6 chickens in salt water/how long ????

[kingsfarm]

Hi, processed 6 roosters today (Sat. 24th).. they are now in salt water (2 cups salt + ice) in a walmart plastic tub... I hope I didn't put tooooo much salt...only added l cup at first and the water didn't taste very salty added another cup..... QUESTION...How long do I keep them in this solution? If I don't hear from anyone I will keep them overnight and tomorrow (Sun) will rinse and pat dry - put in a pot in refrigerator until Monday afternoon then will .... boil & debone or package for freezer.... what would you do please.......will Monday be long enough to finish them up? Sat to Mon into freezer or cook..

 

[Judy]

We only leave them an hour or two. Left some too long once and the meat tasted a bit salty. Then a couple days of rest then freeze or eat, here.

 

[whistlinchicken]

I know this is much too late to help the original poster...but someone else may have the same question. I don't use salt at all. I do pack in ice, water for 24 hours. Then dry and freeze whole. Roosters make the BEST chicken and dumpling, coqu a vin, soup, stew, etc. The meat is so rich and delicious. I had 75 roosters in the freezer, but am down to about 10...and winter is coming! I'm going to be stingy with what I use them for!

 

[kingsfarm]

Thank you for the quick reply Flockwatcher.....two hours is the time they stayed in this brine...got them right out and rinsed them with clear water, put them in a large pot in the refrigerator to sit till Monday night or Tuesday....they say 3 days ..is that Sat at 2pm (finished processing) ...is the 3 days Tuesday at 2pm....am I being tooooooo technical here? my goodness, I don't think they did all this a long time ago... don't think I will do the salt thing next time at all.....Roos were 6 mos old RIRs....not meaty... I must say not fat breasted...maybe too young....should I have waited? Will boil and can the meat or freeze for stew, soup etc...anyway, just didn't want rubbery meat.... I have read toooooo much I think WHISTLINCHICKEN; they were in ice water from the time finished skinning them..to..the end of the 2 hour brine.....used half sea salt and is Morton salt...I didn't even know about iodine, I don't think it is though doesn't say iodised on bag (25 lb. bag) anyhow its too late....you are right. Had such a great experience skinning them, only 2nd time and all went so well....I donated the first 3 (first time) that was such a easy thing to do welcomed this day (until now) don't know if I have a mess or not....what do you think? Thank you for all your kind help...G Have 9 more to go.....

 

[DianeS]

Everything you did is just fine. No worries.

Some people brine their birds and some people don't - it's individual taste. If you cook the birds and decide there is too much blood in the meat for your taste, then brine longer next time. If you decide there is too much salt flavor, then brine less next time.

Some people rest their birds for one day, and some for longer. Resting any amount of time between overnight and until it goes rotten is fine - it's individual preference. Base what you do next time on how you like the way it turns out this time.

A dual-purpose bird like a RIR will never have the same amount of breast meat as a store-bought chicken. Never. The ones in the store are specially bred to have that breast meat; they are some sort of Cornish X. You can order meat chickens to raise and process next time if you'd like that large breast that you're used to seeing. The dual-purpose birds will be different, longer-bodied, longer-legged, smaller-breasted, etc. but many people think they are more tasty. The meat is more firm, more flavorful, etc. After you cook and eat the ones you have you will have an opinion on whether you like dual-purpose or straight meat birds for the future.

So hang in there! Sounds like you did just fine, and the proof will be in the eating.