How to choose the right goose meat?

You can buy a goose in stores or at the market. In the first case, the likelihood of buying high-quality goose is greater, because all goods sold are tested for freshness and compliance with quality standards. In the second option, you cannot do without special knowledge. Choosing a good goose is not difficult, but it is important to determine the age of the bird and the freshness of the meat in advance.

Distinctive features of goose meat:

• the goose can be sold whole or cut;
• the goose has large bones, so sometimes their ratio with red meat can be the same;
• the main fat in a goose is located under the skin;
• in the process of cooking meat, goose fat is completely melted;
• the chest of a young goose is distinguished by its elasticity (in an old bird, cartilage turns into bones, due to which the chest part becomes more solid).

When examining a goose carcass, you need to evaluate its quality as much as possible. For example, unscrupulous sellers can wash off sticky plaque from the skin of a stale bird, so it is necessary to check its condition under the wings. If it was possible to reveal the presence of mucus or an accumulation of a substance resembling fat, then such a bird should not be bought in any case.

How to choose goose meat

It is believed that young birds have the most delicious meat. With age, the traditional taste of goose changes, and it becomes more difficult to cook it. In order to roast an old goose in the oven, it will take, for example, at least 5 hours. It is possible to distinguish a young bird from an old individual not only in size, but also due to a number of external signs.

What goose meat can you buy:

• in a young goose, the paws are yellow or yellowish in color (the brighter the paws, the younger the bird);
• the skin of a young goose is light;
• the weight of the goose should not exceed 4 kg;
• the smell of a goose should not cause a negative impression (extraneous odors indicate the spoilage of the goose or its improper storage);
• the skin of a young and fresh goose has a slightly yellowish color with a pinkish tint;
• the beak of a young goose is always shiny, bright and has a yellow tint (any deviations from such indicators are a reason for refusing to buy a poultry carcass);
• the fatty layer of a young goose is always transparent;
• the meat of a good goose should not be flabby (when you press it with your finger, it should not deform);
• the skin of a good and fresh goose should not be stained, damaged or feather remnants;
• on the paws of a young goose, the scales are small and soft.

What goose meat is not worth buying:

• in an old goose, the membranes between the toes are stiff and dry (the meat of such a bird will be rough and tough);
• if the weight of the goose exceeds 4 kg, then, most likely, the bird is old or it was fed with special mixtures to accelerate growth;
• if the skin of the goose is slippery or sticky, then you should refuse to buy it;
• goose meat can be sold frozen with pink ice crystals, indicating repeated frosting of the bird;
• only old geese can have yellow fat;
• – if the skin of a goose in the chest and goiter has a green tint, then it is impossible to buy such a bird in any case;
• if the paws of the goose are red, then the bird is old;
• on the paws of an old goose, the scales are rough and hard.

How fleshy the goose is, you can tell by touch. The meat should be well felt around the throat. If only skin and bone are felt, then the goose will have a reduced amount of meat, and bones, skin and fat will prevail.

If the goose is sold frozen, then its quality is more difficult to assess. In this case, the general rules for choosing meat must be followed: the packaging must be intact and undamaged, the meat must not look unhealthy (blue spots, uneven color or unnaturally yellow fat), and the label must contain the most complete information about the manufacturer and the shelf life of the product.