The Best Advice You’ll Ever Hear About Farmers’ Markets

Spragg’s Meat Shop products can be found year round, Thursday through Sunday, at the Calgary Farmers’ Market and the Market on Macleod. We have a lot of experience with farmers’ market shoppers and we work hard to eliminate many of the issues that can arise, but we’d like to share a few tips that will help make your market experience a positive one. Better safe than sorry!

Never forget your reusable shopping bags or totes. Not only will you be doing the environment a favour, but you’ll also be doing yourself a favour by freeing up your hands for the day. The markets do not have shopping carts, so plan to carry and transport your purchases back to your vehicle.

Cash is king. Although many vendors have debit machines, there is always the rare chance that technology will fail if the booth is located in an area with a weak connection. Withdraw cash from an ATM on location before you begin to shop, or stop at the bank beforehand.

Come early. You’ve heard it before: available while supplies last. It is not uncommon for vendors to sell out, especially if they are offering a seasonal item that is high in demand. Don’t miss your opportunity to shop for your favourite items, beat the rush! To avoid this issue altogether, we are happy to take orders a week in advance, available for pickup on market days.

 If you’re not sure, ask for details. We can’t speak for all vendors, but at Spragg’s Meat Shop our staff are always ready to help! If you’re unsure of what product is best for you, it never hurts to ask for a recommendation based on your preferences.

 Dog friendly? Stroller friendly? Because food is being sold, only service dogs are exempt from a no animal policy at the farmers’ markets. It is always best to find the answers to these questions in advance. Ask us your questions on Facebook a few days before you plan on visiting the farmers’ market. We never want to turn anyone away, but the key is to create the most positive, safe environment for all consumers.

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About Spragg’s Meat Shop

Spragg’s Meat Shop is a family owned and operated business located in Rosemary, Alberta. Greg and Bonnie Spragg raise hogs, process, and market their pork products direct to Albertan consumers. Spragg’s works hard to produce the best pork for Albertans, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked and the roast is marinated. The Spragg family hopes that you get as much enjoyment eating their pork as they do getting it to your table.

Is Local Food Really More Nutritious?

As local farmers who raise, process and sell pork products throughout Alberta, we are proud members and advocates of the local food movement. With a farm to plate focus, Spragg’s Meat Shop works hard to produce the best pork products for you. Eating locally can mean access to better nutrition, better health and a better environment.

By the time your food hits your counter, several factors determine the nutritional quality. The answer to the question as to whether local food is more nutrition is: it depends. It depends on the decisions and practices used through the entire food system. However, direct contact with a local food producer gives the consumer the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity around how the food is produced, whether herbicides and pesticides were used, when it was picked or processed, post harvesting handling, storage, distance transported, etc.

This open relationship with local farmers helps consumers become more educated on the foods they consume. Again, local food isn’t always more nutritious, but we believe that the transparency local food producers provide empowers consumers to source out food that is more nutritious, flavourful and healthy. 

Can’t get enough of Spragg’s? Subscribe to our newsletter today!

You can also follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

About Spragg’s Meat Shop

Spragg’s Meat Shop is a family owned and operated business located in Rosemary, Alberta. Greg and Bonnie Spragg raise hogs, process, and market their pork products direct to Albertan consumers. Spragg’s works hard to produce the best pork for Albertans, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked and the roast is marinated. The Spragg family hopes that you get as much enjoyment eating their pork as they do getting it to your table.

5 Glazes For Your Easter Ham

There’s nothing more classic than an Easter ham.

At Spragg’s we offer our customers both smoked and un-smoked ham. We brine the meat with a salt solution that also contains sugar and spices. The pork legs are brined for two-weeks before each leg is put into a cotton netting and is hung in the smokehouse. The legs are smoked and cooked to 57 C over 8-10 hours and then cooled. After cooling overnight, we cut them with a meat saw into 2-4 pieces so that we can sell hams that vary in weight from 3-18 pounds. For those who want the ham flavor, but not the smoked process, we also sell a brined pork leg roast that has not gone into the smokehouse. We call these country rolls. 

Be sure to reserve your Easter ham in advance by contacting us by p: 403.378.3800 or e: meatshop@spraggsmeatshop.com.

Here are some of our favourite glazes for you to choose from.  The only hard part is deciding which one you’d like to try first! 

Easy Cola Glaze

When is a cola not a delicious drink? When it's half of a dynamic duo of ingredients for a simple glaze that brings a fizzy kick to your favourite pork recipe.

Easy Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze

With just four ingredients, this easy glaze is a foolproof flavor booster for baked ham or pork chops. Sweet and tangy pineapple juice brings an updated twist to the recipe.

Easy Orange Soy Glaze

The bright flavors of Asian cuisine give this recipe a tangy twist on a hearty ham glaze. Be sure to try it with pork chops or pork roast, too.

Easy Pineapple Ginger Glaze

Put some extra zing into your next ham glaze with this simple recipe that combine the soft fruit tones of pineapple with the peppery snap of ginger.

Easy Honey-Sriracha Ham Glaze

Honey, garlic and Sriracha come together to make a sweet and spicy glaze—the perfect foil to a salty ham.

Can’t get enough of Spragg’s? Subscribe to our newsletter today!

You can also follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

About Spragg’s Meat Shop

Spragg’s Meat Shop is a family owned and operated business located in Rosemary, Alberta. Greg and Bonnie Spragg raise hogs, process, and market their pork products direct to Albertan consumers. Spragg’s works hard to produce the best pork for Albertans, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked and the roast is marinated. The Spragg family hopes that you get as much enjoyment eating their pork as they do getting it to your table.

What To Look For When Buying Pork

Not all pork is raised, fed or processed the same and as a consumer finding the best quality meat can be a difficult task to tackle. If you’re feeling like you need some guidance when it comes to buying pork, here are our top tips and things to consider. 

Shopping Tips

• Pork should be light red to cherry red, never pale or white.
•  The fat should be white and creamy with no dark spots.
• The best-tasting pork is marbled with flecks of fat scattered through the lean meat.
• Fresh pork should never have any off odours.
• When you push down on the pork it should not spring back.
• When you cook pork, even more juices will flow out.
• Avoid pale, soft pork sitting in the package in liquid.
•   Avoid purchasing “enhanced” pork. Some manufacturers inject pork with a solution of water, salt and phosphates to keep it from drying out. The percentage of water is usually around 8 to 10 percent. It has a soft, rubbery texture and a slightly acrid or bitter taste.

Storage Tips

After purchase, refrigerate or freeze pork as soon as possible. If refrigerating pork, be sure to cook it or freeze it by the "Use By" date on the package, or freeze it.

If freezing pork for longer than two weeks, wrap the meat in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn. To prevent the risk of bacterial growth, always thaw frozen pork out in the refrigerator.

Can’t get enough of Spragg’s? Subscribe to our newsletter today!

You can also follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

About Spragg’s Meat Shop

Spragg’s Meat Shop is a family owned and operated business located in Rosemary, Alberta. Greg and Bonnie Spragg raise hogs, process, and market their pork products direct to Albertan consumers. Spragg’s works hard to produce the best pork for Albertans, from the day the pigs are born, to the day the pork chops are cut, bacon is smoked and the roast is marinated. The Spragg family hopes that you get as much enjoyment eating their pork as they do getting it to your table.