Fresh meat --- do you prefer to buy from supermarkets?

That's awesome! I don't think I've ever had a slab of meat straight from the farm! How would you describe the taste of it? Is it more tender? I wouldn't even know how to go about getting meat from the farm.

The meat is definitely far more tender than what you get at the grocery store. It has more flavor, and instead of having big hunks of gristle (or fat) it's more an even marbled distribution of natural fats. When you cook that kind of meat, it doesn't shrink in the pan. Like when I make burgers: when I use store meat, I'll start out with a patty and it will shrink to half it's size, with homegrown meats, it doesn't shrink at all because theres no extra fats or waters added (like store beef has.) Whenever anybody eats at my house they always ask what store I bought the meat at because it's so good lol. I live in a farming community, so it's easy for me to find and procure home grown meats. They get processed (cut down, aged, etc) at a local small processing plant owned by a local farmer. If you're looking for homegrown meats, I'd go for a country drive, spot a farm with lots of cattle in the field, and stop and ask if anybody there sells sides of beef. Lol, us farmers (most of us anyways) don't mind somebody stopping, and usually know exactly who sells their beef, chickens, whatever, to the public. Once you've had fresh grown like that, store meats never taste the same! When I get mine processed, they ask how I want it packed: I opt for 1 # freezer packets, and 5# roasts, because of the size of the family here. They cut it, process it, and even pre-freeze it for me.

Hi JoyfulOne, You are indeed lucky to have a local source. You are assured that this is really good meat and the freshest of the meat. In the province where I lived when I was small, there were local butchers who sold pork from the pigs that they raised. They butcher their pigs every week and prior to doing that, they are assured of their sales because they went around the town and asked people who wanted to get pork from them. I am glad to have very good information from you about beef. I don't have the same opportunity that you have in sourcing meat from local farmers. Thanks!

Hi, Oh yes, we had this good relation with the butcher in my home town and he would keep good pieces for us on all sundays. We lived near a beach and fish was easily available, it was fresh and cheap. Now the situation has changed, not much about meat though. Good fish are exported and all the low grade ones are sold there, at a higher price!!! I still remember one incident, I was in school and a few of my friends came visiting. I took them to beach and while having fun there, this boat with full of fish just came to shore. We were curious and went beside the boat. But we didnt have much money to buy fish. One of the fishermen recognised me and asked me to get bags so that he would give us crabs. We were very excited and all bags were filled with crabs and fish!!! All for free!!! Now I live in another part of the country, but the taste, variety and quality compared to what I had before pathetic!!!

Hi Malpoa, I am really smiling here. That happened to us, too when we were swimming in the sea in the province. A fisherman's boat came ashore and he had loads of fresh fish and octopus, too. We bought one big octopus at a very cheap price. We were happy to see it because it was still breathing. We grilled the octopus. It was nice to really eat something fresh--- the meat is really sweet, lol. We just have memories now as we now live in the city, too. It is now very rare that we spend time in the province because of life's priorities. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Malpoa, That worked the same way with how it was in the small town that I grew up. The local butchers either have Sundays or every other Sunday to slaughter their animals. Before slaughtering, they go around the neighborhood and ask who are interested to buy meat. We also had the chance to choose which parts of say, pig, we like. Meat was really fresh and cheap than when bought from the market.

Hello & thank you for your comment. I would like to raise chickens too, for eggs though. Yes it is nice to raise our own beef and we are assured that they are getting an organic diet too. I do not eat much of the meat though,. Last year I had to look after them for a few week and really got to know some. They were gentle and nice. I had to try really hard not to get too friendly as I kept remembering their purpose :( It has it's good points though. I just heard the other day that some meat in the supermarket has red dye added to it. Have you or anyone else ever heard of that? Ewe!

Hi EvrWonder, That is nice to have your own produce on your table. I agree that you are assured what the animals were fed because you raise them. Meat sold in supermarkets may have come from animals which are fed with growth-enhancing products which may not prove beneficial to our health. I wish we had our own livestock, too. We only raise chickens here from where we get our meat.

Yes, these Farmers' Markets are indeed available everyday. It is basically a grocery store that doesn't just sell American food. There, you are able to find foods from all kinds of nations and cultures. I just don't go there everyday because when I but groceries, I buy for two weeks worth of groceries. The reason I do that is because these types of markets are not close to my house. There are the usual grocery stores nearby, like Publix and Wal-Mart. I only buy beverages and milk at those places because they are closer. You are correct, the Farmers Markets wouldn't be able to sell anything the ground was wet. I think markets have to be inspected by inspectors so they would be able to get their license to sell food that people are going to buy. I think the 'Markets is an international business that imports goods from different countries. Addressing the comment about the smell of the wet markets, at least the meat is literally a few minutes fresh!

Hi Cillysophie, That would be a very good source of fresh products and cheap ones. There you can find a good variety of choices in just about any product from the farm. Are these farmer's markets available everyday? In a way, that may be the equivalent of wet markets here. I would imagine that it might be a little organized and cleaner in your farmer's markets. Here, when you say wet market, it is really wet. The ground you are stepping is often times wet because fresh fish, pork, beef and chicken meat and a lot others are sold there while the vendors just wash or clean them in the vicinity. It smells awful most of the time.

Hi Dorannmwin, Buying it fresh and freezing the meat yourself gives you the assurance that the frozen one is really fresh, rather than buying already frozen meat in the supermarket. Good idea. I can now compare how things were done in the small town that I was raised. Meat was really fresh as we even got to see and know when the animal is slaughtered. We did not have pork or beef meat every day and we only got to cook or eat them when a local butcher told us that he was slaughtering a pig and if we wanted to get a kilo or two. Now in the city, supermarkets have a lot of sources and we just need to trust these are fresh after, of course, our personal "scrutiny" of the meat.

Hiya MMT, Well we have to trust this Supermarket as it´s the only one for a few miles around and the Transport here is not too good. Generally they keep a pretty high standard of course I always keep a check on the Dates of expiry on the Meat specially you cannot be too careful. For example if it´s minced meat I use it within two days of buying usually.

Hi LAI, Well, these supermarkets have to refrain from doing funny business. If not, they will lose customers. It is easy to bring the business down if they do funny things that people won't surely like. People buy from supermarkets they trust. They can easily go to the next supermarket if they sense they are being shortchanged of their money's worth or when they don't sell meat that they promote are fresh and good.

Hi Bellis, As long as you get good quality and these are cheap, that would make one confident that he gets his money's worth. There are a lot of choices that one can find in his locality. Sometimes, we need to be smart and at the same time patient to find these good sources. Thanks!

Hi Gracie04, As we are in the same country, I can relate to what you are saying. The wet markets may sell cheaper meat but we just have to "brace ourselves" with the smell and "dirty" feeling to be there. In the past, my late husband and I were personally buying from the local fish port markets. We even had to wake up early and be there as early as 3am when these fishermen (or first-hand vendors) display their catch. You just have to wear appropriate footwear (we had plastic boots that time) to be able to wade on wet and filthy market ground. But it is a good feeling having your money's worth. I still even saw LIVE fish and other sea products being sold there.

Hi Homeshoppers, We are assured that meat is fresh from the local wet markets. Meat at the wet markets are easily sold maybe because they just have enough supply or a lot of people go to purchase meat there. That assures us that the supply is always fresh. Meat is cheaper in wet markets. In the supermarkets, these surely are frozen, if everything is not sold for the day.

Hi Joseline0568, Meat is fresh in the market place especially if you chance upon these butchers doing their work in some corners provided at times in certain market places. But sometimes we cannot guarantee that these are always fresh in the market place. These animals may have been butchered a day ago and were placed in freezers, too and displayed in the market place the following day (especially for those left unsold for the day). It is good to be an expert in determining fresh meat.

Hi Saphrina, That is good to have alternative sources. Sometimes we buy from a certain place because this is not available from one. Or, maybe, we want to buy from a source which is closer to where we are. Or, we consider prices. And most of all, we consider the quality of the meat and other products when buying. Thanks!

Hi Assadi, It is good to know of your tradition. I respect what you practice. I understand that being in a country with so many muslims, too. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Phoenix, Some supermarkets sell frozen ones, yes. But there are those that get their fresh supply from local sources or from persons who raise animals for meat. The price would be a little higher in supermarkets because of the accompanying costs that they entail, say, rent in the place. Sometimes, one needs to be smart and patient in finding places in order to get the best item for our money's worth.

Hi Taznem, These observations are correct. This is what is happening in our place, too. Meat from wet markets are always fresh because we can even see that these are butchered in the place. They sell cheap meat in these kind of market. But you just need to bear the smell and unpleasant environment in wet markets to be able to get your fresh supply at cheaper prices.