2.5-2.9lb | Stewing Hen

Each package contains 1 Stewing Hen.

A Stewing hen is a 2-year-old laying hen who has served her time. They are excellent for making broths or cold chicken salads. 

Cook them low and slow. They will be tough if you cook them too fast. The flavor is very rich - the closest thing to your "grandmother's chicken" that you can get today.

At Polyface, we put several at a time in a large roaster pan, at about 350 degrees for 4 hours, then pick the meat off.  We chop the meat into chunks and freeze in quart containers as precooked chicken, a true convenience food when you need meat salad or casserole quickly on a busy day.  We freeze the broth and it is golden rich; truly exceptional.

Chickens begin laying at about 5 months of age and drop off substantially after about two years of production.  Once a laying hen quits laying enough eggs to pay for her food and upkeep, she goes in the stewpot.

These are older hens who have passed their laying days. Because they are too tough to fry or broil, historically they went into stews to be cooked long and slow. Their attraction is the rich taste and exceptional broth. 

 Crock pots and instant pots work extremely well.

Amino acids are complex and take time to fully develop.  The reason stewing hens have such a rich taste is through their long life their amino acid chains finish developing and your taste buds understand that full complexity.  Enjoy.