[lemonthyme]

Ok, so I got out my new bag of boneless/skinless chicken breasts for dinner. I planned to put them in the electric pressure cooker, a bit of seasoning and a small amount of water. I put 4 breasts in the pot, each one the size of my hand both in length and width. I have been having issues in the past of judging portion sizes in when the frozen breasts were huge and strangely cut (pilgrims pride). I switched to GoldnPlump (now owned by pilgrims pride) and have had luck in the last few years of buying this brand. I cooked them, removed them from the pot after a 10 minute rest and natural release and was totally surprised. Each breast was now at most 3" x 2" and 1/2" thick. I went back and looked at the bag - 21% added solution.

Now my question is this - I know chicken processors can be regional - but geez is anyone else encountering this? Maybe it's just the pressure cooker - the chicken is still moist and good - but totally smaller in size. I swear the tines of my fork were larger and longer.

Let me know your thoughts on the incredible shrinking food stuffs. I don't even know what to put down for serving size. Do I weigh it at frozen state and then after cooking? I mean, to me this little dinky piece I'd qualify by sight as a 1/2 serving at best. I am totally perplexed.

[JudgeDread]

I've tried to stay away from the packaged frozen chicken as I think they add a lot of that solutions which makes them "look" bigger. It only adds weight and you are getting less meat. You are better off buying the thawed ones with less or no added solution and you can freeze those into small bags. I have a food saver and it is the best thing you can get when you buy raw meat in bulk. Freeze the meat into whatever portions you want at any given meal time (more if you want leftovers for extra meals) and go from there. It's worth the investment!

[lemonthyme]

Thanks for that thought! I have long not been a fan of PP chicken and they are the conglomerate that took them all over. Maybe the food saver can be a Christmas list item. I have also thought of looking at buying from the local Amish, however the last time I had one back from them there were still a few feathers to be plucked (icky) - sorry but sometimes you don't want the outside product on your foodstuffs. My quest continues!

[grannynancy]

Anymore commercial chicken is no longer a low fat low cholesterol food. I have been hating the taste of chicken and turkey lately and am going to spend the money to find some local pasture raised sources. And that is not cheap.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/31/our-...vists-say.html

[JudgeDread]

Ah, Amish chicken should be great! I have found feather parts on grocery store chicken. Yet again, I am not skittish as my family hunted ducks, geese, and pheasants back and I would watch them clean the birds.