After processing question

[absrio]

This will be our first time processing chickens. We are going to use a Food Saver Vacuum sealer to freeze the birds in. At what point would we vacuum seal them?

Place processed chicken on ice till all are done
Place iced chicken in fridge for 24 hours
Placed chickens from fridge into deep freeze.

If this is the correct process when do you vacuum seal them. If after the fridge what do you place the chickens in and do they need to be covered.

 

[mamawolf544]

Sounds pretty good to me.
I am putting mine this year in salt water in the fridge for the 24 hours before I freeze them.

 

[mike67909]

You can vacum seal at any point in my opinion. I did mine right away. If you want to cut them up wait till they sit for 24hrs before you cut them up and then vacum seal them.

 

[jaku]

I keep mine in salted ice water for 24 hours, then bag and throw in the fridge another 24 hours, then freeze.

 

[Chicken411]

Quote:
Why can't you cut them up before they sit? That was my plan.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Why can't you cut them up before they sit? That was my plan.

You can- the birds I don't leave whole I cut up immediately after plucking.

 

[absrio]

We did our first batch of 10 yesterday. We did learn some things. We need a better killing cone, we had a few broken wings. The right temp. to scald makes a big difference. Whizbang plucker was well worth it even for just 10. So fast and only a few actually needed some extra help. Downside was 3 I did not get a good scald and it broke the skin (they got cut up.)

We ended up processing them and then placing them in ice water. About 6 hours later we did another final cleaning and cut up the three then vacuumed sealed them with a FoodSaver. I then placed them in the fridge and will move them to the deep freeze tonight. It would come out to about 28 hours rest (in ice water & fridge) for the last chicken processed. I did not have an best scale to weight them, but I believe we had a 4.5lb average

My wife said, "I don't care what you spent on the plucker it was worth it!"

 

[dublin man]

I learned with the whiz bang not to exceed 150 degrees and they will do great over that it rips skin and yellows, I don't shrink wrap mine I wrap in freezer paper and then in wire tied plastic bags, but I usually have them sold after the 24 setting period, but none of my customers complained on freezer burn so it must work, let me know how vacuum seal works

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Yes, building a plucker is SO worth it, even for just a few birds! I'm surprised you got any broken wings using a cone. Are you sure it wasn't your plucker that broke the wings? Every now and then, one will get hung up in mine, and I'll get even a broken leg.