tim]

Shame that HFW lost his case with Tesco's shareholders.

[skintnbitter]

Hi

I have been following HFW through out his campain. In my opinion the only way to stop the intensive farming is for the public to vote with their feet so to speak.  We as members of the public have created a demand for such cheap meat / eggs, we cannot blame the supermarkets / retailers entirely as at the end of the day they are profit making organisations. At the end of the day the supermarkets / retailers are only supplying what we the public demand.

To be honest apart for breading your own you will never know if your meat / eggs are free range or not.  I actually purchased some eggs from my market a few months ago with a hand written sign saying free range.  When I got them home just happened to check the stamp on the eggs and discovered they were 'Barn Eggs' not free range as advertised!  To be honest you here so many stories that chicken is been sold as free range and it turns out not to be -Who do you trust?

For the amount of chicken I eat or should say don't eat, I would be quite happy to never eat chicken again!

[calendula]

Shame that HFW lost his case with Tesco's shareholders.

I'd say the shame is on tesco's and all the other supermarkets that sell cheap and nasty food - I know there's been lots of chat about this topic and it takes not only celebrities to do the work for us. It can't be any fun scraping to buy enough food but cheap doesn't have to be nasty.

I do blame the supermarkets because they are ones who sell it to us first off

I like HFW  :)

[Brogusblue]

Hello

I am a tight budget every week as i only get me & mum's benefits but we never eat cheap chicken or meat in general what we do is get the best but larger so it feeds us for 2-3 days at a time like this weekend i purchased a free range chicken i will last us the weekend for next week i have hereford mince and stewing steak and as well as a large beef roasting joint for next weekend and the leftovers to be minced or sandwiches.

I do blame the supermarkets for selling us these poor chickens especially tesco they seems so greedy in what they do, I had to nipped to town and asda this morning and this weekend have 50p bargains it was packed in there people fighting over stuff sorry but this is silly, I mainly do my shopping online since my shoulder injury i shop at ocado (waitrose) or i will go to my local farm shops for local produce

Reading various papers and the internet Hugh had no chance of beating Tesco, But he brought it to the public's attention what they are eating, I don't if anyone saw river cottage spring he said on there that a cheap bird has more fat than a free range bird this due to the the growing time and the environment.

Cheers
Brogusblue

[skintnbitter]

Hi Brougusblue

I too have been watching HFW, great fan of his.

I too watched the show when they tested the three different chickens.  It is quite shocking what is actually in our food.  I also heard once that cheap chicken breast also have a high water content some how??? not sure how true this is?? so that they weigh more which inturn as customers we may more for the meat!

Hugh also made a good point a couple of years ago as to why our meat is probably not hung at all or for long as it should be, because when meat is hung properly it looses weight.  Therefore the retailers / butchers etc are loosing out on charging us for water / moisture content that is naturally found within the meat. Hope this make sense.

Cheers
 

[Brogusblue]

Hello

I think hugh is great i love watching all his program's like cook on the wild side, river cottage, Treats from edwardian house, Wild gormets some of stuff he cooks yuk like road kill and even a human placenta  :o :o but it proves you can most things, River Cottage had some great moments like the puff mushrooms, villiage vegetable show and others.

In all fairness he has a lot of flack over this and also jamie oliver but people really don't care where there meat comes from belong's its cheap.

Cheers
Brogusblue

[skintnbitter]

Hi Brogusble

Don't get me started on this one!!!

Tell me about it, I live with one!

He thinks meat comes shrink wrapped!

I have cleaned quite a few pheasants in my time - as they don't normally come shrinked wrapped! and he has had to leave the room/house.  To be honest he is the last person I would want to be stranded with, he acts like a Neanderthal but he is certainly no hunter gatherer.

Please note anyone reading this post my reference to a 'Neanderthal Man' is only referring to my partner NOT the male population!

As mentioned in my previous post, we don't really know where our meat / produce is coming from! and if i sit and think about it, I find it scary.

Sarah

[tim]

HFW - just wish he'd wash his hair?

[grannyjanny]

I read a book recently called We Want Real Food. It was fascinating & charted how food has changed, the reasons & causes, going back to the 50s. It certainly made us think about it.
Well worth a read.
Janet.

[robkb]

I read a book recently called We Want Real Food. It was fascinating & charted how food has changed, the reasons & causes, going back to the 50s. It certainly made us think about it.
Well worth a read.
Janet.

I nearly bought that the other day. So you'd recommend it?

And yes Tim, it's a huge (but not entirely unexpected) shame that HFW lost his vote. Although putting a positive spin on it, it seems nearly 20% of voters went against Tesco's - 10% for Hugh and 10% abstaining.

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[Mr Smith]

I thought the programme on TV this week about farming was excellent by John Docherty,  the chap that had  the Turkeys running free range was brill, also  the Collie dogs keeping stag over the Turkeys to keep 'Reynard' a length was brill  :)

[Froglegs]

And that's what you call a glasshouse,30FT tall toms.

[grawrc]

I've recently decided to go down the organic/ free range route entirely. I was already halfway there but now just buy organic going to our local farm in preference to Tesco and the big guys.

It costs more so we'll have to eat less meat and more veg. I have a glut at the moment so I'm toying with buying another freezer to go out in the shed so I can stockpile produce for the leaner times.

I'm also looking for a good book on freezing and another on preserving in general. Any favourites?

[ceres]

My very favourite prsserving book is "500 Recipes Jams Pickles Chutneys" by Marguerite Patten.  I bought it @1977 for 60p and it's my bible.  It also covers preserves, fruit cheeses, jellies, marmalades, conserves, fruit curds, ketchups, fruit sauces and syrups, glace and crystallised fruit, diabetic preserves, relishes, savoury butters, flavoured vinegars, bottling fruit and veg etc. etc.  The recipes are ridiculously simple and easy to follow and there are recipes for every fruit/veg and combinations.

I had a quick google and found it here:

http://www.bookfinder4u.co.uk/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=0600352099&mode=direct   

[manicscousers]

I really like oded schwartz, he has some whacky ideas, preserved meat, salting fish, I just can't fault his recipes  ;D

[grawrc]

Thank you for those suggestions. And sorry for apparently highjacking this thread.

I seem to remember, and no doubt others of my vintage will too, that way back when I was a child, chicken was a special occasions meal for most folk. Also people, in general, ate much less meat than they do today and it lasted far longer. Hungry youngsters ate potatoes and vegetables far more than anything else. Puddings were for Sundays. Pizza was unheard of as was McDonalds and fastfood restaurants in general. People didn't eat out except for special occasions. Wine was only for very special occasions and was more likely to be a small - and I mean small - sherry. Women didn't go to pubs and, if they did, they were accompanied by a man.

I could go on.

Battery chickens, booze drinking, obesity .. I think there is a link here. The need to have now everything that one might want rather than saving up for it and savouring it on the rare occasion?? A little austerity would probably do us all good!

My edit was the Freudian slip - calling McDonalds etc fatfood restaurants.

[Carol]

I have changed to buying/eating only free range or organic chicken.  I buy 2 big breasts of chicken from our local butcher at just under £4 and it turns out they are much cheaper than the supermarket chicken breasts and I get more than enough for 3 meals. 

 :)