Goose Breast For Sale? The 135 Top Answers

Last updated on April 20, 2019 by Michael Joseph

Goose is a type of poultry that is very popular around the world.

Although officially classified as “white meat,” goose is the color of dark meat and more closely resembles beef.

This article looks at the nutritional properties and potential benefits of goose meat; Is it a healthy choice?

what is goose

Goose refers to the meat of a large bird in the Anatidae bird family.

While goose meat is not common in the United States and United Kingdom, it is common in much of the world.

In fact, goose meat is the centerpiece of the Christmas dish in many European countries like Germany.

Goose is also very popular in the East of the world, especially in China and Hong Kong.

taste

Goose meat is much tastier than other poultry such as chicken.

In direct comparison, goose meat has a stronger flavor than the darkest parts of chicken meat.

Goose also contains more fat than chicken, which contributes to its delicious flavor.

Rather than comparing goose to chicken and turkey, it’s closer to red meat options in taste and appearance.

Key Point: Goose meat is a dark and flavorful fatty meat.

nutritional information

The tables below show the nutritional profile of goose meat per 100-gram serving raw (1, 2).

Data is from the USDA Food Composition Databases.

Calories and macronutrients

With skin Calories and macronutrient values ​​for goose meat (with skin) Calories/Nutrient Amount Calories 371 kcal Carbohydrates 0g Fat 33.6g Saturated Fat 9.8g Monounsaturated Fat 17.8g Polyunsaturated Fat 3.8g Omega-3 210 mg Omega-6 3340 mg Protein 15.9 g

Meat only (skinless)

Calories and Macronutrients for Goose Meat (Meat Only) Calories/Nutrient Amount Calories 161 kcal Carbohydrates 0g Fat 7.1g Saturated Fat 2.8g Monounsaturated Fat 1.9g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9g Omega-3 100mg Omega- 6 800 mg protein 22.8 g

vitamins

Vitamin profile with skin for goose meat (with skin) Vitamin Amount % RDI Vitamin B6 0.4 mcg 20% ​​Vitamin B3 3.6 mg 18% Vitamin B2 0.2 mg 14% Vitamin B5 1.3 mg 13% Vitamin B1 0. 1 mg 6% vitamin B12 0.3 mcg 6% vitamin A 55.0 IU 1% folic acid 4.0 mcg 1%

Meat only (skinless)

Vitamin profile for goose meat (meat only) Vitamin amount % RDI Vitamin B6 0.6 mcg 32% Vitamin B2 0.4 mg 22% Vitamin B3 4.3 mg 21% Vitamin B5 2.0 mg 20% ​​Vitamin B1 0.1 mg 9% Folic acid 31.0 mcg 8% Vitamin B12 0.5 µg 8% Vitamin A 40.0 IU 1%

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Note: Goose meat is also a source of vitamin E, which can be found in varying amounts. This data is absent from the USDA Food Composition Databases.

minerals

Mineral Profile with Skin for Goose (with Skin) Mineral Amount % RDI Phosphorus 234 mg 23% Selenium 14.4 mcg 21% Iron 2.5 mg 14% Copper 0.3 mg 13% Zinc 1.7 mg 11% Potassium 308 mg 9% Magnesium 18.0 mg 5% Sodium 73.0 mg 3% Calcium 12.0 mg 1% traces of manganese 1%

Meat only (skinless)

Mineral Profile for Goose Meat (Meat Only) Mineral Amount % RDI Phosphorus 312 mg 31% Selenium 16.8 mcg 24% Zinc 2.3 mg 16% Copper 0.3 mg 15% Iron 2.6 mg 14% Potassium 420 mg 12% Magnesium 24 .0 mg 6% sodium 87.0 mg 4% calcium 13.0 mg 1% traces manganese 1%

Benefits of Goose Meat

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As with all meat, one of the best reasons to eat goose is for the protein content.

However, there are also some other unique benefits that Goose offers.

Here is a summary of what Gans offers.

1) High in protein

First of all, the obvious benefit; Goose is an excellent source of protein.

When it comes to protein density, skinless goose meat provides an impressive 22.8 grams of protein per 100 grams (2).

Like all poultry, goose provides a complete source of protein (adequate amounts of all amino acids).

Key Point: Goose meat is an excellent source of dietary protein.

2) One of the best dietary sources of glycine

Glycine is a conditional amino acid that has several important benefits.

Also, glycine is the primary amino acid required for collagen synthesis (3).

Glycine has numerous important benefits for our body, and among others it can (4, 5);

Help improve management (and slow progression) of osteoarthritis.

Improve overall skin health.

Reduce signs of aging such as skin wrinkles.

There is also evidence that maintaining a good ratio of glycine (found in animal skin and connective tissue) to methionine (found in muscle meat) may have health benefits.

For example, research using rat models found that supplementing rats with glycine increased lifespan by about 25% (6).

Goose meat (with skin) provides 1005 mg of glycine per 100 grams (1).

Key Point: Goosebumps contain high levels of the amino acid glycine.

3) Usually free range, not factory raised (more omega-3)

Factory farming has grown rapidly over the past half century.

Currently, more than 70% of the world’s livestock are factory-raised, and that number rises to 99% for US livestock (7).

However, due to their space requirements and feeding habits, goose meat typically comes from birds that are permitted outdoors with access to fresh pasture.

In general, geese are excellent foragers, and they can source (most of) their own food, reducing production costs (8, 9).

This fact makes goose meat an excellent choice for those who care about animal welfare.

Additionally, grazing animals generally have a much better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (10, 11).

Key Point: Goosebumps contain high levels of the amino acid glycine.

4) A good source of minerals

Goose meat is a great source of minerals and is particularly high in copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.

These minerals are all essential for different reasons, but iron and zinc are worth noting as many people don’t get enough of them.

For example, more than 1.5–2 billion people (including certain populations in the US) are iron deficient (12).

In addition, an estimated 17.3% of the world’s population is at risk of zinc deficiency (13).

The most concentrated mineral in goose meat is selenium. This mineral activates various antioxidant enzymes in the body (14).

Key Point: Goose is a source of several important minerals for health, including iron, selenium, and zinc.

5) Rich in B vitamins (especially vitamin B6)

Goose meat provides a significant amount of vitamin B6.

Skinless goose meat provides 32% of the RDI for this essential vitamin.

Vitamin B6 has various functions in the body and plays an important role in protein metabolism (15).

Goose also contains a fair amount of the other B vitamins.

Key point: Goose meat provides a good supply of B vitamins (especially B6).

6) May be nutrient rich

Skinless goose meat may not taste as good, but it’s the winner when it comes to nutrient density.

Without the skin, goose meat contains just 161 calories per 100 grams (2).

For those 161 calories, the meat provides a good source of fat, protein, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Key Point: Goose meat is quite nutritious; It offers a wide range of nutrients for very few calories.

How to cook roast goose

The most well-known way of preparing a goose is the roast.

While there are many different ways to do this, the recipe below is a tried and true process.

ingredients

1 goose

2 slices of bacon

1 cup mushrooms

2 lemons

1 large onion

10 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of sage

3 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

method

First chop the onion and mushrooms into small pieces, crush the garlic cloves and then put all three in a bowl.

Then cut the two lemons into small pieces (including the zest) and add them to the bowl.

Add the sage, two teaspoons of salt and pepper and mix well.

Cut the two bacon slices into smaller pieces.

Next, fry these ingredients in butter or olive oil in a pan for 10-15 minutes.

Finally stuff the goose with all these ingredients. If you don’t know how to stuff a goose then watch this video here.

Rub the outside of the goose with butter and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Add black pepper to taste.

Cook the finished goose in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 2 hours. Fry until the outside is crispy golden brown.

Key Point: Roast is the best way to cook goose and it tastes delicious.

Where to buy goose meat

Goose meat can be harder to find than more traditional poultry options like chicken or turkey.

However, some supermarkets/large grocery stores sell it.

If you can’t find Goose in your area, a quick online search should bring up a few local stockists.

There are also numerous online sources that supply.

Final Thoughts

While goose meat isn’t as popular as other poultry options, it’s far tastier and quite nutritious too.

The meat is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, and the skin is an excellent source of glycine.

After all, wild goose meat tastes way better than any regular chicken you’ll find in a market.

For more information on poultry, check out this duck benefits guide.

A lot of people are scared to death of geese – and I’m not talking about those nasty birds that used to chase us around the park as children. Romance surrounds the roast goose, especially at Christmas. Yet almost everyone has a horror story about dry, rural meat surrounded by sagging skin and an ocean of runny fat.

Can an overcooked goose become a livery? You bet. are you fat Oh yeah. But remember that a goose is not a turkey, just like a duck is not a chicken.

You don’t cook them the same way.

Why you can serve goose breast medium-rare

Both ducks and geese are red-meat birds—meaning the breasts of both must be served medium-rare. That’s pink, or 140-150°F for those of you with thermometers.

Regarding poultry and salmonella, I did quite a bit of research on eating rare ducks or geese for this post and suffice it to say I haven’t found anyone who can fully explain why nobody gets sick from eating rare waterfowl .

But that seems to be the case.

I haven’t been able to record a single case of food poisoning from eating rare — or even raw! – Find duck or goose meat. Exactly why is a big mystery. I eat 50 to 60 wild ducks and geese every year – breasts are always rare – and I’ve never gotten sick from it.

Every fine dining restaurant in America serves medium to rare duck breast. So all the evidence points to it being okay to eat pink goose breast. By the way: A duck or goose breast at 70 degrees is no longer pink. If that concerns you, fine, cook it longer. it’s your bird

Elise Bauer

How to evenly cook a roast goose

Now. How to get a medium chest with properly made legs and wings? Disassemble the bird mid-stream. The only thing you lose is that “Ooh, ahh!” moment of a perfect looking fried bird. But this bird will not taste perfect, my friends, no matter how varnished the skin is. If the drumsticks are done correctly, the breast will be overcooked. And besides, you’re going to cut the bird in anyway.

In my method, you roast the goose for a while, then cut off the whole breast and finish it in a pan when the legs are done. This gives the whole goose a nice roasted aroma, crispy skin and really pink breast meat. Because you’re cooking the goose at a relatively low temperature, your kitchen won’t get smoky either.

Elise Bauer

Are there other ways to do this? You bet. But this is a method of roasting a whole goose that is relatively easy. It requires few ingredients, but the result is a bird so delicious you’ll wonder why you don’t eat it more often.

What to do with goose fat

Oh, and as for all that extra goose fat you’re about to get? save it. Goose fat is God’s gift to potatoes and a spectacular medium for cooking winter vegetables like kale, spinach or chard.

Ducks and geese are both flying birds. They have more in common than apart. Ducks, on the other hand, are carnivores while geese are herbivores. This means their fat composition differs, with geese having a higher fat content. This makes goose meat more difficult to prepare than duck meat.

duck meat

Advantages:

Contrary to popular belief, duck meat is much leaner. Much of a duck’s fat is on its skin. Skinning during preparation or actual cooking loses scope. Duck meat has less fat internally than chicken meat because fat can still be found in the chicken breast even after skinning.

Duck meat has a higher nutritional value than other meats in the same category. It is rich in protein and iron, which are essential for body growth and blood formation. The niacin and selenium contained in meat also help to strengthen the body’s immunity. Duck is a healthier alternative to beef and other fatty meats.

The fat in duck meat has benefits, with some duck recipes suggesting cooking duck meat in its fat rather than using oil to remove it. The same recipes may also advise you to save this fat for later use. Because duck fat can be a tasty substitute for substances like butter and lard. While it’s still wise to limit your fat intake in general, using it as a substitute in this way can be a smart move.

You can use the meat to make a variety of recipes. For kitchen nerds, duck meat opens up a platter of possibilities with different recipes. With the distinct firmness and fat of duck meat, you can do many different things. Plus, its rich flavor pairs well with a variety of other ingredients.

Disadvantages:

● A relative increase in cholesterol

While duck fat may not contain as much saturated fat as some animal products, it is not as high as olive oil. A diet high in saturated fat can significantly increase your total cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Duck fat can be enjoyed, but should not completely replace olive oil or other healthy fuels derived from fat.

● Weight gain

When cooking, it is essential to pay attention to the high-calorie amount of duck fat. A tablespoon of duck fat has 113 calories. Many duck fat dishes require significantly more than this and can therefore be high in calories.

● Reduced quality

A recent study showed that duck fat is more prone to lipid oxidation during storage than other oils and fats. Unused lipid oxidation leads to food breakdown.

choice of meat

Depending on where you are from, you like to eat duck or geese. You can taste the difference in the meat when you taste it. In general, however, duck meat is more common. It has a meatier flavor, more like beef than chicken. Because of its carnivorous nature, duck meat is darker and roasts better than geese. Some people love geese because of their similar taste to chickens.

goose meat

Advantages:

● Protein boost

Like all poultry, goose is a complete source of protein with adequate amounts of all amino acids.

● One of the best dietary sources of glycine

Glycine is the primary amino acid necessary for collagen production. Glycine provides several significant benefits to our body; Improving skin health, eliminating skin wrinkles and reducing signs of aging. Other health benefits are achievable by maintaining an appropriate glycine to methionine ratio.

● A good mineral spring

Goose meat provides a high source of minerals and is particularly rich in copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. Selenium is the most concentrated mineral in goose meat. This mineral activates various enzymes that are antioxidants in the body.

● Rich in vitamin B

Goose meat contains significant amounts of vitamin B6, which has many functions in the body and plays a central role in protein metabolism.

● May be rich in nutrients

Without the skin, goose meat contains only 161 calories per 100 g. It offers a good supply of proteins, lipids and a large variety of vitamins and minerals.

Disadvantages:

Goose meat is quite fatty and is not recommended for people who are overweight. In addition, people with diabetes or diseases of the pancreas should avoid eating this meat. If you have signs of atherosclerosis, limit the consumption of goose meat.

In summary, there is no good reason why others prefer duck in certain areas and goose in others.

All in all, both meats are delicious when carefully prepared and well-cooked. You can experiment with the different recipes for goose and duck meat and find your taste. Who knows, maybe you’ll serve one up next Christmas!

View PDF version here.

In early May, geese with lots of meat and fat arrive from the south, and northerners like to go to the countryside to hunt geese. The northerners freeze geese for year-round use. They also collect goose fat and oil for use on dry skin. The healing effect of the fat makes it an ideal wound ointment.

What do we know about goose?

Northerners like to eat goose because it means the arrival of spring. They like the flavor and succulent texture of goose meat, which is typically eaten boiled or roasted.

nutrients in goose

Nutrient content per serving of meat, cooked

(75 g) egg, uncooked

(1 egg) An excellent food source means it provides 25% or more of a nutrient per day. protein, iron

Omega 3 fat

B vitamins protein, iron

Omega 3 fat

Vitamin A

B vitamins

Folate A good source provides 15-24% of a nutrient per day Vitamin D A fair source provides 5-14% of a nutrient per day Omega-6 fats

magnesium

Potassium Calcium

The leg and skin have higher amounts of fat. The breast meat has less fat.

Reference serving sizes are from the Canadian Food Guide (dried = 35g, cooked = 75g, raw = 90g).

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is based on the needs of a 14-18 year old girl.

Excellent, Good, and Fair Nutrient Sources have been standardized for each type of food source.

Did you know?

Goose meat is an excellent source of protein. Protein keeps us healthy by building and repairing our muscles, skin and blood.

Goose meat is an excellent source of riboflavin and vitamin B-6. These vitamins help our body use energy from food. B vitamins are important for growth and healthy skin, hair, nerves and muscles.

Goose is an excellent source of iron – more so than beef, pork or chicken. Iron helps create healthy blood that flows throughout our body and gives us energy to be active and grow strong. Healthy blood keeps us from getting tired.

Goose eggs are excellent sources of many nutrients such as protein, iron, omega-3 fats and vitamins A, B and folic acid, good sources of vitamin D and fair sources of calcium.

Prepare food safely

Use safe food handling practices – wash your hands and equipment.

Eat meat only when properly cooked, dried, or aged.

Only use clean containers or bags intended for FOOD storage to store meat.

storage tips

Meat Storage in the fridge Freezer Raw Store separately 1 – 2 days 4 – 12 months Cooked Store separately from raw Cooked meat only reheat once / store 3 days 1 – 3 months

To eat healthy food

Prepare food the traditional way to avoid excess sugar, fat and salt. The legs and skin of geese have more fat; however, traditional fats are healthier for us. Aging, drying, or roasting are healthy ways to cook goose.

Have a roast goose with wild or brown rice, beans, and fruit (frozen or canned when fresh isn’t in season). Or grab a healthy snack of Bannock and dried fruit when traveling ashore. Drink water with your meals and snacks.

Hunting and fishing for a healthy lifestyle Going ashore is part of our Nordic way of life. It’s great to be active. Hunting, fishing, gathering and eating traditional foods helps keep us healthy.

For more information contact:

Although Christmas is still a few weeks away, there are certain items that are best prepared or ordered in advance, such as Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, ground beef and the festive bird. For those wanting to sample locally raised turkey and goose, Peach Croft Farm, Radley is hosting their famous tasting day this Saturday from 10am to 3pm. This annual event gives us all the opportunity to sample some of the farm’s delicious, award-winning Christmas produce, particularly the free-roaming turkeys and geese that are allowed to thrive naturally in the grassy paddocks and fields surrounding the farm. Through the goose and turkey tasting, visitors to the farm have the opportunity to decide whether they want to go for the nostalgic touch and choose roast goose as praised by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, or enjoy the glorious white meat of a bronze turkey.

One of the main differences between these two birds is the color of the flesh. The goose is juicier than a turkey and its dark, juicy meat has a distinctive, rich flavor all of its own. Turkey’s meat offers a more subtle flavor and contains far less fat than goose, making it a much drier bird but still just as tasty. The weight of each bird’s meat must also be considered. If you put a 10 lb goose next to a 10 lb turkey, you would think they would both feed an equal number of people. Not so. The turkey will support nearly twice as many people as the goose, largely due to the amount of fat on a goose that melts when cooked. A 5kg goose should comfortably feed six to eight people, while a 5kg turkey will feed many more.

Raised at Peach Croft Farm, the geese are fed natural diets and slowly grow to maturity in a stress-free environment.

Just as their geese thrive best when they are stress-free, the Homewood family who run Peach Croft believe their customers should also enjoy a stress-free time. To that end, their turkeys and geese come in a carry-home box that includes guidelines and tips on how to prepare the perfect festive bird and the tastiest festive food.

Archaeological excavations in ancient Egypt suggest that geese husbandry began in the third millennium BC. BC gained importance. In Roman times, goose meat was mentioned as a foodstuff in its own right.

Geese weren’t raised just for their meat in those early days. Their exceptional eyesight and wide field of vision, combined with their high-pitched voice, made them excellent guardians of the property they grew up on. Apparently, when the Gauls attacked Rome, it was geese that sounded the alarm and saved the city. Today’s poultry farmer finds his ability to protect his surroundings equally useful.

Geese had become a staple of the European farming economy by the time the Roman Empire fell, as they cost very little to raise, gained weight quickly and produced an excellent meat that came with plenty of excess fat.

In the 18th century, geese were raised in large flocks and marched to market where they were in great demand not only for their meat but also for their quills, which helped meet the growing demand for ink quills. In the 20th century, goose fat was used for medicinal purposes, both as a remedy for colds and a sore throat. It was applied to the chest as a poultice and swallowed by the spoonful for a sore throat. Today’s chefs appreciate goose fat for its cooking qualities – fried potatoes cooked in goose fat taste like no other potato due to their tolerance to high temperatures. (See recipe opposite). Its high fire point allows the cook to crisp up their roasted potatoes from a delicious golden brown to crisp without the fat dissolving.

Fried potatoes cooked in lard look shiny but are not greasy. Goose fat, which has a rich, silky texture, is a solid fat that becomes quite liquid at room temperature and has a melting point of 25°C to 37°C. Cooking your goose is easy. The Homewoods recommend cooking it in a preheated oven at 180C or Gas Mark 4 within three days of purchase, and pricking the skin next to each breast after 30 minutes to release some fat and juice. It should be placed on a roasting rack or small cake rack in a deep roasting pan without foil.

Allow 35 minutes per kg for cooking. They advise that you test the bird between two-thirds and three-quarters of the cooking time by stabbing the flesh. If the juice runs clear when you sting the bird, it’s done. A 5 kg bird should take 2 hours 45 minutes. During cooking you can drain the excess fat that can be reserved for later use.

How to cook your goose

The thin on goose fat For me, the fat is almost the whole point of roast goose. It’s liquid gold. It has a silky texture and deep flavor and can be used for everything from frying onions to preserving food (confits). Goose fat has a high burning point, so the oven can be turned on full blast when baking. Goose fat therefore makes incredibly crispy fried potatoes.

European chefs greatly respect the culinary properties of goose fat. Last year, British cookbook author Nigella Lawson praised goose fat as an essential ingredient in Christmas cooking. She recommended it for basting roasts and poultry, moistening stuffings, and especially for cooking potatoes. Shortly after their announcement, goose fat sales in England doubled.

If I have goose fat in the freezer, winter doesn’t go by without at least one cassoulet. Goose fat is an important ingredient in French peasant stew.

Goose fat in a jar is available in specialist shops and by mail order. But if you’ve heeded the directions about not throwing the goose away, when you’re done cooking your goose you should have enough for future cooking. It will keep for at least a year in the freezer.

For those who are horrified at the thought of using fat this way, one of the better fats is lard. It has less saturated fat than butter and is rich in so-called heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Everything in moderation, of course. I am not advocating the daily use of goose fat. I wouldn’t put it on my morning toast, for example. It would be delicious though.

I once lost a latke contest to a woman who fried her potato pancakes in goose fat. I have no doubt that that was the deciding factor. Goose fat imparts a far better flavor than peanut oil. It’s the crème de la crème of fat.

However, many Americans are unfamiliar with the wonders of goose fat because they are unfamiliar with goose. The Christmas Goose belongs in a Charles Dickens novel, not in a Norman Rockwell painting.

The ancient Egyptians ate goose and it has been popular in Europe since the Middle Ages. For centuries it was the traditional Sabbath meal of Eastern European Jews. Marco Polo reported back from China that he saw a 24-pound goose.

The story goes that Queen Elizabeth was eating a goose – one of her favorite foods – when she learned that her navy had defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. She ordered that a goose be served every year on Michaelmas (September 29) in honor of the victory.

The English who settled America ate goose. But the American taste for it waned with future generations, and goose became a rarity on New World tables. There are probably several reasons. Goose is all dark meat with an intense flavor that is more often compared to beef than chicken. Goose is more difficult to prepare than chicken or turkey. Finally, and probably most importantly, a goose is a fat bird.

The first goose I made was a disaster, a tough bird swimming in fat. I bought the biggest goose I could find, seasoned it and put it in the oven. learn from my mistakes

A goose is not a turkey. You don’t want an 18 pound goose. The younger (i.e. smaller) the goose, the better it tastes. A good size is eight to 12 pounds. Larger (older) birds can be tough.

A good side effect of the low demand is that geese are not factory farmed. Beautiful, fresh free-range geese arrive in the butcher’s box around the winter holidays. Frozen goose is usually available at other times of the year.

The next thing you need to understand about the goose is that we’re talking about a serious amount of fat. That’s the bad news and the good news.

A goose has much more fat than a chicken or turkey, although the meat itself is lean. There are easily detachable fat capsules that can be pulled out of the goose. Do not throw away. Place the fat in a container to render later. This is the good news part.

After removing the obvious fat, stab the goose all over the skin, being careful not to pierce the meat. This gives the remaining fat an escape route as it cooks.

At this point, many cooks recommend blanching the goose in boiling water for a minute and then letting it dry in the fridge for a day or two. This is good if you are organized and planning ahead.

The next step is to prepare a filling. (Of course you can also roast a goose without filling.) The filling depends on the regional origin of the recipe. In addition to making latkes in goose fat, German Jews stuffed a Hanukkah goose with apples, red cabbage, and chestnuts. The Germans also make sauerkraut or mashed potato fillings. Scandinavians prefer plums and apples. The English – and thus the early American colonists – liked a sage and onion filling.

The fat that builds up in the frying pan – and there will be plenty of it – should be skimmed off occasionally with a broom to keep it from catching fire. Remember, don’t even think about throwing the fat away.

Goose is not to everyone’s taste. It has a stronger flavor than the chicken breast so common in the American diet. Cooked properly, however, it can be a rich, flavorful meat. This is the time of year to try it. And after carefully collecting the goose fat, anyone can make award-winning potatoes.

Butter vs. margarine can be a tough choice. Both have saturated fats and should be used sparingly.

Margarine is made from vegetable oils and therefore contains unsaturated “good” fats – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These types of fats help reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL). When using margarine, choose soft tub margarine instead of stick margarine. Tub varieties are lower in trans fats. Read the nutrition label and look for one that’s low in saturated fat and no trans fat.

Butter, on the other hand, is made from animal fat and therefore contains more saturated fat.

Goose eggs are big. Very large. They’re much larger than chicken eggs—about three times the size—but there’s more to goose eggs than just their size. Goose eggs are delicious and can be prepared like chicken eggs. When fried or poached, they create quite a dramatic effect on the plate. They’re quite a delicacy, which means they’re priced higher.

Just as goose meat is spicier than chicken meat, goose eggs have more flavor than chicken eggs. They are richer, bolder, heavier and more intensely colored. They just taste better. One reason for this is that geese are kept almost exclusively on pasture. They hunt and peck for much of their food, resulting in a rich and varied diet that then gives rise to deeply colored and flavored egg yolks.

Buy goose eggs

Geese only lay about 40 eggs a year, mostly in the spring, which, in addition to their size, adds to the cost. Look for goose eggs at farmers markets and specialty stores in the spring. If you’re having trouble finding any, ask around if farmers raise geese. You might keep the eggs for yourself, but might be willing to sell a few to the culinary curious.

Substitute goose eggs

You can use goose eggs in any recipe that calls for eggs, as long as you account for and adjust for the increased volume. A good rule of thumb is to use one medium goose egg for every two large chicken eggs.

The Spruce Eats / Bailey Mariner

Goose eggs vary in size, so you’ll need to estimate their volume based on the specimens you have on hand. Most recipes call for a large chicken egg, measuring 1/4 cup. This is a good measure to consider when making a replacement.

Goose eggs have a significantly larger yolk and correspondingly less protein than chicken eggs, which can result in heavier, juicier, denser baked goods. If you decide to swirl them in a baking recipe, try adding a chicken egg white or two to the mix to balance things out.

Cooking with goose eggs

You can use goose eggs in simple egg dishes like omelettes or a Spanish-style tortilla, where their richer flavor really shines. Or simply enjoy them by soft-boiling or poaching; one goose egg is enough for a few people to share.

Some cooks particularly value goose eggs for making pasta; The pasta is rich in flavor from that extra-large yolk, and the resilient texture is enhanced by the protein-rich white. Try using goose eggs in homemade egg noodles to see for yourself.

Crack goose eggs

Don’t be surprised if you slam the goose egg on the counter and nothing happens; Goose egg shells are much harder than chicken egg shells. Because of this, breaking them can be challenging, as they require greater force to break open and a correspondingly greater chance of breaking the yolk in the process. Gradually increase the force you use to avoid a cracked shell and dripping mess.

If you prefer dark poultry meat, are planning a holiday dinner for 6 to 8 people, or are just an adventurous cook, maybe it’s time you learned how to roast a goose. The cooking process is not too hard and the result is juicy and tasty meat.

Why boiled goose

Goose is extremely fat, similar to duck. They’re large enough to serve a large crowd: on the order of 10 to 12 pounds for a young goose. (To be specific, what we’re roasting is technically a gosling, around 6 to 8 months old.) Like duck, it’s also a red-meat bird, and goose breast is meant to be cooked medium-rare. You should watch the cooking closely, the overcooked goose is not like overcooked chicken or turkey. Instead of becoming dry and stringy, it becomes chewy and chewy and tastes like liver.

Prepare the goose

You want to buy a grain-fed goose. Fresh geese are generally available most of the year (April to January) and frozen ones are available year round. If you get a frozen one, make sure you thaw it in the fridge just like you would a frozen turkey. For a 10-12 pound goose, this should take 48 hours. After defrosting, let the goose sit at room temperature for half an hour before cooking. (Do this with a fresh one too.)

There may be whole pockets of fat in the body cavity that you should pull out. Cut off the tail and loose flaps of skin around the opening of the body cavity. Save those bits! Goose fat is a wonderful thing. You can use it to sear the breasts and also to prepare fried potatoes. Simply drop the fat into a small saucepan along with about a cup of water. Simmer until the fat melts, then cool and scrape the solidified fat off the surface.

Be careful to pull out the innards and especially use the neck to make sauce. Gizzard is also good for gravy, but skip the liver, heart, and kidney as their flavor can be a bit too much.

render the fat

Because geese have large amounts of fat under their skin, you need to skip it so you don’t just bite into morsels of fat when you eat. Quite a few roast goose recipes start with steaming the goose to extract the fat. Sometimes steaming is followed by stewing, which ends with tanning of the skin.

As a cooking technique, this is perfectly valid, but technically it’s not a roast. A goose prepared this way does not have crispy skin, and crispy skin is one of the highlights of a roast goose.

You can steam the goose to draw out the fat and then roast it. In this case, you’ll need to let the goose dry overnight so that the skin crisps up when you roast it. To start rendering, you’ll need a frying pan with a wire rack, an instant-read thermometer, and a digital probe thermometer.

Steps to roast the goose

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare the goose by piercing the skin with a thick needle or safety pin. Lance at an angle so you don’t go too deep. You only want to pierce the skin and fat, not the flesh underneath. Season inside and out with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Halve an apple, an orange and an onion and fill the cavity with some fresh sage. Place the grid in the pan and the goose on the grid. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the pan and place in the oven. Roast for about 40 minutes, then take the temperature on the breast with your instant-read thermometer. If it reads below 130F, leave it in and check again in a few minutes. Once the temperature of the breast is between 130 and 140 F, remove the goose and cut off the breasts. Set them aside and cover with foil. The breast meat should appear pink. Insert your probe thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh and set the alarm temperature to 170 F. Place the bird back in the oven and roast until the thermometer alarm goes off, another 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the goose from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Heat a skillet, add some of your rendered goose fat and sear the breasts, skin-side down, until the skin is super crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Put aside. Cut off the legs and wings and sear in the same way, skin side down. In the meantime, cut open the breasts slightly at an angle. When the legs and wings are nicely browned, remove from the heat.

The liquid at the bottom of the pan is precious. Pour it into a container and let it cool. The fat will rise to the top and you can use the liquid underneath as broth.

The fat is worth its weight in gold. Use it for roasting potatoes, roasting vegetables, roasts or anywhere you would use butter. It can even be used as shortening for pie crusts or other baked treats.

You have many options when looking for geese to raise for meat. That’s the great news! The not so good news is that you have to choose between them! Which breed of goose is the best choice as a meat bird?

The best breed of goose for meat is the Embden. Embden geese are fast growing, widely available, fleshy and, as they all have white feathers, easy to pluck.

You can breed and eat any breed of geese of your choice, in the end all geese are meat geese! So the real question is which geese will give you the best results for your time and effort.

Is it worth breeding your own geese? is an article I wrote about the costs involved in raising your own geese. Check it out if you’re looking for the numbers and costs to include in your budget.

Choose a fast-growing breed of geese

While all geese can be used as meat geese, the breeds that make the most sense to use are those that will give you the fastest growth for your time and feed costs.

You should choose one of the breeds chosen for rapid growth, meatiness and fat coverage, especially the Embden.

Why would you want a fat cover on your geese? Fat is taste, birds without fat do not have juicy meat. You still want the fat on the carcass to cook to keep the meat moist.

Birds without fat, such as laying hens, must be cooked in liquid or they will become stringy. Birds you want to roast must contain fat so that you can get the juicy and tasty roast goose.

Geese, which are slow growing and lighter in body weight, don’t have the meatiness or fat for a great roast goose.

Here are some of our geese, this time you see a Sebastopol, some crossbred geese and more from the American Buffs.

Embden is the most popular meat goose

Embden geese are the most popular meat geese for a reason, they are fast growers and easy to find. Embden geese grow well and reach a marketable (slaughter) weight faster than other geese breeds.

If you have the opportunity to buy them, Embden cross geese also make good meat goose.

Depending on the specific crossbreed, they’ll probably grow a bit slower than purebred Embden and aren’t quite as meaty, but still worth rearing.

Toulouse is the most popular traditional meat goose breed

If you’re looking for a more traditional type of goose to raise for meat, consider the Toulouse. Toulouse geese are a traditional meat geese breed in France.

These geese will not grow as well as the Embden but are still popular for meat.

I have to admit I like the look of a non-white bird, to me the more colorful geese are just more interesting and pleasing to the eye.

The trade-off here is slightly slower growth and colored pen feathers, but if you want traditional geese, Toulouse is the breed for you!

Large Wamme Toulouse are not thrifty meat goose

There is also a Great Wamme Toulouse that you can see in the hatchery catalogue. While these are magnificent birds, they are not the meat variety of Toulouse.

Because this variety of Toulouse is a show goose (they were chosen for their looks rather than an economic growth rate), they are not as good a meat geese choice as the regular Toulouse.

From what I’ve seen, Large Dewlap Toulouse prices are high (really high!) so there’s little chance of anyone buying these goslings to use as a meat bird. It could be done, just not very economically!

Goose breeds chosen for their looks are not as meaty

As mentioned above, any breed of goose can and is used for meat.

The difference is what do you get for your time and money when you decide to buy a more unusual breed of goose for meat?

If I had to guess, you get cool looks, but lower final weights, less meatiness, and slower growth rates compared to the Embden, which has been chosen as the meat goose for generations.

Every time we’ve slaughtered a goose that wasn’t an Embden, they keep getting smaller and thinner built, especially at the breast. The best goose for your time and money is Embden, no other breed can match.

This is an interesting article about choosing geese from the UK. While there isn’t much detail as far as comparative data on breed growth goes, it gives you a good starting point.

Some of our American Buff Geese walking around on a beautiful spring day.

We have mostly American Buff Geese in our flock, they sell well in pairs at local alternative animal and bird markets and are pretty.

I also have a pair of Sebastopols I’m trying out. They look interesting but not sure how well they work yet.

We also had an Embden, he looked great but we butchered him as he is the one that produces the crossed geese you see in the picture with the Sebastopols above.

The Sebastopol pair are penned separately after Christmas to keep the breeds separate for the spring breeding season so crossbreeding is not a problem for them.

If we were to mistake one breed of goose for meat, it would be the Embden or Toulouse. We would have to see what would be best for us on our farm and with our management and then switch the herd to the best breed for us.

If I had to pick one, it would be the Embden, the results of which are simply impossible to ignore!

Young geese have a milder taste

As with most other meat animals, younger birds have a milder taste. Most people who raise geese for meat would think of processing the geese when they are 20 to 24 weeks old.

Once you feel the geese are big enough, they’re ready to eat. You raise them to your liking, so it’s up to you to decide how big you want your meat geese to be.

Of course, the more they grow, the more meat you get for your efforts. I like butchering a bird and getting more meat, rather than butchering smaller birds and getting less meat per bird.

For us it makes sense to wait until the geese are bigger.

Beef goose live weight (lbs) Beef goose trimmed weight (lbs) % Carcass Yield 20 16 80% 18 14-14.5 78-81% 10 7 70% 8 5.5 69% This information is from Selecting Geese, UK Ag Extension.

Using the table above, you can see that you get more meat from the carcass by letting your meat geese grow larger than by butchering them when they are younger.

If you do the math, a 20 pound goose gives you a 16 pound roast bird, but an 8 pound goose gives you a 5.5 pound roast bird. That means you get almost three times the meat from the larger goose!

Even though the percentage yield is only 11% different, the results are much clearer when it comes to the meat on your table. So we lift the geese to the higher weights.

I know it takes longer to raise a larger goose and of course it will eat more. But in return we get a much larger carcass and significantly more meat!

Geese of any age can be eaten, adults have a stronger taste

We know some people who like to eat geese, they grew up eating goose and love the taste of adult geese. I call these people traditional eaters, which means they grew up in a household that cooked real food.

If you weren’t raised as a traditional eater, start with the younger geese as meat birds and see how you like the taste. If you prefer a stronger flavor, just keep your birds around longer before processing.

Geese can be slaughtered between 9 and 24 weeks of age

Younger geese, geese less than 6 months old are the more popular size and age of meat geese and what most people plan to breed and eat geese.

Some people like to eat ‘broilers’, which are geese that are 9 weeks old, very similar to broiler chickens, but this is less common than waiting until the geese are larger, more like 24 weeks old, to slaughter them.

Schedule goose processing appointments for the easiest picking times

What you absolutely have to pay attention to when processing waterfowl are needle feathers!

That’s why people who raise geese (and ducks) only slaughter them at a certain age, not for the meat, but for the processing step where all those feathers are removed.

If you are unaware, needle feathers come in at certain times and make this bird much more difficult to pluck. Plan your goose processing around these times.

You want to process your geese at 9, 15, or 20 weeks to minimize pen feathering and make plucking easier. Read this article at Metzer Farms to learn more.

If you screw up your processing date, you’ll end up with a hard-to-pluck goose, really hard-to-pluck. There will be tons of little new feathers coming out of the skin, plucking them can be a nightmare. I’m not even sure wax will do!

I saw a video showing goose processing at home and the geese looked fuzzy when the plucking was complete, oops! These folks picked a bad week to process their geese, at least in terms of the needle feathers!

To avoid the disappointment, know your dates and process your geese when the pen quills are the least likely.

Have your processing arrangements made before ordering geese

As I’m sure you’ve heard, processing dates are becoming increasingly scarce, especially for the more unusual meat birds (ie non-meat chickens) like geese.

Call ahead and make your processing arrangements before ordering the geese! Yes, before you order. Processors won’t fit in your geese if they’re already running at maximum capacity.

I have come across several processing plants that have pared down to meat chickens or just meat chickens during peak season as they are so busy and are best set up for chickens and not waterfowl.

You can slaughter your meat geese at home

You can slaughter your geese at home, it’s really not that difficult. All you need is time, a knife and some hot water in a tub that can hold the whole goose carcass.

Any good video about slaughtering chickens at home will tell you all the steps you need to take. If you can find a duck fighting video at home, that’s even better.

You just need different kill cones when you use them (we don’t) and more time in the broth. The basics are the same regardless of the bird.

Make sure the video gives you the details, like estimated times and how to tell when the bird is ready for the next step.

Processing Waterfowl, an article by Metzer Farm, gives you some recommendations for processing your geese.

The only thing we do differently is that we don’t add detergent to the water. We found earlier that it makes no difference as long as you wave the bird around to get all the feathers wet to the skin.

We slaughter geese at home. We have a plucking machine, but don’t get it out and hook everything up unless we’re doing a large batch of birds. For just one or two birds, hand plucking is fine.

You need to focus on the broth, that’s the key to a good plucking experience. Unfortunately, getting scalded wrong is also the key to a bad and very frustrating plucking experience!

Read my article How to pluck a chicken without plucking. I know it’s chickens, but check it out anyway, all the steps are the same.

It takes a little longer than the times given, but hand plucking a goose is quite doable. We do it all the time.

instructions

preparation

If the goose is bought tied, then loosen the string and pull out the legs and wings a little; this will help the bird cook better. Check the inside of the bird and remove any entrails or fat pads. Wash the bird thoroughly and pat dry.

Prick a goose’s skin with a fork, especially in the breast area; otherwise he sits in unsavory fat! It is also common to leave the goose in the fridge for a few days (before roasting) so that it becomes more crispy. If you wish, you can prepare and stuff the bird a day in advance.

When done, take the goose out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

cooking time

A 9 pound bird (which feeds 6 to 8 people) placed in the oven unstuffed and at room temperature will take about 2 hours to cook.

A 12-1/2 pound goose (which feeds 12 to 14 people) that is not stuffed takes 2 hours and 30 to 40 minutes.

Add 20 to 40 minutes if the bird is stuffed.

Don’t overcook the goose! You will know the goose is done when its juice is pale yellow; the breast meat will dry out if the goose is overcooked.

roast goose

Preheat your oven to 475°F.

Rub the goose with sea salt and pepper to taste. Rub with lemon and orange zest if you like. Generously season the belly of the goose with salt.

Optional: If you want to give the bird a nice golden color, first brown it in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of oil. Simply hold the bird by its legs and press the breast side into the pan to brown it. Once browned, place the bird in the skillet.

Optional: If you like, fill in the cavity with the lemons and oranges and some herbs. You can really use any filling – dried fruit like figs or plums, other fresh fruit like apples or pears, or vegetables like onions or celery. (Whether or not you stuff the bird for extra flavor, we’d still prepare the stuffing separately outside of the bird for serving.)

Roast the bird at 275°F for 10 minutes, reducing the heat to 375°F until done.

Ideally, your roasting pan should have some sort of grate on the inside, as goose creates a lot of drips of fat. About every 30 minutes, you should baste the bird with the pan juices, then strain the fat through a strainer into a heatproof bowl. Save the fat or freeze it for later!

Cover the goose with aluminum foil when it starts to brown.

Optional: About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, place a few quartered apples around the goose on the grid and baste with the pan juices.

At the end of the cooking time, let the bird rest for 30 minutes, cover loosely with aluminum foil so that it is easier to carve.

Harvesting a Canadian goose for the holiday dinner?

Care should be taken when harvesting in the field to avoid foodborne illnesses.

When temperatures cool, the wild birds fly south to their winter quarters. In Michigan, Canadian goose season is October 1 through December 16, 2016. Be sure to read the Michigan Waterfowl Digest for rules and regulations.

When harvesting geese or other waterfowl in the field, only harvest geese and waterfowl that are behaving and appearing healthy. Wear rubber, plastic, or disposable gloves when undressing, skinning, or butchering the waterfowl to avoid the possibility of contracting type E botulism, a disease caused by the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. Be sure to remove and discard the casings as soon as possible after harvest and avoid direct contact with the casing contents. Always wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces before and after handling meat.

The use of game birds in the menu brings variety to the diet. There are a few things to consider when preparing Canadian goose.

First, goose is a white meat like pheasant, duck, chicken, and turkey so they can be used interchangeably in a poultry recipe.

Because wild goose meat has less fat than commercial chicken, it tends to cook dry. To counteract the dryness, use the goose meat in soups and stews or bake it in the oven bag. If you plan to cook the meat as a fillet or in a pan, it is better to marinate the meat first.

Because of the dryness factor, it’s better to handle the meat with tongs rather than using a meat fork. A meat fork is used to pierce the meat, causing the meat to dry out. Another point to remember is to let the meat “rest” for five minutes before slicing against the grain to preserve tenderness.

The Michigan State University Extension recommends keeping wild bird meat outside the temperature danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another food safety tip is to store raw wild bird meat in the refrigerator below 40 F for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap the game meat properly and store in the freezer for up to six months for the best quality.

To freeze the goose meat, pack the pieces into meal-sized portions. Make sure there is a double layer of freezer wrap between each piece. For the best quality meat, squeeze out all the air before freezing.

To thaw the goose meat, thaw the frozen meat in the original freezer packaging on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Remember to prevent cross-contamination by storing ready-to-eat food in a separate location above raw meat in the refrigerator.

Always wash hands and food preparation equipment before and after handling raw game meat to avoid foodborne illness.

Use a food thermometer to measure the doneness of the cooked goose meat. The minimum internal temperature of the meat should be 165 F.

Marinade to tenderize the skinless goose meat

In a bowl, combine 2 cups of buttermilk or regular yogurt with minced garlic or onion, freshly chopped herbs, and freshly ground white peppercorns. Add the wild goose meat to the marinade and marinate in the refrigerator for two to six hours.

Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of preparing the wild fowl meat. Leftover venison has a shelf life of three days.

All of our ducks are raised in air-conditioned pens with windows that allow access to outside air. We do not raise our ducks in free range or open water environments as they are at great risk from predators. We also want to make sure they are eating and drinking the healthiest food and water, and they will seek out anything they find on the ground outside. Ducks are also much more likely to catch diseases outdoors, especially in large pools of water. We also want the ducks not to be exposed to extreme weather conditions during Indiana’s harsh winters. We want to protect our ducks from all of these threats to ensure they are as happy and healthy as possible.

tips

How long does frozen whole raw goose keep? The exact answer to this question depends in large part on storage conditions – always keep whole raw goose frozen.

Properly stored, frozen whole raw goose will keep its best quality in the freezer for about 6 months, although it’s usually safe to eat after that.

Is frozen whole raw goose safe to eat past the expiration date on the package? Yes, if stored properly – commercially frozen whole raw goose usually carries a “best before” date, “best before” date, “best before” date, or “best before” date, but this isn’t a safety date, it’s the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the frozen whole will last raw goose will remain of top quality.

How long is a frozen whole raw goose edible? Frozen whole raw goose that has been kept frozen continuously at 0°F has an indefinite shelf life as long as it has been stored properly and the packaging has not been damaged.

How can you tell if frozen whole raw goose is no longer good? If dry patches or discoloration have developed on the frozen whole raw goose, freezer burn has set in – this does not make the whole raw goose unsafe to eat, but it does affect the texture and flavor.

Sources: For details on data sources used for food storage information, please click here