Chicken is sold either fresh or frozen. In order to be called fresh, the temperature of the raw chicken must never fall below 26° F. If raw poultry is ever held at 0° F or lower, it must be labeled either frozen, or previously frozen. When deciding whether to buy fresh or frozen, the amount of time between purchase and preparation is what is important. When purchasing chicken, the preparation method is an important consideration. Each different type and cut lends itself to a variety of different textures, flavors and recipe versatility. Chicken benefits from all methods of cooking; from roasting, and grilling to baking and stewing. The type of chicken used generally dictates the cooking method. The two most common breeds of chicken raised domestically for consumption are the Cornish and White Rock. Over the years chicken have been bred to have very large breasts that yield a substantial amount of consumable meat. On the retail level, there are five common classifications of chicken:

• Broiler-fryer
• Roaster
• Capon
• Rock Cornish Game Hen
• Stewing Chickens

Age and gender are the characteristics that differentiate the classifications. A Broiler-fryer is the youngest and therefore the most tender. You will see this classification most often in the meat counter. A Roaster is older and yields the more meat per pound than the broiler, but is less tender. It is generally sold whole, whereas a broiler is sold in pieces. A Capon is a male chicken that has been shall we say, unmanned. When male roosters testes are removed, the aggressive tendencies of the cockerel are removed as well. The result is a more docile bird that tends to get fat. A docile fat Capon has more tender juicy meat in comparison to a roaster or broiler. The Cornish Game Hen was bred specifically to be a single serving of mostly white meat. It is a very young broiler- fryer and is considered a specialty chicken. A Stewing Chicken is an older bird. The meat is considered flavorful but much tougher than it’s younger counter parts and it is named for the best method of preparation.

The younger the chicken the more tender the meat, which allows for more methods of cooking. A stewing chicken is about the only type that shouldn’t be cooked in a dry heat environment (roasting, broiling, barbequing etc..) .

Once you have determined the type of chicken you need, the freshness and quality have to be considered. Federal law does not require dating a product for freshness. The Agricultural Department requires a label identifying the date when poultry is processed and packed at a farm; however, the act of identifying a date that determines the shelf life of a product is entirely voluntary. Most stores will have dates on the packaging that should serve as a guideline for the consumer, but it is possible to determine the quality and freshness of poultry by looking closely at a few things. Looking at the color of the bones is a way to evaluate freshness. If the ends of the bones look gray, you are looking at a bird that has been lying around for a while. Bones that are pinker in color indicate a fresher cut. A good thing to keep in mind when it comes to chicken is that the pinker the flesh, the fresher it is. Stay away from chicken where the skin looks transparent or patchy colored. It doesn’t matter if the skin is yellow or white; different regions breed chicken with different color skin. When you do see a date for freshness it will fall under these categories:

• Sell-By date – The date, which indicates how long a store should keep a product on their shelf. It is not a date by which something will spoil, but a date by which the product is no longer the best quality.
• Best if Used Before Date- This date only refers to quality, not safety or spoilage. It simply means that the product is considered to be at its peak flavor, consistency and quality before this date.
• Use-By date- The very last day a manufacturer determines a product will maintain a high level of quality.

As you can see, none of the “expiration” dates determine a time frame for when a food item becomes spoiled. Utilize the dates as a guideline and buy products that are dated the furthest into the future.

There are many different cuts and packages available at for purchase on the retail level. You can buy a whole chicken with all of the parts intact, or a whole chicken cut in halves, quarters or eighths. You also have the option of buying quantities of single cuts of chicken.

The Whole Chicken

Great for slow roasting. Look for a chicken with a rounded, plump breast.

Chicken half

Cut right down the middle, This cut is great for grilling.

Breast Quarter

The breast and one wing

The Leg Quarter

Two of the most flavorful cuts together

The thigh and drumstick

Breast

Breast Halves

Breast Tenderloin

The whole breast, split breast and muscle of

The breast. Considered the most versatile

part of the chicken. Consists entirely of

white meat.

Wing

Can be purchased whole or in pieces

The wingtip is generally used for stock as there

Is very little edible meat.

Chicken Leg

The leg consists of the thigh and

The drumstick. They also can be

Purchased together or separately.

Entirely consists of dark meat.

There is a huge variety to choose from when shopping for chicken. The package should be clearly labeled in terms of the cut and total weight. Chicken should always be refrigerated, so make sure the package is cool to the touch when selecting it. For more information on the safe handling of chicken from the store to your home, please visit the USDA food safety and inspection service site.

The domestic chicken is thought to be a descendant of a species of red jungle fowl found in India and Southeast Asia. Although there are several theories about their evolution, it is most widely accepted that the chicken was probably domesticated in Thailand around 2000 B.C. Evidence has been found that suggests domestication could have occurred as long ago as 8000 B.C in Harappa (modern day Pakistan). Either way, chicken has been with us for a long, long time. The Romans gave it the name “gallus domesticus” which still stands today as the chicken’s scientific name. Gallus means ‘comb’, which is the red appendage on top of a chicken’s head. The comb is one of the characteristics that differentiate chickens from other types of birds. It has long been believed that chickens arrived in the Americas with early Spanish and Portuguese explorers, but new evidence suggests that chickens arrived with the Polynesians almost one hundred years before the Europeans. In fact, it is the skeleton of a chicken that is the centerpiece of conclusive archeological evidence of Polynesian contact with the Americas.

The chicken has quite an illustrious history. Romans believed chickens were sacred to the God of War; Mars. Chickens blood has been associated with spiritual ceremonies, and in ancient times, the chicken was often the remedy for any number of maladies. Whereas chickens feet may not be the cure for joint pain, chicken soup is still believed to be an effective remedy for the common cold. In many cultures the Cock (what we call a rooster) was revered and worshipped for its ferocity and strength. It is believed that domestication of the Hen (an adult female) for eggs and meat was a by-product of the breeding of Roosters for fighting. It was believed, the greater the prowess of the male, the more productive the female. Cockfighting is an ancient sport that is found in almost every culture. Other than hunting, it is considered mans oldest sport. It wasn’t until the 18^th century that cockfighting was deemed cruel and inhumane. Even though illegal; you will still find the sport underground in many countries including The United States.

With the suppression of cockfighting, the breeding of chickens focused on egg and meat production.

In the 1800’s, chicken farming was mainly an individual family affair. Chickens were kept for their eggs, and only occasionally did one end up on the dinner table. Eggs were versatile and plentiful considering an average hen will lay one egg every other day. An average family farm kept between 15- 40 chickens. A chicken being sold for their meat was a rare enterprise, and when it occurred, it was a sideline business of a farm at best. It wasn’t until the 1920’s, when the ‘broiler’ was bred that meat production began in earnest. A broiler is simply a term of reference to a chicken that is raised exclusively for its meat. Most early chicken farms were in the South. The weather and available land made the area ideal. Even today Georgia is considered the chicken capital of the world.

Early chicken farming consisted of several different entities. There were separate feed mills, hatcheries, growers and processors. In the 1940’s ambitious entrepreneurs began to consolidate the process and create the integrated industry we know today.

It was in the 1950’s that chicken farming became an agricultural powerhouse and has been growing ever since. In 1960 the average American consumed about 26 lbs of chicken per year. That number has almost tripled to over 85lbs per person today! In comparison to beef, chicken is perceived to be leaner, and less expensive. That and its versatility in cooking are reasons for its popularity. Over 35 billion pounds of chicken are produced each year. Between eggs, chicken and turkey meat, the industry is producing over $30 billion a year. Chickens are the provider of 25% of the global meat supply, and The United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter.