Purchasing Your Whetstone Valley Goose

Availability

Whole, ready-to-cook geese are available frozen. Sizes of the birds, ready-to-cook, range from 8 to 16 pounds, with the majority being in the 10 to 14 pound range.

Although the availability of Whetstone Valley geese is becoming less seasonal, most will be found in the market during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to the New Year. If you are unable to find a goose in your local area, contact Schiltz Foods for help. No one should be denied a delicious goose dinner.

How Much To Buy

Select the Whetstone Valley bird best suited to your needs by allowing 1 to 1 1/2 frozen pounds per 6-ounce serving. Be sure to allow extra for larger servings, hearty appetites and second helpings. For larger family gatherings, you may prefer cooking a 14 to 16 pound goose.

Thawing & Storage

Frozen Whetstone Valley Goose

If goose is frozen, thaw completely before cooking. The method of thawing used will depend on the amount of time and space that is available.

• Thawing in Refrigerator
  Place goose, still in its original wrap, on tray. Place in refrigerator to thaw.

• Thawing in Cool or Cold Water
  Place goose, still in its original wrap, in sink with cool or cold water. Change water often to hasten thawing or allow to sit in running cold water.

Cooked Goose

Leftover stuffing, gravy and meat should be refrigerated separately as soon as possible after serving. These should be served within 2 or 3 days after roasting and should be heated thoroughly before serving. Small meal-size units, properly wrapped, may be held frozen for one month.

Roasting Whetstone Valley Goose

1. If goose is frozen, thaw according to directions given in Step 2.
2. Preheat oven to 400° F.
3. Remove neck and giblets from body cavity, cook them promptly or refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Remove excess fat from body cavity and neck skin. Reserve fat and render for use in other cooking. Rinse bird and drain.
5. Wings may be removed at second joint or covered with aluminum foil. If two end pieces of wings are removed, cook them with neck and giblets.
6. To stuff, fill neck and body cavity loosely. Fasten neck skin to back with a skewer. Tie legs together or tuck in band of skin at tail if present. If unstuffed, there is no need to truss, but sprinkle body cavity lightly with salt.
7. Place goose, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer deep inside thigh muscle (not touching the bone). Prick goose with fork around thighs, legs and breast.
8. Roast covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on size of bird) in preheated 400° F. oven. No need to baste.
9. During roasting, spoon or siphon off accumulated fat as needed.
10. After roasting for 45 minutes to 1 hour, reduce oven temperature to 325° F., cover pan and continue roasting.
11. Roast until thermometer in thigh registers 180° to 185° F. Stuffing temperature should also be checked and it should register 165° F. Allow about 20 to 30 minutes roasting time per pound. You may want to uncover the bird toward the end of the roasting time to make the breast skin brown and crispy.
12. If a thermometer is not used, press meaty part of leg between protected fingers. It should feel very soft. Also prick thigh with a fork. The juices running out of thigh should be beige in color, not pink. The skin should be golden brown and crisp. The fat layer between skin and meat should be gone, and the meat should almost be falling off the bones.

Giblets

Cover gizzard, heart, neck and wing tips with water in saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover and simmer 1 hour or until fork tender. (Additional seasonings may be added if desired.) Add liver and cook for 10 minutes. Refrigerate unless used immediately.

Carving & Serving

Begin by removing wing from body. Next, remove drumstick and thigh in one piece at hip joint. Divide into two pieces, drumstick and thigh. If goose is large, you may want to slice meat from drumstick and thigh.

Remove breast meat all in one piece from each side by inserting knife between the meat and keel bone. Cut down the breastbone. Continue cutting along the wishbone to the wing joint. With knife parallel to breastbone, lift meat up and away from breastbone and bones of ribcage. Cut breast meat into 2 or 4 equal portions depending on size of bird.

Repeat above steps with other side.

The Leftovers

Hold aside the giblets, carcass, wings and any leftover scraps. Then try the hearty dishes below. All have the distinctive goose flavor which many connoisseurs consider one of the most delicious of all poultry meats.

Fricasseed Goose with Potato Dumplings is especially savory served with boiled cabbage. The Giblets and Barley Soup is hearty enough to be a meal in itself. Or make a simple broth by using the carcass, neck and giblets, leftover skin, an onion, a few sprigs of parsley and celery leaves. Then add an envelope of onion soup and simmer 10 minutes, or add fine noodles or rice for variety.