praxisproject Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 It's worth complaining to your local supermarkets (regularly) if they don't have free range bacon, in Australia we've seen a massive shift towards "cage free" and free range eggs due to public demand. Pork is just getting started with "sow stall free" pork in a major supermarket. Most of our milk is now "permeate" free. Suppliers will meet the demands of their wholesale buyers and supermarkets will ask for what the customers are asking for. Give them a (polite) hard time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournegirl Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I saw the sow Stall free wording today and wondered what it meant... Are they free ranging then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I think it's a step before free range, like cage free eggs. What's cool is that it's ALL their pork, not just the expensive stuff. Same with the cage free eggs. Free range is obviously better, but doing both of those across the board will add up to far more happier pigs and chickens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 For those outside Australia, we have two major supermarkets, Coles and Safeway, Coles is now doing cage free eggs, sow stall free pork and hormone free beef, across the board. Way to smash the supply chain of bad stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn B Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 The bacon with listed ingredients of: water, salt, sodium phospate, sodiium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite is actually the Costco line of low sodium bacon found in the refrigerated section. Someone mentioned this somewhere in this forum in a post i read, i was at Costco today and took a picture of the ingredients because with so many chemical-ly sounding ingredients, I decided to just forgo bacon right now- I am on day 22, and want to adhere to the no additives... it seems that in the bigger picture, when i reintroduce foods that it would be healthier to eat the free range bacon- with an insignificant amount of sugar added. Somewhere (cannot recall where- maybe in this forum) I read the amount of sugar used in the curing is soo little, and it actually cooks off. I don't save the fat to use for anything else- so though I will stay "compliant" right now, if anyone wants to comment on the healthier raised pork with the teeny amount of sugar, please do! I looked into wellness meats, and was prepared to purchase their bacon (credit card in hand) HOWEVER they have a minimum purchase amount. I don't need 75$ worth of bacon. How long does it stay good frozen? Or is there anyone in Maryland who would be willing to split the purchase? I looked at the eatwild.com site. some of the stores listed that carry product (bacon) are still cured with sugar. When time permits, I will check out the farmers markets. I checked out out my local Amish market, and was stunned to learn their bacon was bought from other farms (not by the Amish) and was loaded with junk. I was expecting otherwise. As for purchasing the pork belly, I saw one at the meat counter at Whole Foods. Do I assume there are no sugars or chemicals added? Is pork belly just not cured- nothing done to it? People have spoken a lot of curing their own meat- one of those things when i have more time i will possibly try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Hamilton Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I love Gwaltney!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindi Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I get FRESH bacon from our butcher. No salt, no sugar, no nothing. And it is cheaper and I add my own sea salt. I have to ask for it. That is how I found out about it anyway. I went in asking if they had some bacon that didn't have any thing in it...no processing and all that mess. I love it. My kids like the store bought kind. Figures but I am the one paying for it. Also just bought our first piggy. Half actually. A friend is the farmer so we KNOW from whence it came. Haven't received it yet. I think they are butchering on the 1st. Can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Lee Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I love that you said "whence" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Strathdee Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 I love that you said "whence" And used it perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Mahaffey See Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I just checked and we have Gwaltney in my fridge (Hardwood Smoked, red package) and the ingredients are: Cured with water, may contain 2% or less of salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Simpson Thumann Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 The bacon with listed ingredients of: water, salt, sodium phospate, sodiium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite is actually the Costco line of low sodium bacon found in the refrigerated section. Someone mentioned this somewhere in this forum in a post i read, i was at Costco today and took a picture of the ingredients because with so many chemical-ly sounding ingredients, I decided to just forgo bacon right now- I am on day 22, and want to adhere to the no additives... it seems that in the bigger picture, when i reintroduce foods that it would be healthier to eat the free range bacon- with an insignificant amount of sugar added. Somewhere (cannot recall where- maybe in this forum) I read the amount of sugar used in the curing is soo little, and it actually cooks off. I don't save the fat to use for anything else- so though I will stay "compliant" right now, if anyone wants to comment on the healthier raised pork with the teeny amount of sugar, please do! I looked into wellness meats, and was prepared to purchase their bacon (credit card in hand) HOWEVER they have a minimum purchase amount. I don't need 75$ worth of bacon. How long does it stay good frozen? Or is there anyone in Maryland who would be willing to split the purchase? I looked at the eatwild.com site. some of the stores listed that carry product (bacon) are still cured with sugar. When time permits, I will check out the farmers markets. I checked out out my local Amish market, and was stunned to learn their bacon was bought from other farms (not by the Amish) and was loaded with junk. I was expecting otherwise. As for purchasing the pork belly, I saw one at the meat counter at Whole Foods. Do I assume there are no sugars or chemicals added? Is pork belly just not cured- nothing done to it? People have spoken a lot of curing their own meat- one of those things when i have more time i will possibly try. Pork belly is easy to cure. I use celery salt, pepper and smoked paprika, rub it down good, toss into a ziplock bag and into the fridge. I let mine cure for seven days, some only go 2-4 days. All you have to do is remember to turn it over every other day. If you have the means to smoke it afterwards, awesome.. if not, it is still good. Oh and rinse it thoroughly once finished curing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan W Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Pork belly is easy to cure. I use celery salt, pepper and smoked paprika, rub it down good, toss into a ziplock bag and into the fridge. I let mine cure for seven days, some only go 2-4 days. All you have to do is remember to turn it over every other day. If you have the means to smoke it afterwards, awesome.. if not, it is still good. Oh and rinse it thoroughly once finished curing. Sharon the rinse thing is new to me. Why do you do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Simpson Thumann Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I rinse to get rid of some of the salt and I think the first recipe I found also said to rinse the salt off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patronick328 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I think that pork belly by itself is actually better than bacon... and you don't have to worry about anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Maryann Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I just checked and we have Gwaltney in my fridge (Hardwood Smoked, red package) and the ingredients are: Cured with water, may contain 2% or less of salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrate. Only the 'low sodium' variety is sugar free. I just bought some. This is the worst bacon I've ever cooked. It's like they made it from bits and scraps. Once you open it, the meat varies in color from that deep brick red we associate with bacon (in the middle) a bunch that is the pale pink color of a fresh ham further out than that, and grey meat along the edges. But it is mostly fat. It is cut so thin you can't pull it apart in slices, it just comes apart in pieces, and the fat is so stringy you can't even cut it. A 12 oz package made less than half as much actual bacon as the other ones I use, and left twice as much grease behind. It wasn't anything you could actually serve to someone as 'strips of bacon'. it is a proper mess. Gwaltney is a cheap brand anyway (they make a bologna that costs less than $1/pound) but lesson learned. next time I'll pay more for something that actually looks and cooks like bacon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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