often gives it a spongy quality. And many of the brands that
offer “enhanced” birds, like Butterball or Jenny-O, use
relatively flavorless factory-farmed birds, which doesn’t
help. Personally, I avoid these birds. Look for any fine print
that says “enhanced,” or check the ingredients list to make
sure it doesn’t include anything besides turkey or chicken.
Q: Sometimes I see chickens labeled “air-chilled” that sell
for a premium at my market. Are they worth the extra
cost?
I believe they are. After slaughter, most conventional
chickens are chilled by submerging them in ice water. It’s
an inexpensive, effective way to get them to a safe storage
temperature rapidly, and for the chicken companies, it’s got
a bonus: the chickens absorb about 12 percent of their body
weight in water and retain a full 4 percent at the time they
are sold. But what does this mean for the consumer? Two
things. First, when you buy a water-chilled chicken, part of
what you’re paying for is added water. This is especially the
case if you buy your chicken packed in an airtight Cryovac-
style bag (I’m sure you’ve noticed the copious liquid that
leaks out when you open these bags). Second, your chicken
will not cook as well. All that excess moisture it’s holding
on to is mostly close to the surface, particularly in the skin.
As you cook the chicken, the moisture bleeds out, hindering
browning and crisping. A water-chilled chicken will never
get as crisp as an air-chilled chicken. For this reason, I
absolutely avoid any chicken that’s sold in a Cryovac bag
and actively seek out air-chilled chickens.
Air-chilled chickens are cooled in blast coolers that