another aging question

[needler]

Okay I know there has been several discussion concerning this but I haven't found an answer to my very basic questions!
When you age them in the fridge do I cut them up first or leave them whole and break them down later? And additionally do I wrap them up like they will be when they get frozen? I really don't want 12 raw dripping chickens just sitting in my fridge making a mess!

Thanks

 

[nivtup]

It makes no difference.

You can cut them up prior to aging.

If they are cut up, I would not leave them in water though, but put them in a vacuum sealed bag.



Good luck, and good eats.

 

[needler]

So on whole chickens you let them age in cold ice water? They don't get water logged or that helps them stay moist, like brining?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Apparently, some people soak them. I don't.

Wash them off, then into a plastic bag first, and then into ice water to cool them fast without contact with the water.. Then they get wrapped and go into the fridge.

 

[needler]

Thanks that is what I needed to know. I didn't want to do something wrong and screw up my first batch of birds. The in-laws are coming up for a visit and are expecting home grown chicken! And I don't think we could pass as Foster Farms!

 

[fresheggs4u]

i processed 24 birds about 4 weeks ago and refrigerater space was a big issue. I used three coolers and ice for 3 days. Whole birds. The way that I could tell if they were aged good, was when the legs moved very freely. Believe me you can tell. I prefer to age whole birds so i can tell whem they are ready. Some birds take longer. The longest I have ever aged was about 4 1/2 days. I do use brine, while chilling, but it's not necessary.

 

[booker81]

I prefer to do whole birds, and cut up before cooking if I choose to at that time.

I pack up before resting, just as I would for freezing, so I can move them from the fridge to the freezer when I'm done resting them. I usually don't do a water soak, just process, rinse off, and then bag up - either in ziplocks or vacuum seal bags. I try to get as much air out as possible with the ziplocks, or seal them up, and let them hang out in the fridge like that. When it's freezer time, I just load the batch up in a couple heavy bags, haul them to the freezer and dump them in