Four steps to choosing the perfect supermarket chicken
Going to the grocery store to choose a pack
of chicken can be daunting. There are so many choices available, but which one
is best?
Buying a pack of chicken for an evening braai can be a minefield. We’ve all bought a pack of chicken before that had more skin and fat than actual chicken or wasn’t as fresh as the packaging promised.
Here we give you a few tips on picking the best pack for you and your family, and what you should be looking out for:
Check the date
The first thing you need to do is check the sell by date on the chicken. Make sure the date hasn’t passed and try and get a pack with a date in the future. Some shops also display a packing date on their chicken packs, so you’ll know how long that pack has been in their fridges. If you’re not going to cook the chicken immediately, make sure the date lasts till when you plan on cooking it.
Colour matters
The colour of your chicken matters when you’re trying to pick the best one. Look for chicken flesh that has a light pink colour. The older the chicken, the duller and grey it becomes. When buying Riversmead Farm chicken, expect a warm yellow colour rather than pink. This is because of their more natural, less refined diet of milled yellow corn. Fat on the chicken should be white to deep yellow in colour.
Judge by touch
Give your chicken a light squeeze to test it before buying it. Fresh chicken should be firm and will have some spring in the flesh, so it should pop back to its original position. If the chicken is hard or soft and doesn’t spring back into its original position, don’t buy it. It’s probably a bit stale.
Check for blood
Have a look at the cut part of the chicken pieces and check for any blood. If you see blood, the chicken is not as fresh as you’d like it to be. It could also mean that the meat has previously been frozen and thawed.
Riversmead Farm chickens are of a high quality and are always delivered fresh to grocery stores. With strict quality standards and sustainable and green farming practices, you can be assured of tasty, fresh, and ethical products which are good for you and the family. Visit www.riversmead.co.za for more information.
Also read: How healthy is your chicken?