Aubrey Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Let me start by saying I was raised by a single mom, & before I went to college, I could make macaroni & hamburger helper. My room mate in college taught me to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts/pieces. Only one recipe, though. So I've really jumped off the deep end of domecticity (lol) by buying whole chickens & cooking them in the pressure cooker, to save $. It's a lot more time & effort, but 69 cents or so/lb vs...well, I was paying $2/lb a yr ago for boneless skinless, but I know it's gone up. Anyway, my point is, last time I cooked a chicken, I used what I needed for dinner that night & froze the rest. I was surprised at how little it was & weighed it. (Yeah, I know how to weigh stuff; mom liked to diet!) Anyway, it wasn't much, so I decided to weigh all of the meat next time I made chicken, which I did today. 21oz. 21oz???? So my great price of 69c/lb should mean that that chicken cost me somewhere around a dollar, right? Plus bones & guts. The bones & guts cost about $3!!! At $2/lb ( I know it's not that cheap any more, but I haven't looked in a while), I could have had MORE chicken & paid LESS!!! Am I doing something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Let me start by saying I was raised by a single mom, & before I went to college, I could make macaroni & hamburger helper. My room mate in college taught me to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts/pieces. Only one recipe, though. So I've really jumped off the deep end of domecticity (lol) by buying whole chickens & cooking them in the pressure cooker, to save $. It's a lot more time & effort, but 69 cents or so/lb vs...well, I was paying $2/lb a yr ago for boneless skinless, but I know it's gone up. Anyway, my point is, last time I cooked a chicken, I used what I needed for dinner that night & froze the rest. I was surprised at how little it was & weighed it. (Yeah, I know how to weigh stuff; mom liked to diet!) Anyway, it wasn't much, so I decided to weigh all of the meat next time I made chicken, which I did today. 21oz. 21oz???? So my great price of 69c/lb should mean that that chicken cost me somewhere around a dollar, right? Plus bones & guts. The bones & guts cost about $3!!! At $2/lb ( I know it's not that cheap any more, but I haven't looked in a while), I could have had MORE chicken & paid LESS!!! Am I doing something wrong? Did you weigh the meat before or after you cooked it? And did you weigh the bones and organs after *they* were cooked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Did you weigh the meat before or after you cooked it? And did you weigh the bones and organs after *they* were cooked? Right. It weighs less after you cook it. And you can eat some or all of those organs. Chicken liver--use it for pate, or chopped liver, etc. Or use them as giblets in gravy. They don't actually give you the guts;). Also, did you use the broth from cooking the chicken to make broth? If all you use is the cooked meat, it's not usually much cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Right. It weighs less after you cook it. And you can eat some or all of those organs. Chicken liver--use it for pate, or chopped liver, etc. Or use them as giblets in gravy. They don't actually give you the guts;). Also, did you use the broth from cooking the chicken to make broth? If all you use is the cooked meat, it's not usually much cheaper. Organs??? Ew!! Yeah, I save the chicken broth. At the back of my fridge. Then I forget to use it. In fact, I still have the broth from the last chicken I cooked. I know, I know. I should freeze it. But see, I put it in the fridge, where I vow to use it the same day so it won't go bad. It migrates to the back. (Maybe it's afraid of my potatoes??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Organs??? Ew!! Yeah, I save the chicken broth. At the back of my fridge. Then I forget to use it. In fact, I still have the broth from the last chicken I cooked. I know, I know. I should freeze it. But see, I put it in the fridge, where I vow to use it the same day so it won't go bad. It migrates to the back. (Maybe it's afraid of my potatoes??) Well, I don't really eat the organs, either, but I do use chicken broth. And I do freeze it sometimes. I've had kids eat the organs when they were little, and someday I just might be ambitious enough to make pate or chopped liver. I don't buy much chicken anymore, but I usually now buy pieces. Back in the olden days you could buy backs, necks and wings for a song and make broth, but that was before my soup stock making days (but not before my time.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I'm with ya girl - no organ eating here either... And I've always bought whole chickens thinking I was more savvy in the financial department. Now I feel kind jipped. Like I've done all that work of washing and paper towel drying that big disgusting (I'm pregnant, anything raw is disgusting) hunk of bird and I could've saved more money slapping down some br#$s in half the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam "SFSOM" in TN Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I'm with ya girl - no organ eating here either... And I've always bought whole chickens thinking I was more savvy in the financial department. Now I feel kind jipped. Like I've done all that work of washing and paper towel drying that big disgusting (I'm pregnant, anything raw is disgusting) hunk of bird and I could've saved more money slapping down some br#$s in half the time! Naw, you aren't out any money. Cook the breasts, then weigh them. Just like the whole chicken, precooked weight is more than post-cooked weight. I don't dry my bird. I'm not sure it makes much difference unless you're gonna rub it with oil. Which I don't. I just sprinkle pepper and kosher salt, then maybe some garlic cloves and lemon wedges in the cavity. And you'd still have to wash the breasts, right? Sorry I'm still talking about raw meat. :D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Naw, you aren't out any money. Cook the breasts, then weigh them. Just like the whole chicken, precooked weight is more than post-cooked weight. I don't dry my bird. I'm not sure it makes much difference unless you're gonna rub it with oil. Which I don't. I just sprinkle pepper and kosher salt, then maybe some garlic cloves and lemon wedges in the cavity. And you'd still have to wash the breasts, right? Sorry I'm still talking about raw meat. :D:D Alright, I'm going to do it. Because I. am. convinced. that you get a TON more meat w/ the breasts! I'll weigh them & report back. Just not tonight. Because you only need so much chicken. And I don't have breasts on hand. Well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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