Frozen Chicken Breasts

Justthisgirl1994

I've been buying those chicken breasts that come packaged in boxes, and are already seasoned. I know fresh is better, but it's also more expensive.

My chickens have been shrinking a lot in the oven though, despite not being over cooked. I Googled around and apparently they inject the breasts with salty water to plump them up???

Would it be a good idea to splurge on the better quality chicken or is this weird salty water chicken ok to eat?

I eat about 230g (2 breasts) of it almost every day. I don't add salt to anything, so I'm always way under my max sodium btw.

strong_curves

Actually the fresh chicken is a lot cheaper than pre-seasoned chicken at the majority of supermarkets I've been to.

Michael190lbs

I would do fresh if I want to season something I want to do it..

rachelecosse

They inject fresh chicken with salt water too, and no it's not something you need to worry about.

Justthisgirl1994

Oh okay, good to know. Thanks! I guess I was worried if it was like a organic fruit vs genetically modified fruit type of thing.

bbontheb

GMOs are completely safe anyhow and we already eat genetically modified foods

I too have to buy the frozen stuff. I notice it does shrink a lot but now I cook it in the oven covered in tin foil (plain). I find that it's sort of poached/baked vs when we BBQ it (shrinks soooo small!).

senecarr

Justthisgirl1994 wrote: »

Oh okay, good to know. Thanks! I guess I was worried if it was like a organic fruit vs genetically modified fruit type of thing.

A. There's nothing wrong with genetically modified food
B. Most GMOs are staple crops. Other than papayas, and the still unreleased Arctic Apple, I'm drawing a blank for transgenic fruit.

Justthisgirl1994

bbontheb wrote: »

GMOs are completely safe anyhow and we already eat genetically modified foods

I too have to buy the frozen stuff. I notice it does shrink a lot but now I cook it in the oven covered in tin foil (plain). I find that it's sort of poached/baked vs when we BBQ it (shrinks soooo small!).

Ah perfect! Thanks! I'll try that for dinner tonight, and hopefully it won't practically disappear again haha.

And oh.. I've always been told organic and places like whole foods is better.

psuLemon

If you look to buy in bulk (3lbs or more) then you can get stuff fairly cheap. I think i pay $1.99/lb for chicken.

senecarr

Justthisgirl1994 wrote: »

bbontheb wrote: »

GMOs are completely safe anyhow and we already eat genetically modified foods

I too have to buy the frozen stuff. I notice it does shrink a lot but now I cook it in the oven covered in tin foil (plain). I find that it's sort of poached/baked vs when we BBQ it (shrinks soooo small!).

Ah perfect! Thanks! I'll try that for dinner tonight, and hopefully it won't practically disappear again haha.

And oh.. I've always been told organic and places like whole foods is better.

I have family that works at Whole Foods, so I'm loathe to say it, but Whole Foods is mostly about status, and showing off how much you can afford to spend on food. Depending on what it is, some of their stuff can be sourced the same as any other local grocery store.
Organic is a mostly a marketing label. The program originally started out with the intention of promoting agriculture that is sustainable, having nothing to do with being any better for the end consumer. It's warped sense then.
The biggest myth I see is people think organic foods means no pesticides, which simply isn't true at all.

aztec707

I buy Frozen Chicken Breasts - I defrost 1 or 2 Breasts in the fridge overnight. The next day it's ready to go.

The oven is probably what causes dryness/shrinkage... On the pan w/olive oil takes only 10 minutes.

Justthisgirl1994

psulemon wrote: »

If you look to buy in bulk (3lbs or more) then you can get stuff fairly cheap. I think i pay $1.99/lb for chicken.

Thanks I might actually look into that.

Annr

I just put frozen chicken tenders in warm water for a couple minutes and they defrost. Then I put in fat free dressing for maybe 30 in frig. I cut in segments (using scissors). Then I saute' with rice and veggies. I don't really notice shrinkage...its called cooking them :-)

bbontheb

Whole Foods makes a killing on marketing hypes, haha.

Ya, I put parchment paper down in my dish first so they don't stick and the water/juice don't immediately evaporate. I found that it stays wayy juicer and not dry so now I only cook it that way. I then throw in salads, pasta, etc. I find having it cooked in the fridge is soo much easier for me to manage my meals. I cannot afford the cost of fresh here. Yikes.

barbecuesauce

rachelecosse wrote: »

They inject fresh chicken with salt water too, and no it's not something you need to worry about.

Yep. I bought some at Walmart, put them in a dry pan, and found myself removing soup from the oven. Ugh.

I buy huge family packs at the grocery store now, OP. They say they contain broth, but they don't give up as much liquid. Sometimes I'm even motivated enough to cook them before splitting them up and freezing when I get home.

Annr

@bbontheb Just saw a cold chicken salad that was awesome looking. You take a large mason jar, put your dressing in the bottom, then your chicken, tomatoes, black beans, cucumber, some cheddar pieces, lettuce, and then close it until you wish to eat it. Then right before eating/serving it...you shake it.

bbontheb

Annr wrote: »

@bbontheb Just saw a cold chicken salad that was awesome looking. You take a large mason jar, put your dressing in the bottom, then your chicken, tomatoes, black beans, cucumber, some cheddar pieces, lettuce, and then close it until you wish to eat it. Then right before eating/serving it...you shake it.

um, YUM. I think I might need to make a few of those ahead of time. Great idea!! (hungry now)

Annr

yep I think it would be a great way to serve salad at a party!

Annr

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/mason-jar-salads_n_5452313.html

Annr

these are AWESOME

tomatoey

It's probaby ok enough to eat for nutrition, I guess, but I can't make myself eat skinless stuff. Skin-on / bone-in, even if it's not organic, at least has some flavour and is easier to cook.

Annr

chicken boneless, skinless can take on flavors just as well as skin-on/bone-in. Actually if you marinate it in either olive oil/dressing/soy sauce whatever...it starts to cook within the bag abit... What...it takes a couple of minutes in a wok to cook. Pretty easy in my book.