California - Northern

[ronott1]

Ron, did you happen to see my "fail" at processing on the Help Us Deal with it thread?

On the flip side, I have 8 Cornish X carcasses in my freezer, now, 'cause they continued without me. (We went in on bunch together; I paid for the chicks and contributed feed whilst they were raised and butchered at my friends's place.)

Yes, I read that. The Slaughtering is the worst for most people. It was hard for me when I started again with chickens, even though I did that part the first time at about age 12. I got to take over a lot of those duties growing up since my Dad came down with Multiple Sclerosis.

I do the whole thing by my self now. The last 5 were in December and I processed 3 one day and 2 the next. They were the best tasting so far. There is something really wonderful that happens when Dorking is crossed with well at least Marans, Australorp and Barred Rock.


It gets easier. I focus on the goal of that chicken dinner. I do thank them for it along with realizing that they have been treated much better than what I can buy at the grocery store.

When do you get to cook one of the Cornish Crosses?

 

[Farmer 87]

you are right it takes a few times to get used to it .I noticed it is much harder to harvest chickens once you give them a name. I gave my father in law a chicken yesterday for fathers day and we harvested .I gave it to him mainly because I did not have much connection to it .she never laid an egg and she did not like to be touched . come to find out she was a 19 week old chickens just about to lay her first egg .

 

[gryeyes]

It gets easier. I focus on the goal of that chicken dinner. I do thank them for it along with realizing that they have been treated much better than what I can buy at the grocery store.

When do you get to cook one of the Cornish Crosses?

Farmer Lew thanks each chicken for its sacrifice before he kills them. I know how well they have been raised (spoiled?), and INTELLECTUALLY get it. I just feel like a hypocrite because I can buy chicks and feed to raise them just for food, on their property, but I can't do the deed itself. Nom nom nom - great food! Somebody killed it for me.....

I can eat 'em any time. Right now, I don't want to heat the kitchen..... No central A/C here! Maybe late one night this week.

 

[chiqita]

Gryeyes it is tough for me too. I can process but can't do the deed. Pulling organs freaks me a little too.

I know if I was starving I could do it. But I'm not so I thank mario for being the practical one.

We processed the alum rock boys choir this weekend soit is much easier to sleep now.

 

[debs_flock]

I too make DH do the deed, then I do the rest. I can even be standing there when he does it, but I turn my head.

Last night we processed three quail. Literally I stood holding the birds, felt a little guilty when I pulled them out of the pen. I needed another male in a breeding pen, pulled one out and put it with the girls, pulled the next one out to process. It did go through my mind I was making a life/death decision for those two birds. Anyway, I'd hand him a bird, he'd do the deed and hand it back, then I'd give him the next one. After they were all dispatched he went on with his chores. I cleaned them, put them in the oven and went on with my chores. A couple of hours later, dinner.

DH did comment it made him feel very self sufficient to do what we did instead of going to the grocery to buy meat.

 

[chiqita]

OK I'm cooking this elaborate Porto Rican pork shoulder meal and I made a cilantro cream. I was feeling lazy so I put all the ingredients in the blender ad now its semi whipped! Not going to pour but tasty.

This got me to thinking why couldn't you do that with making butter? Put a flavoring in while you make it not after? So I'm roasting some garlic to try it. I will put the garlic buttermilk into mashed potatoes.

We will see how that goes!

 

[ronott1]

OK I'm cooking this elaborate Porto Rican pork shoulder meal and I made a cilantro cream. I was feeling lazy so I put all the ingredients in the blender ad now its semi whipped! Not going to pour but tasty.

This got me to thinking why couldn't you do that with making butter? Put a flavoring in while you make it not after? So I'm roasting some garlic to try it. I will put the garlic buttermilk into mashed potatoes.

We will see how that goes!

I have made butter in my kitchenaid mixer--Wire whip attachment. There is a process but it is easy to do.

The trick is getting all of the whey out from the solids.

 

[chiqita]

I make butter in the vita mix frequently. But I have never tried to make it with a flavor in it when l blend it. If this works I will make curry leaf butter and could end up really fat!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:

Yes, but I have Sillies.....

 

[ronott1]

I make butter in the vita mix frequently. But I have never tried to make it with a flavor in it when l blend it. If this works I will make curry leaf butter and could end up really fat!

It should work fine!

Flavored butter.....