Chickens.
All fowl less than a year old come under this head. The lower end of
the breast-bone in a chicken is soft, and can be bent easily. The
breast should be full, the lean meat white, and the fat a pale straw
color. Chickens are best in last of the summer and the fell and
winter. The largest and juciest come from Philadelphia.
Spring Chickens.
These are generally used for broiling. They vary in size, weighing
from half a pound to two and a half pounds. The small, plump ones,
weighing about one and a half or two pounds, are the best. There is
little fat on spring chickens.
Fowl.
These may be anywhere from one to five or six years old. When over two
years the meat is apt to be tough, dry and stringy. They should be
fat, and the breast full and soft. The meat of fowl is richer than
that of chickens, and is, therefore, better for boiling and to use for
salads and made dishes. The weight of bone is not much greater than in
a chicken, while there is a great deal more meat. Another point to be
remembered is that the price per pound is also generally a few cents
less.
Turkeys.
The lower end of the breast-bone should be soft, and bend easily, the
breast be plump and short, the meat firm and the fat white. When the
bird is very large and fat the flavor is sometimes a little strong.
Eight or ten pounds is a good size for a small family.
Geese.
It is more difficult to judge of the age and quality of a goose than
of any other bird. If the wind pipe is brittle and breaks easily under
pressure of the finger and thumb, the bird is young, but if it rolls
the bird is old. Geese live to a great age--thirty or more years. They
are not good when more than three years old. Indeed, to be perfect,
they should be not more than one year old. They are in season in the
fall and winter.
Green Geese.
The young geese are very well fed, and when from two to four months
old are killed for sale. They bring a high price, and are delicious.
They are sometimes in the market in winter, but the season is the
summer and fall.
Ducks.
The same tests that are applied to chickens and geese to ascertain age
and quality are made with ducks. Besides the tame bird, there are at
least twenty different kinds that come under the head of game. The
canvas-back is the finest in the list; the mallard and red-head come
next. The domestic duck is in season nearly all the year, but the wild
ones only through the fall and winter. The price varies with the
season and supply. A pair of canvas-backs will at one time cost a
dollar and a half and at another five dollars.
Pigeons.
There are two kinds of pigeons found in the market, the tame and the
wild, which are used for potting, stewing, &c. Except when "stall-fed"
they are dry and tough, and require great care in preparation. The
wild birds are the cheapest. They are shipped from the West, packed in
barrels, through the latter part of the winter and the early spring.
Stall-fed pigeons are the tame ones cooped for a few weeks and well
fed. They are then quite fat and tender, and come into market about
the first of October.
Squabs.
These are the young of the tame pigeon. Their flesh is very delicate,
and they are used for roasting and broiling.
Grouse, or Prairie Chicken.
These birds comes from the West, and are much like the partridge of
the Eastern States and Canada. The flesh is dark, but exceedingly
tender. Grouse should be plump and heavy. The breast is all that is
good to serve when roasted, and being so dry, it should always be
larded. The season is from September to January, but it is often
continued into April.
Venison.
There should be a good deal of fat on this meat. The lean should be
dark red and the fat white. Venison is in season all the year, but is
most used in cold weather. In summer it should have been killed at
least ten days before cooking; in winter three weeks is better. The
cuts are the leg, saddle, loin, fore quarter and steaks. The supply
regulates the price.
Partridge.
This bird is so like the grouse that the same rules apply to both.
What is known as quail at the North is called partridge at the South.
Quail.
These birds are found in the market all through the fall and winter.
They are quite small (about the size of a squab), are nearly always
tender and juicy, and not very expensive. They come from the West.
Woodcock.
Woodcock is in season from July to November. It is a small bird,
weighing about half a pound. It has a fine, delicate flavor, and is
very high-priced.
Other Game.
There are numerous large and small birds which are used for food, but
there is not space to treat of them all. In selecting game it must be
remembered that the birds will have a gamey smell, which is wholly
different from that of tainted meat.