Shiloh Acres - RAIN!!!!!!! and maple syrup! ;)

[savingdogs]

I wanted to make a NOW your goose is cooked joke, but I missed the window.......................

Oh well, I'm curious, have you ever had muscovy? I've heard goose is similar and we were thinking maybe we need some geese, if so, because the muscovy is yummy!

Welcome to journaling, Shiloh! It is nice to see you here.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks y'all.

Roast taters sounds yummy!!! I'm glad to get all that good oil. Pound for pound, I think the goose has a lot less meat than other poultry? Of course it's kinda almost free for me since they grow out on grass. I am not sure yet if I will "finish" them in any way. I don't think so, since I got over a quart of oil from one bird. I don't use THAT much oil, if I'm raising several clutches of geese. I may have to find a market for surplus (geese, not oil). Good to know in advance.

I am not sure about the 'Scovy but I do hear it's the same? It's hard to describe. The texture is more like beef, the flavor of the breast is a lot like beef but the legs are just slightly reminding me of dark turkey.

If you are trying to decide, I'd try it first I guess. I don't see what the hype is about NOT liking it. I mean, if you are attached to turkey as a "holiday meal" with all the trimmings, well, goose IS different. But if you like beef, pork, chicken ... Then I find nothing at all objectionable about goose that a person wouldn't like it. It DOES have a lot of fat, but so do pork and beef. I just gave the extra fat stuck to the meat to the dog. He really liked it. If you like to eat the skin but not the fat you might be disappointed because much of the skin has a layer of fat under it. I might have UNDERcooked it too though. I read on the producer's site (roastgoose.com) that you're supposed to cook it till the fat layer is gone. Maybe they meant only the breast?

And what's kinda weird is that the horror stories were quoted FROM a major goose producer. But ... I think they sell LOTS of cooked geese, which carry a lot more profit I'm sure.

 

[Denim Deb]

I've never had goose. Now I'm wondering about raising some. I like beef, but it's gotten so expensive that I rarely have it. (I saw ground beef in the store the other day for $4.99/lb! For that price, I'd get a roast and grind my own! It would be cheaper!)

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Oh and yup I took pix. I can't post from here but will later today.

 

[murphysranch]

I've never had goose either. Wonder what its like...

 

[savingdogs]

I would ask how many pounds is a goose and how hard was it to pluck?

We found we are not fond of plucking around here.

 

[ORChick]

I'm glad it worked out for you. Yes, get a covered roaster - it keeps any potential splatters in check, and I believe it cooks faster. I have always had trouble estimating the time for a turkey, because the guidelines say one thing, and - with the roaster - the reality is much different (and I never remember from year to year - I finally wrote it down ). Keeping the temperature low (325*) also keeps the splatters down, and doesn't burn the fat.
Some of my old books talk about using goose grease as a chest rub when someone is sick - rub in the fat, and wrap in flannel (I seem to remember "red" flannel, though why red would be better I haven't a clue ). Don't know that I would like smelling of goose fat though. I should look up some of those recipes again, just for a giggle.

 

[lorihadams]

More power to ya....I do NOT like goose....I think it's a texture thing. I made some jerky and ended up giving it away cause I just couldn't stomach it. It even smelled bad...

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Ah, Lori, sorry to hear you don't like it. I guess that possibility is why I'm hesitant to recommend someone set up a breeding program without knowing. You ARE talking initial investment plus at least 18 months or so if you only eat their babies. I can't understand why you even thought it smelled bad tho. Wonder if you got some cooked oddly?

It's always hard for me at first to eat "new" things. Duck eggs. My own chickens. Rabbit after many years. Wild boar. Goose. Raw milk. I guess I'm kinda "programmer" and I'm ready for the yuck-factor. My own chickens WERE strongly flavored compared to store-bought. But I know I'm eating better quality and cheaper and soon my tastes adjust.

LOL ORChick ... DEFINTELY a covered roaster. I don't even wanna admit it but that bird took what .... Over 6 hours to roast? I pricked the skin and drew off fat every 30 minutes or so, which was probably unnecessary to do that many times and slowed things down. I got good and fast at it tho.

And Savingdogs, it was a frozen goose I bought at about 12 pounds. I understand 10-12 is average dressed weight for young goose. So I didn't pluck this one and can't answer that yet.

My geese are just starting to make a LOT of noise at the pool and the boys are getting a little protective and hissing, so I'm hoping they're thinking about breeding this spring. You can't expect much with them less than a year old but I have 4 or 5 (hopefully 5) girls, so if they manage to hatch a couple each that's still a nice crop.

I'm still debating possibly adding a Chinese female or two if they DON'T breed, due to faster growth rate and two breeding seasons a year, but I'd rather stick with my heav-bodied Emden and Toulouse (with a pair of Pilgrims thrown in).

I WOULD like to get some Scovies though, to raise them as well and also cuz they should be able to hatch a clutch of goose eggs for me, and the geese will lay a second clutch if the eggs are removed.

That would produce a LOT of meat though ...

And I'm not sure it can actually REPLACE beef. I'd be very interested if I can use it in place of roasts in recipes, and what it's like ground. It's going to be at least this fall before I find out though. Goose is not something I can normally afford at the store.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Going to give this a shot. This is supposed to be a photo of the roasted goose. (It looks a little primitive ... I think I shoulda clipped off the wing tips, but hey, here it is!)

And ... I also should have trussed it. I kinda forgot that, because I never stuff birds anymore, but this one was basically flavored only by it's own grease and the stuffing, so I did stuff it. Smelled wonderful too (and tasted pretty good!)

And just for grins, I made a pumpkin pie too. The goose was so late getting finished roasting, I didn't feel like eating pie that late. It worked out ok though, cuz the next day (Sunday) was my birthday, and woke up NOT feeling well, so I never did make the pineapple upside down cake I've been wanting. (Can you say *treadmill* after the holidays??? LOL!)

Now let's see if it posts. I haven't used photobucket in a long time, LOL.