How to defeather a chicken

[Egghead_Jr]

I've done that, and it fine when just want parts, but I often enjoy roasting a chicken whole, and the skin really keeps the bird moist.

Likely the birds you purchase to roast are soaked in hot water prior to plucking (scalded). If your religion allows this then just hire someone to pluck your birds for you. I assume the issue is only when you do it so that solves things neatly. If you can't eat a scaled bird period I'm sad to say you likely are without knowledge of it.

 

[sarousi]

Likely the birds you purchase to roast are soaked in hot water prior to plucking (scalded). If your religion allows this then just hire someone to pluck your birds for you. I assume the issue is only when you do it so that solves things neatly. If you can't eat a scaled bird period I'm sad to say you likely are without knowledge of it.

Normal chickens you find at stop and shop have all been scalded; but the fowl I buy is guaranteed not to have been scalded. The problem is whether I do it or anyone else scalds the bird. Normally the electric pluckers can do a bird in 15 sec, I'd be happy if it could do the bird 90% in a couple of minutes as long as it's not scalded.

 

[BBQJOE]

After doing some research, it appears you are Jewish.
I read if the neck is cut cleanly with a properly sharpened knife, the bird will be almost bled out. And roasting removes the rest of the blood. It appears to me you should be able to do things normally, as long as the blood is finally removed from the cooking process, as it should be with a chicken.

 

[BBQJOE]

115f isn't anywhere near scalding, would it work at such a low temp?
Plucking feathers by hand without hot water was the norm years ago. Maybe it would still work with the plucker.

I don't know. But I'm really not an awful person, and was just trying to see where you were coming from, and trying to help.

 

[sarousi]

Sometimes people seem to troll forums just to upset people. I thought that's what you were doing, but I was mistaken. I appreciate the help you gave, and am impressed by the insight by your research.

 

[sarousi]

After doing some research, it appears you are Jewish.
I read if the neck is cut cleanly with a properly sharpened knife, the bird will be almost bled out. And roasting removes the rest of the blood. It appears to me you should be able to do things normally, as long as the blood is finally removed from the cooking process, as it should be with a chicken.

That would be true, except by scalding it you have just cooked it with the blood in there, thus permanently ruining the chicken from kosher status. Perhaps I should reword the question. What percent of the feathers would be removed if I put a chicken in a plucking machine without scalding it.

 

[BBQJOE]

Another site I found for you.
http://www.koshereye.com/ask-the-kosher-carnivore/1937-how-to-defeather-a-chicken.html#.Vp7FO_krLIU

 

[donrae]

I think you may just have to try it and see how it works. Those mechanical pluckers are wonderful things and might still clean the bird nicely. Or, more time consuming but maybe more appropriate is simply dry hand plucking. It's more labor intensive but certainly doable.

If you don't mind doing some education, I'm trying to understand your restrictions. I'm not that familiar with kosher butchering. The prohibition you're looking at is heating the bird (scalding or cooking) while the blood is still in the body? Don't you bleed the bird out before plucking, or so you slaughter some other way? I'm just going through my process of butchering. I slit the throat, let the bird bleed out, scald, pluck (by hand, wish I had a plucker!) remove intestines, rest, brine, cook.

If you're not bleeding the bird out at that point of slaughter, when do you get the rest of the blood out before you cook it? I'm honestly wondering. I knew kosher involved no blood, but now I'm trying to get my mind around the practical how's of this.

If you do try cold scalding in a mechanical plucker, please come back here and let us know how it goes. Once I do manage to obtain one, it would be cool to be able to skip that step if it goes well for you

 

[sarousi]

I think you may just have to try it and see how it works. Those mechanical pluckers are wonderful things and might still clean the bird nicely. Or, more time consuming but maybe more appropriate is simply dry hand plucking. It's more labor intensive but certainly doable. 

If you don't mind doing some education, I'm trying to understand your restrictions. I'm not that familiar with kosher butchering. The prohibition you're looking at is heating the bird (scalding or cooking) while the blood is still in the body? Don't you bleed the bird out before plucking, or so you slaughter some other way? I'm just going through my process of butchering. I slit the throat, let the bird bleed out, scald, pluck (by hand, wish I had a plucker!) remove intestines, rest, brine, cook. 

If you're not bleeding the bird out at that point of slaughter, when do you get the rest of the blood out before you cook it? I'm honestly wondering. I knew kosher involved no blood, but now I'm trying to get my mind around the practical how's of this. 

If you do try cold scalding in a mechanical plucker, please come back here and let us know how it goes. Once I do manage to obtain one, it would be cool to be able to skip that step if it goes well for you   

Donrae, I think I'll try it that way I might soak the birds for a little bit in cool water and then put it in the plucker, I bet it will still make it easier than in hand plucking. Kosher slaughter is much more involved than regular slaughter. The person who does it must be certified, the knife must be perfectly smooth and sharp. Very briefly, the chicken has its throat slit and both the windpipe and food pipe must be cut in majority. The chicken is then defeathered and gutted, then it must be soaked in water for an hour or so then it is salted for an hour or so. The Bible says that we can't eat blood and although slaughtering the chicken removes a good amount there is still plenty of blood left in the body; that's why it's soaked and salted to remove the rest, anything left in there afterwords is not considered blood inconsiderate more like "juice".

 

[donrae]

Okay, I guess that makes sense. You couldn't really soak/brine it while it's still feathered, could you? That just sounds

all around!

I guess I never thought about how much blood might be left in the bird after it's bled out, I assumed it all drained out.

As a Christian, I have to admit I skip over a lot of the laws and restrictions in the first part of the Book, but when I do read them I'm amazed at how much is basic health and hygiene 101. God gave great guidelines for a people to not only live but thrive in a desert environment with no refrigeration!

Thanks for the clarification, I enjoy learning new things like this. I'll be interested to see how the cold plucking works for you. Do you already have the plucker?