Aging the meat was the ticket

[CARS]

Quote:
Fools, I say.

I am telling you that our birds are better by 100 percent after aging them four days. Not to mention that it gave me a break before I had to cut them all up. I was pretty much sick of it by the time we were done slaughtering them. It took me four days to even want to look at them again!!!!

So do you chill them in ice water for those 4 days?

No actually. I have them bag the birds and I place them into a refrigerator (plural most times) for just another day. Maybe it is 48 hours before they go into the freezer.

Last year was the first time I got together with other's to process. I added some salt to the water for the first overnight (while the ice held out) and after that I pulled them out of the the water (can't really call it brine with the lame attempt I made at it) and threw them in the fridges.

(as you can imagine, even with 50 birds, I need to call in a few "refrigerator" favors. Sure, some beverages must be sacrificed for room, but hey... processed poultry is much more perishable than something out of St. Louis

)

 

[Michele S]

Quote:
Fools, I say.

I am telling you that our birds are better by 100 percent after aging them four days. Not to mention that it gave me a break before I had to cut them all up. I was pretty much sick of it by the time we were done slaughtering them. It took me four days to even want to look at them again!!!!

So do you chill them in ice water for those 4 days?

We did water and ice in ice chests the first day. The second day we wrapped them in saran wrap and stuck them in the fridge for the next three days.

 

[Slinkytoys]

My processor will bag and store them in his cooler for the three days for me. Then I pick them up and put them in my food locker. No brining. Now with my turkeys, we follow the same procedure.....but when I thaw them out I put them in a kosher salt brine with orange juice and poultry seasoning mixed in a 5 gal bucket. Works well for me!!
Slinky