retain a good to 10 percent more moisture than an equivalent unsalted bird If all you plan to is cook your bird, kosher birds are a fantastic way of saving you the trouble of salting or brining them yourself The act of koshering also means that your bird comes preseasoned with salt—a fact that leads to kosher birds often winning poorly controlled taste tests in which the competing nonkosher birds haven’t been salted to an equivalent degree On the other hand, kosher birds give you less control over the finished product What if you want to add other flavors with your brine? What if you want to make a salt-free stock from the leftover parts? I prefer to buy less-processed, nonkosher birds (which, of course, also give you the option of buying specific breeds and sizes of bird or air-chilled birds—see below), with the knowledge that if I want to salt or brine my bird, I can do it better myself More importantly: I have never seen a kosher bird that meets Certified Organic standards Most are raised in highdensity factory farms, just like other conventional birds Q: It’s holiday time and I’m looking for a great turkey I often see labels that say “self-basting” or “enhanced”— what do these mean? These labels are far more common with turkeys, but you may occasionally see them on chickens as well The birds are injected with a flavored brine intended to help them retain more moisture as they cook—and it works There’s a reason why Butterballs stay so moist, even when they’re drastically overcooked My only problem with them is that the added liquid dilutes the natural flavor of the meat and often gives it a spongy quality And many of the brands that offer “enhanced” birds, like Butterball or Jenny-O, use relatively flavorless factory-farmed birds, which doesn’t help Personally, I avoid these birds Look for any fine print that says “enhanced,” or check the ingredients list to make sure it doesn’t include anything besides turkey or chicken Q: Sometimes I see chickens labeled “air-chilled” that sell for a premium at my market Are they worth the extra cost? I believe they are After slaughter, most conventional chickens are chilled by submerging them in ice water It’s an inexpensive, effective way to get them to a safe storage temperature rapidly, and for the chicken companies, it’s got a bonus: the chickens absorb about 12 percent of their body weight in water and retain a full percent at the time they are sold But what does this mean for the consumer? Two things First, when you buy a water-chilled chicken, part of what you’re paying for is added water This is especially the case if you buy your chicken packed in an airtight Cryovacstyle bag (I’m sure you’ve noticed the copious liquid that leaks out when you open these bags) Second, your chicken will not cook as well All that excess moisture it’s holding on to is mostly close to the surface, particularly in the skin As you cook the chicken, the moisture bleeds out, hindering browning and crisping A water-chilled chicken will never get as crisp as an air-chilled chicken For this reason, I absolutely avoid any chicken that’s sold in a Cryovac bag and actively seek out air-chilled chickens Air-chilled chickens are cooled in blast coolers that ... temperature rapidly, and for the chicken companies, it’s got a bonus: the chickens absorb about 12 percent of their body weight in water and retain a full percent at the time they are sold But what does this mean for the. .. what you’re paying for is added water This is especially the case if you buy your chicken packed in an airtight Cryovacstyle bag (I’m sure you’ve noticed the copious liquid that leaks out when you open these bags) Second, your chicken... well All that excess moisture it’s holding on to is mostly close to the surface, particularly in the skin As you cook the chicken, the moisture bleeds out, hindering browning and crisping A water-chilled