Smart Buying
Your best guides for selecting meat are the U.S. Department of Agriculture grades. Federally graded meats carry a purple grade stamp—a shield enclosing the letters “USDA” and the grade name. These stamps divide the wide range of meat quality into several groups.
Grade stamps appear on most retail beef, veal, calf, lamb, and mutton cuts. Pork is not usually graded. Some meat packers, wholesalers, and retailers use their own brand names to designate the quality levels of their products.
USDA Prime, the top grade, is used largely by hotels and restaurants. USDA Choice and USDA Good are the grades most commonly found in retail markets. USDA Standard and Commercial grades are not often sold at retail.
38U. S.U. S.INSPECTEDINSP’D & P’S’DAND PASSED BYDEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTUREEST. 38USDA meat inspection marks.
38U. S.U. S.INSPECTEDINSP’D & P’S’DAND PASSED BYDEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTUREEST. 38USDA meat inspection marks.
USDA meat inspection marks.
Another purple stamp that may appear on fresh retail meat cuts is the circular mark of Federal meat inspection (below, left). This shows that meat is inspected and passed for wholesomeness, and that it is processed under strict sanitary conditions. A round mark of Federal meat inspection (below, right) alsoappears on processed meat products to show they are made from wholesome meat, are processed under sanitary conditions, and are truthfully labeled. All fresh or processed meat products that are shipped from one State to another must bear a mark of Federal inspection.
Not all meat is federally inspected. Some States and cities have their own regulations for locally produced meats. However, the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967 will ultimately assure consumers that all meat is inspected by either the Federal Government or an adequate State system.
At the meat counter, consider the amount of cooked lean meat you will get for the money you pay.
The prices for a pound of beef chuck roast, pork rib roast, ground beef, and beef liver may be about the same at your store. In many instances, a pound of these roasts will provide only about half as much cooked lean meat as a pound of ground beef or beef liver. The other half of the pound of roast is bone, excess fat, and drippings.
So it would take twice as many pounds—and twice as much money—to feed your family the roasts as it would the ground beef or liver, even though the price per pound is the same.
In retail markets, ready-to-cook poultry is available chilled or frozen, whole or cut up. Processed poultry products are also on the market in canned, frozen, dehydrated, and other convenient forms.
USDA poultry inspection and grademarks.
USDA poultry inspection and grademarks.
USDA poultry inspection and grademarks.
Look for both the round U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection mark and the shield-shaped grademark on the poultry you buy.
The round USDA inspection mark (above, left) means that poultry and poultry products have been officially inspected for wholesomeness, are truthfully labeled, and are not adulterated. USDA inspection is required in plants that produce poultry products for sale across State lines or in foreign trade.
The shield-shaped grademark (above, right) shows that the poultry has been officially graded for quality. Poultry must be USDA-inspected before it can be federally graded. The U.S. grades for poultry are based on meatiness, freedom from defects, and general appearance. The best grade of poultry is marked “USDA Grade A.”
Chicken, turkey, duck, and goose are common forms of poultry. Guinea is available in some markets. The label may suggest suitable cooking methods and indicate the age of the poultry—for chicken: “broiler or fryer,” “roaster,” “stewing chicken;” for turkey: “fryer-roaster,” “young hen,” “young tom,” “mature turkey.”
Broilers, fryers, roasters, capons, and Rock Cornish game hens are young chickens with tender meat. Stewing chickens, hens, and fowl are mature chickens with less tender meat. Turkeys labeled fryer-roaster or young turkey are young birds with tender meat. Most ducks are marketed young as ducklings—broilers, fryers, and roasters. Most geese and guineas are marketed as young geese and young guineas.
Ready-to-cook chickens are sold chilled or frozen—whole or cut into parts. Most ready-to-cook turkeys are marketed frozen whole, in a wide range of sizes; some are available chilled. Frozen turkey halves, quarters, or parts are sometimes available. Ducks, geese, and guineas—like turkeys—are generally marketed frozen whole. Ducklings are also available as cut-up parts.
Frozen poultry, stuffed and ready for the oven, is available in many markets. Boneless poultry roasts and rolls—so convenient—are also on the market.
Today there are about 240 commercial species of fish and shellfish marketed in the United States. They may be fresh, frozen, or canned.
Fresh fish are generally available by the pound in these forms—whole, dressed, and in steaks, fillets, and chunks. Most fish dealers will clean, dress, or fillet your fish for you. They can also tell you what fish are in season and what fish are a good buy.
Frozen fish are usually packed during the season when they are plentiful and are held in freezer storage until distributed. This means that you can buy most fish throughout the year. Frozen fish come whole, dressed, and in steaks, fillets, chunks, portions, and sticks.
Canned fish and specialty items containing fish are ready to serve or use as bought. Canned tuna, salmon, mackerel, and Maine sardines are widely available.
Familiarize yourself with these market forms of fish:
Whole.—Fish marketed just as they come from the water. Ask your dealer to scale, eviscerate, and remove head, tail, and fins.
Dressed or pan-dressed.—Fish with scales and entrails removed, and—usually—head, tail, and fins removed. Small fish are called pan-dressed and are ready to cook as purchased. Large dressed fish may be cooked as purchased, but often are filleted or cut into steaks or chunks.
Steaks.—Cross-section slices from large dressed fish cut ⅝ to 1 inch thick. Steaks can be cooked as purchased.
Fillets.—Sides of the fish cut lengthwise away from the backbone. They may be skinned or the skin may be left on. Fillets are ready to cook as purchased.
Chunks.—Cross sections of large dressed fish. A cross section of the backbone is the only bone in a chunk. They are ready to cook as purchased.
Raw breaded fish portions.—Portions cut from frozen fish blocks, coated with a batter, breaded, packaged, and frozen. Raw breaded fish portions weigh more than 1½ ounces. They are ready to cook as purchased.
Fried fish portions.—Portions cut from frozen fish blocks, coated with a batter, breaded, partially cooked, packaged, and frozen. Fried fish portions weigh more than 1½ ounces. They are ready to heat and serve as purchased.
Fried fish sticks.—Sticks cut from frozen fish blocks, coated with a batter, breaded, partially cooked, packaged, and frozen. Fried fish sticks weigh up to 1½ ounces. They are ready to heat and serve as purchased.
The U.S. Department of the Interior provides an official inspection service that enables you to identify high-quality seafoods. Such products may be identified by the official USDI grade or inspection shields that appear on the label. Fishery products that display these shields have been processed under continuous in-plant inspection and have met definite quality, processing, and packaging requirements.
Buy graded eggs in cartons at a store that keeps them in refrigerated cases. Federally graded eggs are identified with a shield-shaped grademark that indicates the quality at the time of grading. If they have been properly handled since grading, there should be little loss in quality.
Quality.—U.S. Grade AA (or Fresh Fancy) and Grade A eggs are excellent for all purposes, but are especially good for poaching and frying where the appearance of the finished product is important. Grade B eggs are satisfactory for use in cooked dishes.
The grade of the egg does not affect its food value; lower grades are as high in nutrients as top grades. Buy either white or brown eggs. The color of the shell does not affect the nutritive value or quality of the egg.
Size.—Eggs are also classified by size according to weight per dozen. Size is independent of quality; large eggs may be of high or low quality and high-quality eggs may be of any size. Common market sizes of eggs and the minimum weight per dozen:
U.S. Extra Large—27 ounces.U.S. Large—24 ounces.U.S. Medium—21 ounces.U.S. Small—18 ounces.
The substitution of one size egg for another often makes little difference in recipe results. However, in some recipes—for example in sponge and angelfood cakes—the proportion of egg to other ingredients is very important. For these recipes, it may be necessary to increase the number of eggs if you are using a smaller size.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually best in quality and lowest in cost when in season.
Whatever fruit or vegetable you are buying, look first for freshness. Pointers on selecting some fruits and vegetables follow on page12.
Apples.—Good color usually indicates full flavor.
Bananas.—Bananas should be firm, fresh in appearance, and unscarred. Yellow or brown-flecked ones are ready for immediate use. Select slightly green-colored bananas for use within a few days.
Berries.—Select plump, solid berries with good color. Avoid wet or leaky berries. Blackberries and raspberries with clinging caps may be underripe. Strawberries without caps may be too ripe.
Grapes.—Grapes should be plump, fresh in appearance, and firmly attached to the stems. Red or black varieties should be well colored for the variety. Most white or green varieties should have a slightly amber tone.
Melons (except watermelons).—Ripe cantaloups have a yellowish surface color; honeydews, a creamy color; crenshaws, a golden-yellow color mottled with green; casabas, a yellow color; and persian melons, a dull gray-green color. Ripe melons of these types usually have a fruity aroma and a slight softening at the blossom end. A ripe cantaloup has no stem; other melons may have stems attached.
Oranges, grapefruit, and lemons.—Choose those heavy for their size. Smooth, thin skins usually indicate more juice. Most skin markings do not affect quality. Oranges with a slight greenish tinge may be just as ripe as fully colored ones. Light or greenish-yellow lemons are more tart than deep-yellow ones.
Peaches.—Best quality peaches are fairly firm, not bruised, with yellow or red color over the entire surface.
Pears.—Some pears, especially winter varieties, are marketed when slightly underripe and need to be ripened at home—at room temperature. Pears are ripe and ready to eat when they yield slightly to moderate pressure.
Pineapples.—Pineapple varieties vary greatly in color. Ripe pineapples have a fragrant, fruity aroma. Usually, the heavier the fruit for its size, the better the quality. Avoid pineapples that have decayed or moldy spots.
Watermelons.—Ripe watermelons have a somewhat dull surface and a creamy color underneath. The interior should be fully red and firm, and should have few immature seeds.
Asparagus.—Stalks should be tender and firm; tips should be close and compact. Choose the stalks with little white—they are more tender. Use asparagus promptly—it toughens rapidly.
Beans, snap.—Choose slender beans with no large bumps (bumps indicate large seeds). Avoid beans with dry-looking pods.
Broccoli.—Look for small flower buds on compactly arranged heads with good green color. Avoid yellowing, soft, or spreading heads.
Brussels sprouts.—The heads should be firm with good green color. Yellowing outer leaves and softness indicate aging. Smudgy, dirty spots may indicate insect damage or decay.
Cabbage.—Choose heads that are firm and heavy. Outer leaves should be fresh, green, and free from worm-holes.
Cauliflower.—Choose heads that are compact, firm, and white or creamy white. Avoid discolored heads and those with soft spots.
Celery.—Best-quality celery is fresh and crisp. It is clean and has leaves that appear fresh; stems do not have black or brown discoloration. Avoid pithy, woody, or very stringy celery.
Corn.—Good-quality fresh corn has husks that are fresh and green. The ears are well filled with plump, firm, milky kernels. Immature ears of corn have small, undeveloped, watery kernels. Overmature ears have very firm, large, starchy kernels, often indented.
Cucumbers.—Choose firm, slender cucumbers for best quality. Avoid yellowed cucumbers and those with withered or shrivelled ends.
Lettuce (head).—Select heads that are green, fresh, crisp, and fairly firm to firm. Head lettuce should be free from rusty appearance and excessive outer leaves.
Onions (dry).—Size and color do not affect flavor or quality of dry onions. Clean, hard, well-shaped onions with dry skins are usually of good quality. Moisture at the neck may be a sign of decay. Mild-flavored onions, which are often large, may be elongated or flat. Stronger-flavored onions are usually medium size and globe shaped.
Peas and lima beans.—Select pods that are well filled but not bulging. Avoid dried, spotted, yellowed, or flabby pods.
Potatoes.—Best-quality potatoes are firm, smooth, and well shaped. They are free from cuts, blemishes, and decay. To judge quality more easily, look for potatoes that are reasonably clean. Avoid potatoes with wasteful deep eyes. Potatoes with green skins may be bitter. If you plan to buy a large quantity of potatoes, buy a few first to see if they are the kind you want. Early-crop potatoes, harvested in spring and summer, tend to be less mealy when cooked than those harvested later.
Root vegetables.—Choose smooth, firm vegetables. Very large carrots may have woody cores; oversized radishes may be pithy; oversized turnips, beets, and parsnips may be woody. The size and condition of the tops on root vegetables do not necessarily indicate the eating quality.
Sweetpotatoes.—Choose sweetpotatoes that are clean, smooth, well shaped, and firm. Damp or soft spots may indicate decay. There are two types of sweetpotatoes. The moist type has soft, moist, orange-colored flesh and bronze or rosy skin. The dry type has firm, dry, somewhat mealy, yellow-colored flesh and yellow or light-brown skin.
Tomatoes.—Choose tomatoes that are plump, firm, and uniformly pink, red, or yellow in color. They should be free from growth cracks, scars, and bruises. The best flavored tomatoes are ripened on the vine.
For more information, see Home and Garden Bulletins 141, “How to Buy Fresh Fruits,” and 143, “How to Buy Fresh Vegetables.”
Canned.—You may want to choose the highest quality for salads, or for serving “as is.” But second quality may do for combination dishes such as stews, casserole dishes, soups, and fruit puddings, where uniform size, shape, or color is not important.
Frozen.—Buy only packages that are frozen solid. Avoid partially thawed packages that feel soft or are stained. Thawing and refreezing lower quality.