Mary’s Chicken Necks, Organic, Frozen

Description: Use these organic chicken necks as part of your soup stock. Humanely raised and air dried. All Mary’s chickens are free of antibiotics, preservatives and hormones. David Pitman is a forward-thinking, third-generation chicken farmer. His Pitman family farm raises Mary’s brand chicken in California’s San Joaquin Valley.  “We basically take the conventional book and throw it out the window,” Pitman said. “We give the bird the most humane lifestyle it can possibly have. The chicken houses are air-conditioned for those hot summer months. They can be inside or outside, at their discretion. We let them choose when to eat and when not to eat. And we feed them only a vegetarian diet.” Pitman conceded that they did have a pretty big learning curve when they switched to an organic, all-vegetarian diet with no antibiotics and no growth hormones. “We practiced it for three years before we actually started selling the organic chicken,” he said. “The change slowed down the growth rate of our chickens, which made us nervous at first, but we soon realized that it was great for the bird’s overall health.” Mary’s chickens are also processed differently than the typical, factory-raised chicken. As it says on the package, it’s “Air chilled.” “After chickens are plucked and cleaned, they’re usually soaked in cold water.  But that chlorinated water is absorbed into the meat, so you’re paying for the water, and it’s also affecting the taste.  By chilling the birds with cool air, instead of water, you just get the natural flavor of the chicken. No added water. So it’s a better value, and better flavor,” Pitman said. Mary’s also packages their chicken differently, without the use of Styrofoam trays. “It was important to us to eliminate all those Styrofoam trays that were going into landfills, so we went to a pressure-filled, eco-friendly package,” Pitman said. Step 3 Rating – Animal Centered, Bred for outdoors All chickens have access to outdoors. Outdoor areas include ample water and shade Natural behaviors are enriched with bales of straw (used for pecking) and eucalyptus tree branches (used for playing and hiding). Fed an Organic Vegetarian Diet No GMOs* No Synthetic Amino Acids Vegetarian Diet: 65% Organic Corn 30% Organic Soybean 5% Vitamins and Minerals * GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms: an organism with altered genetic DNA engineered by humans. Mary’s is the first in the industry to be verified by the Non GMO Project. Gluten Free No Added Water Vegetarian Diet No Preservatives No Antibiotics Ever Raised Without Added Hormones* *Federal Regulations Prohibit the Use of Hormones in Chicken Mary's Free-Range Organic Air Chilled Chickens are an additional step up the ladder in humane farming practices; with freedom to move about and a premium diet void of any chemical stimulators. Certified Organic feeds must be certified by the USDA and everything that goes in them must be certified as well. Mary's Organic Chicken feed does not contain any of the following: No Animal By Products No GMOs No Antibiotics No Pesticide Treated Grains No Grains Grown with Chemical Fertilizers No Synthetic Amino Acids Mary’s chickens are cooled with a state-of-the-art “Air Chill” system. Air Chill helps inhibit the spread of bacteria by keeping all of the chickens separated, and saves 30,000 gallons of chlorinated water every day. With no water added, the air chilled method keeps the "real" chicken flavor and natural juices intact. The air chilled method also produces a better tasting chicken. Unlike conventionally processed chickens Mary’s humanely-raised chicken will have the natural aroma of the fresh chicken, with no water absorbed, and you get the natural flavor of the true chicken.  *Chicken Necks are packaged in one bulk bag; this product is not individually frozen. Chicken Necks still contain some skin. *Azure freezes meat products upon arrival to our warehouse which extends the fresh expiration date up to a year. FDA regulations require producers to label their meat with a fresh expiration date. Azure freezes meat products well before the expiration date making it available for distribution up to a year. MRNA Vaccine Statement: We do not give our poultry any MRNA Vaccines, and do not plan on doing so in the future, It is also important to note that vaccines with MRNA technology do not currently exist for poultry.  Thank You, Pitman Family Farms Summary: Use these organic chicken necks as part of your soup stock. Humanely raised and air dried. All Mary’s chickens are free of antibiotics, preservatives and hormones. Directions: With this product not being individually frozen, we recommend customers that wish to make smaller batches to let the product defrost and then repackage into smaller units for easier processing. To do this safely, please read the following instructions and tips from the USDA: Safe Thawing There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Small items may defrost overnight; most foods require a day or two. And large items like turkeys may take longer, approximately one day for each 5 pounds of weight. For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Tissues can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.) Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately. When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat. Refreezing Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly. ( Freezing and Food Safety, USDA ) Ingredients: organic chicken necks