Did You Know Chickens Have Bones?

We are considering raising meat chickens to sell.  We have been checking into the regulations to be able to sell them and asking around for prospective buyers.  One common response is "We only eat boneless, skinless chicken breast."  Now I'm not downing anyone who only eats boneless, skinless chicken breast, because we eat quite a bit of that, too.  Mostly because it is quick cooking and a lot of times I need something that cooks fast.  But do most people realize all the flavor they are missing.  I would much prefer chicken with bones, it has so much more flavor and believe it or not, bones are good for you.  You can search the internet for the benefits of cooking with bones and you will find plenty of articles telling you how good they are for you.

A broth made from a chicken or turkey carcass has so much more flavor than one without.  I know the skin adds extra fat, but it is fairly simple to skin a chicken but the chicken will have so much more flavor and only a few more grams of fat if you cook it with the skin on and then remove the skin before you eat it.

But what do you do with a whole chicken?  The crock pot is my go to way to cook whole chickens.  But they can be cut up into serving pieces.  It is really easy to do and thanks to YouTube there are plenty of tutorial videos on how to do it.  I realize that I have failed my daughter in not teaching her how to cut up a chicken.   But she does know that they have bones.  I am wondering if our children or their children will even know that chicken have bones.  Most kids only get boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, etc.  I have cooked lots of chickens in my life and I have never seen a nugget or a finger on a chicken.

I challenge you to try a whole chicken.  Put it in the slow cooker with an onion, a sprig of rosemary, a stalk of celery and a carrot stuffed inside the cavity.  Sprinkle it with salt, garlic pepper and Cajun seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  It will be delicious.  If you have leftovers make soup or casserole.  We can usually eat at least three meals off one chicken and a whole chicken usually runs $.98/pound instead of $1.99.  More meat, more meals, more flavor, less money-win, win.  And your kids will learn that chickens do indeed have bones.

Have a blessed day.
Mae