More Than Just Sustenance

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posted on

February 20, 2024

As you may know from reading the description of Polyface stewing hens, these girls are a storehouse of nutrients for us humans. Much of that nutrition is present in the bird’s fat.

After two or three years on the pasture eating grass, worms, insects, and small rodents, she has accumulated a wealth of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K), as well as omega-3, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and other healthful fatty acids. That’s what makes the fat so deep yellow compared to the pale yellow fat on the Polyface broilers (meat birds).

In contrast to the stewing hens’ longer life on the pasture, the broiler chickens spend only an average of 8 weeks on pasture before they are processed. That’s not enough time to store away the amount of nutrients that make the fat darker yellow. The deeper the color, the more the nutrients and the richer the flavor.

The same concept of fat color applies also to the color of the meat. The dark meat (leg and thigh) has a higher level of nutrition and tastier flavor than the light meat (breast), because there is more fat present in the leg than in the breast.

In certain cultures, people eat chicken leg meat and throw away the breast. This is surprising to many in our culture, who have become convinced that breast meat is more healthful since it is lower in fat than leg meat.

We are slowly re-learning that animal fat is where the nutrition and the flavor reside.

If you prepare a stewing hen by roasting or baking, you will be disappointed in the results. The meat has an unpleasant texture — tough and stringy. Leave the baking and roasting for the broiler chickens. They’re perfect for that cooking method.

For the most enjoyable culinary experience with a stewing hen, make a nice golden stock, then strain it and discard the meat. This is not wasteful because after simmering for 12 to 24 hours, the nutrients from the fat, meat, and bones are in the liquid.

With the broilers, you enjoy juicy, tender meat. With the stewing hens, you glean superior flavor and nutritional value. For best results, make stock with a stewing hen and discard the meat, then roast a broiler and add the meat from the broiler to the stock. Don’t forget the onion, carrot, and celery for additional color and aroma.

This is the perfect sustenance to support your immune system.

May you be deeply nourished,

Susan

Why Choose Fermented Foods?

My grandparents on my father’s side used to make sauerkraut in wooden barrels in the basement. My mother’s side made cheese and salami. I could smell these concoctions throughout the entire house. Fermenting is part of your national heritage, no matter your family’s country of origin. Alongside nourishing grass-fed/grass-finished pastured meats like Polyface raises, every person should include real fermented foods into their diet. This method of food preservation goes back farther than most realize, reconnecting us with ancient traditions, long before the refrigerator-freezer was invented. Every culture consumed something fermented every day. Here are the reasons why I like fermented foods. Fermentation preserves food without using high pressure, high heat, or chemicals, so it both conserves and increases them. The nutritional value of fermented foods lies mostly in the pro-biotic bacteria that are present, and byproducts of their digestion. The bacteria’s digestive “waste” is a collection of vitamins, enzymes, and co-factors needed for every system of the body. These include: Vitamins B1, B6, B12, C, and K2 Superoxide dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant) GTF chromium (assists sugar metabolism) Glutathione (a potent detoxifier) Phospholipids (cell membrane building blocks) Digestive enzymes Beta 1,2 glucans (present in shiitake mushrooms; modulates immune system) Fermentation neutralizes or eliminates these: Phytic acid (present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Enzyme inhibitors (also present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Nitrites Prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) Oxalic acid (binds minerals) Nitrosamines (known carcinogen) Glucosides Probiotics and enzymes in whey neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, allowing your digestion to access the nutrients in the food. Enzymes are proteins. Proteins are delicate molecules with very complex structure and shape. The structure of the enzyme gives it its function. Without structure and form, the enzyme will not do its job of catalyzing biochemical reactions. Without enzymes, biochemical reactions would cease. Enzymes are denatured (unraveled or broken down) by high pressure, high heat, acidic conditions, toxic chemicals, and electrical disturbances. Once denatured, they lose their form and shape, therefore they lose their function. Unlike canning and commercial processing, fermenting occurs at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, encouraging beneficial bacteria to thrive. Temperatures above 117 degrees Fahrenheit denature enzymes and kill probiotic bacteria. If you wonder what 117 degrees feels like, it’s the temperature at which you cannot touch an object with your bare hands and hold it for a few seconds. If it’s hot, but you can still touch and hold it in your hand and not pull away, it’s under 117 degrees. This innate protection mechanism (i.e., reflex) prevents your own protein (i.e., skin on your finger) from being denatured. It’s also a good indicator of when your food is hot enough to kill probiotics and denature enzymes. For best results, fermented foods must be eaten raw, never hot or cooked. Fermented foods are safe and protective against pathogens. USDA scientist Roger McFeeters, who oversees a fermentation laboratory, says, “The lactobacilli can number a billion per gram of tissue at the height of fermentation. The bad bacteria can't compete." According to McFeeters, lacto-fermentation has caused no known food-borne illness. "As far as we know, it's been going on for thousands of years. It's perfectly safe.” The sauerkraut that my grandparents made had a layer of raw pork chops embedded in the salted cabbage. When the sauerkraut was done, you could safely eat the pork chops raw! They were pre-digested by the bacteria, and “cooked" by the organic acids in the kraut. Probiotics prevented pathogens from establishing. None of us ever got food poisoning. My grandmother lived to be 100. Fermented foods have anti-carcinogenic properties. They normalize blood pressure and heart rate, help to break down fat in the liver, and maintain healthy systemic pH. And they are quite tasty. In the supermarket, look for fermented foods in the refrigerated section, not on the shelf with canned foods. Shelf-stable canned foods were subjected to high temperatures. The probiotics and enzymes have been denatured. Look for “live cultures” or “live probiotics” on the label. Eat something lacto-fermented every day, like your ancestors did. Just a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut or an ounce or two of cheese is enough to have the desired effect. Choose a salad dressing made with raw apple cider vinegar, or a tablespoon of a fermented condiment such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise. Try a fermented beverage, like kombucha, beet kvass, or ginger ale. (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has some great recipes for all of these.) The original condiments were digestive aids. They’re easy to make. Try it. May you be deeply nourished! Susan

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More Than Just Sustenance

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