Ducks and geese are bred in their natural state, in the open air, for 12 to 14 weeks until they reach adulthood. They are fed with corn grains generally produced in the same area by neighboring farmers. Ducks and especially geese are rather greedy. It is not unusual to see them gather and call for the farmer at feeding time!

Once the breeding period is achieved, they are fed intensively during 2 weeks for ducks and 3 weeks for geese, receiving 2 to 3 corn feed per day. Thus, their liver generates fat and becomes a 'foie gras'.

At the end of these 2 to 3 weeks of intensive feeding, they are killed without any suffering. Their liver is extracted, cleaned and deveined. Then, the cooking method depends on the intended final product.

To get a foie gras entier, the liver is just seasoned, put in a can or glass jar and sterilized-cooked in its own fat. While cooking, a great part of the fat will go out of the liver and form a yellow or white deposit on the surface of the can or glass jar. This deposit of fat will easily be removed when serving foie gras. Producers often prefer glass jars to cans, because they can check the fat deposit through the glass and put aside the jars showing an excess of fat.

To obtain bloc de foie gras, the cooking process is slightly different. The liver is mixed with water (no more than 10%) so as to form a homogeneous mousse called emulsion. This emulsion is seasoned, put in a can and then sterilized-cooked. As a consequence, the final product is a homogeneous mix of liver, fat and water. Its texture is thus less dense and solid than foie gras entier. Which one is better? It is just a matter of preference!

These processing methods are conscientiously respected by all of our producers who, unlike the industrial producers, guarantee the animals' well-being. On the contrary, most industrial producers do not let the animals live in the open air, do not feed them with corn grains but with mashed cereals and food substitutes and pack them in too small cages during their intensive feeding. Some industrial producers even import animals or livers from Eastern Europe. Fleur-de-Lys.fr only works with small, independent, uniquely dedicated producers following traditional processing methods. Check out our producers list to discover each producer’s specificity, working methods and product line!