After butchering

[kaywould]

What do you do after you have butchered and processed your bird from when you completed processing it until you go to cook it?

As in
1.) what do you do with the birds once you've processed it while you are processing the rest of the birds you plan to process that day?
2.) how do you store them in the fridge while they go through rigor mortis, assuming you plan to eat it in a few days?
3.) a day or so before you eat it do you switch it to a bribe?

I usually initially put them in an ice bath while I complete processing all the birds being processed that day. Then I put them in a large ziplock with ice water in the fridge for a few days while they go through rigor. Then the day before I plan to cook them I will sometimes put them in a brine. It's kind of a hassle to put big ol' turkeys in a ziploc so trying to find better, more convenient, ways to do this.

 

[chicklover 1998]

That's about the same process I use, have you thought about using garbage bags for the turkeys? I don't have turkeys but the bag would be big enough.

 

[donrae]

Once I'm done plucking and gutting, I put the bird in the kitchen sink until I'm finished. I usually only do a few birds at a time. If I were doing more than four or so, I might worry about chilling them before I'm done with all of them, but until then I think it's okay. Once I'm done with everyone, I do a finish rinse and check. Then they go into the big canning pot I used to heat the water in, lid on and in the spare fridge. They sit there for a few days, then brined and cooked. And that reminds me, I didn't get the last batch brined yet, they're still sitting in the fridge....I'll have to do that tomorrow.

If I'm just doing one bird, I may put it in a ziploc instead of the big pot. If you're going to piece the bird out, go ahead and do that before your rest it. Easier to fit the pieces in the baggie than the whole bird. Or for a whole bird, you don't have to use a big pot, just whatever bowl will fit them, with a lid or plastic wrap over the top. I'm not sure why you're using ice water while they're in the fridge?