# Simmering liver- what's the "scum"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 21, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499 "2020-10-21T14:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/1 "2020-10-21T14:22:53Z")
I buy frozen bags of 3-5 turkey livers from the nearby turkey store. I drop them in boiling water and then simmer them for ~15 minutes. I use them as dog treats. When they are cooking, a “scum” rises to the top and clings to the pot, making clean-up a PIA. Can someone tell me what is in the “scum”? I also buy bags of hearts and bags of gizzards. They cook up just fine, no scum whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![TheKingOfSoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@TheKingOfSoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheKingOfSoup)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/2 "2020-10-21T17:19:07Z")
Probably fat. Um, “Turkey Store?” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/3 "2020-10-21T18:10:20Z")
More like coagulated proteins with fat included. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/4 "2020-10-22T00:58:54Z")
It’s the water-soluble proteins. > **[Curiosities: When boiling meat, what causes foam on liquid?](https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/ask/curiosities/curiosities-when-boiling-meat-what-causes-foam-on-liquid/article_dcba823c-7296-11e0-bc10-001cc4c03286.html)** > > Q While cooking my St. Patrick's Day corned beef, I noticed a large amount of foam that formed on top of the boiling liquid. What causes this? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/5 "2020-10-22T10:10:59Z")
Thanks! Turkey store = Turkey farm’s outlet shop. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/6 "2020-10-22T10:59:04Z")
“Simmering Liver!” is now going to be my new piratical exclamation. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/7 "2020-10-22T15:09:14Z")
Buy a long handled mesh strainer/skimmer. We have one and use it all the time. Easy to get rid of the scum that floats to the top. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/8 "2020-10-22T15:12:26Z")
I will do that! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/9 "2020-10-22T20:18:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Turkey store = Turkey farm’s outlet shop. Seconds, odd lots, & closeouts from a turkey farm. The mind boggles at the possibilities. And recoils at more than a few. What, no turkey 'nads? Probably be tasty with the Swedish meatball sauce (Heinz Chili Sauce plus grape jelly) we all learned about here: > [@Defend Heinz Chili sauce](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defend-heinz-chili-sauce/920512): > > Something I was watching on YouTube made me think of Heinz Chili sauce for the first time in decades. My dad loved the stuff which always struck me aa very weird. Because he hated ketchup, and mocked people for using it. I was never a huge ketchup fan even as a kid, but it made poor-to-mediocre fries taste like something . Because of the slow ketchup usage in our house when the bottle looked too old and cruded up I would use the HCS instead. And I really didn’t see much difference. Sure there w… Such fun. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/10 "2020-10-22T20:22:18Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The mind boggles at the possibilities. Yes it does. I’m wondering what a turkey with a “manufacturing defect” looks like. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/11 "2020-10-22T20:32:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > “Simmering Liver!” is now going to be my new piratical exclamation. “What’s the scum, chum?!” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/12 "2020-10-22T20:43:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > What, no turkey 'nads? We buy containers of “Pet Pâté” at the turkey store in the freezer case. Basically ground up scrap, tiny bits of meat, non traditional meat (kidneys, gonads), Our dogs absolutely love the stuff, they get a tablespoon most feedings. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/13 "2020-10-22T20:49:16Z")
Possibly blood. Same scum, sort of a gelid gray/beige color shows up around any meat with blood left in it. To help with cleanup rinse, or pre-soak the livers to remove it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/14 "2020-10-22T21:12:50Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Yes it does. I’m wondering what a turkey with a “manufacturing defect” looks like. Today I learned that doing a Google image search for [birth defects turkey] does not give you the light-hearted yet fowl entertainment you might hope for. Hence the lack of a clickable link. I was also thinking about the proverb of the oats being cheaper after they’ve gone through the horse. Used turkey food would be really, really cheap. > [@kayaker](#): > > We buy containers of “Pet Pâté” at the turkey store in the freezer case. Basically ground up scrap, tiny bits of meat, non traditional meat (kidneys, gonads), > > Our dogs absolutely love the stuff, they get a tablespoon most feedings. I’m not surprised the dogs love it; sounds real healthy and bursting with flavor. Maybe **[Andrew Zimmern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarre_Foods_with_Andrew_Zimmern)** might feature it in an omelet or maybe on lavosh. Shame they’re not making more episodes. Though like so many celebs his ego eventually got too big for his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/15 "2020-10-23T00:36:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Swedish meatball sauce (Heinz Chili Sauce plus grape jelly) we Swedish meatball sauce and your Heinz Sauce+grape jelly meatball sauce are two VERY different sauces. Swedish meatballs are in a white, cream-based sauce, nothing at all resembling the dark burgundy-colored , semi-clear piquant glaze in your Heinz+jelly recipe. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/16 "2020-10-23T00:37:26Z")
> [@Ziberian](#): > > Possibly blood. Same scum, sort of a gelid gray/beige color shows up around any meat with blood left in it. To help with cleanup rinse, or pre-soak the livers to remove it. I’ve eaten my share of turkey liver and even more chicken liver and I can assure you the only blood I’ve ever seen has been in clots. What you’re calling ‘blood’ is actually a mix of water and [myoglobin](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&ei=JySSX-qMIpigytMP8uKoqAE&q=what+is+the+red+juice+that+comes+out+of+meat&oq=what+is+the+juice+thatmeat&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgYIABAHEB4yCAgAEAgQBxAeOgQIABBHOgIIADoCCC46BAgAEA06CAgAELEDEJECOgUIABCxAzoGCAAQCBAeOggIABANEAoQHjoICAAQCBANEB5QqXRYztwBYJnwAWgAcAJ4AIABxAiIAYglkgEQMTEuNy4wLjEuMC4xLjEuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQjAAQE&sclient=psy-ab), a protein within the muscle. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/17 "2020-10-23T16:43:28Z")
I’ve cooked my share of chicken, beef, & pork liver, as well as roasts, chops, etc and I can assure you I’ve seen a lot of blood ooze from the meat to form a greyish gelid scum as the meat began to cook. I usually cook relatively fresh meat (i.e. meat that has blood and does not have ‘15% solution’ or other additives), that may be the difference. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simmering-liver-whats-the-scum/923499/18 "2020-10-23T16:50:44Z")
> [@Ziberian](#): > > I’ve seen a lot of blood ooze from the meat No, you haven’t. You’ve seen a lot of myoglobin.