Our pasture-raised stew hens are retired laying hens that have spent their lives right here at Wise Acre Farm. At around two years old, their egg production naturally begins to decline, but they still have plenty to offer!
Unlike our roasting chickens, stew hens have tougher meat that is best cooked low and slow. They are perfect for homemade chicken stock, soups, stews, or slow cooking until the meat is tender enough to shred for tacos, pasta, salads, and more.
We believe in honoring the whole bird, so each stew hen comes with a few extra goodies tucked inside the cavity, including cleaned feet, neck, and two organs such as the heart and gizzard. These can all be added right into the pot to create an incredibly nutrient dense and flavorful homemade stock.
Our stew hen program allows us to make the most of the hens we have cared for throughout their productive lives while providing our community with an affordable, locally raised source of protein.
Tips from Farmher Tiffany
This is a great option for those looking to better control their sodium intake. Our hens never have sodium solutions added during processing, a practice sometimes used in commercial poultry production to help the meat retain moisture and stay tender during cooking.
Making your own broth with a Wise Acre stew hen also puts you in control of exactly how much salt goes into the pot. Many commercially prepared broths contain significant amounts of sodium, while homemade broth can be seasoned entirely to your preference.
One thing to keep in mind, recipes using store-bought broth may account for the sodium already in that broth. When cooking with homemade, unsalted broth, you may need to add a little more salt than the recipe calls for to get the flavor just right.
