Chicken feet how do you cook those exactly? 😂

[HomesteadMom5]

I’m so glad to read that I’m not the only one to use feet! When I first saved them for stock my husband & kids looked at me strange until they tasted the end result. Apparently they thought I was going to serve them feet floating in soup lol
I’m waiting until it gets cooler so I can make stock. I have two 2 gallon bags full of feet plus three and a half 2 gallons bags full of necks, rib/breast, and other bones. I really need to learn how to pressure can.

 

[Parront]

I’m so glad to read that I’m not the only one to use feet! When I first saved them for stock my husband & kids looked at me strange until they tasted the end result. Apparently they thought I was going to serve them feet floating in soup lol
I’m waiting until it gets cooler so I can make stock. I have two 2 gallon bags full of feet plus three and a half 2 gallons bags full of necks, rib/breast, and other bones. I really need to learn how to pressure can.

I pressure can the stock. Easy. The bones, feet, all the stock ingredients, I do not can.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I really need to learn how to pressure can.

If you are serious the easiest way is to get a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker, two different things) and read the instructions. It's not that hard but it can be intimidating. I also suggest getting the Ball Blue Book, sort of the bible for pressure canning and water bath canning.

You can always go to this section of the forum

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/egg-chicken-other-favorite-recipes.25/

and start a thread on how to buy a pressure canner before you invest. They can get expensive, not just the canner and what size to get but some things you need to work with them. If you post a link to your thread on here or message me with a link I'll be glad to comment.

Then after you get one and read the instructions ask specific questions. There are tricks to make it easier and a few things to avoid. For a lot of people what's holding them back is confidence. We might be able to help you with that too.

Since a lot of people like photos here's what pressure canned chicken broth looks like. And yes feet were used in making this broth, feet and a lot more.

 

[Parront]

If you are serious the easiest way is to get a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker, two different things) and read the instructions. It's not that hard but it can be intimidating. I also suggest getting the Ball Blue Book, sort of the bible for pressure canning and water bath canning.

You can always go to this section of the forum

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/egg-chicken-other-favorite-recipes.25/

and start a thread on how to buy a pressure canner before you invest. They can get expensive, not just the canner and what size to get but some things you need to work with them. If you post a link to your thread on here or message me with a link I'll be glad to comment.

Then after you get one and read the instructions ask specific questions. There are tricks to make it easier and a few things to avoid. For a lot of people what's holding them back is confidence. We might be able to help you with that too.

Since a lot of people like photos here's what pressure canned chicken broth looks like. And yes feet were used in making this broth, feet and a lot more.

View attachment 2787913

X's 2 on asking specific questions. Broth is a good first project! So worth it to make a big batch and save it in single use size jars like these pints.

 

[ladybrasa]

Since a lot of people like photos here's what pressure canned chicken broth looks like. And yes feet were used in making this broth, feet and a lot more.

Oh wow, that is so clear! I made stock/broth and it’s not clear like that. More like opaque jelly, really.

 

[Duckiiess]

If you skim the white bubbles/ scum at the beginning of making the stock, the end product will be much clearer. Straining through cheesecloth also helps.

For feet: wash, boil, wash, then they're good to go into the stockpot or roast then stockpot if making a dark chicken stock. Some of the skin comes off in the second wash, but I don't worry about getting it all off.

 

[ladybrasa]

I’m reading that feet can be dehydrated for dog treats. I don’t currently have a dog, but friends do. I also just purchased a dehydrator. So do I just take the feet from a butchered chicken (washed!) and toss it in the dehydrator? Probably the temp for meat jerky and such? Would I need to do something to them? I know cooked bones are a no-no, but what about dehydrated?

 

[Parront]

I’m reading that feet can be dehydrated for dog treats. I don’t currently have a dog, but friends do. I also just purchased a dehydrator. So do I just take the feet from a butchered chicken (washed!) and toss it in the dehydrator? Probably the temp for meat jerky and such? Would I need to do something to them? I know cooked bones are a no-no, but what about dehydrated?

I would blanch the feet and peel the skin off of them like for making broth. Use the temp for meat, and make them as dry as the pig ears you see in the pet store, brittle. Keep in an air-tight jar the way you would with jerky, too. You would not want them to re-absorb dampness and get moldy. I would not consider the feet to be cooked bones, they are a lot of cartilage connecting small bones. People who feed their dogs a raw diet might be able to explain the difference.

 

[HomesteadMom5]

If you are serious the easiest way is to get a pressure canner (not a pressure cooker, two different things) and read the instructions. It's not that hard but it can be intimidating. I also suggest getting the Ball Blue Book, sort of the bible for pressure canning and water bath canning.

You can always go to this section of the forum

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/egg-chicken-other-favorite-recipes.25/

and start a thread on how to buy a pressure canner before you invest. They can get expensive, not just the canner and what size to get but some things you need to work with them. If you post a link to your thread on here or message me with a link I'll be glad to comment.

Then after you get one and read the instructions ask specific questions. There are tricks to make it easier and a few things to avoid. For a lot of people what's holding them back is confidence. We might be able to help you with that too.

Since a lot of people like photos here's what pressure canned chicken broth looks like. And yes feet were used in making this broth, feet and a lot more.

View attachment 2787913

I am serious; I lost a lot of food last month because my 15 year old forgot to close the freezer door, so much stuff that wouldn’t have perished if I knew how to pressure can. The intimidation factor and the price are my hurdles. I did not grow up with the lifestyle I am living and have slowly, over the last years, taught myself everything I know now so I have the confidence (even if I’m questioning myself while doing it lol).
So, basically, if I don’t overthink then pressure canning really isn’t too difficult?
And thank you for the reply.

 

[Parront]

I am serious; I lost a lot of food last month because my 15 year old forgot to close the freezer door, so much stuff that wouldn’t have perished if I knew how to pressure can. The intimidation factor and the price are my hurdles. I did not grow up with the lifestyle I am living and have slowly, over the last years, taught myself everything I know now so I have the confidence (even if I’m questioning myself while doing it lol).
So, basically, if I don’t overthink then pressure canning really isn’t too difficult?
And thank you for the reply.

It is not difficult. Just follow the steps and times exactly. Get a good book like the Ball book referenced above. I have a very old Presto cooker from the 70's and the parts are still available online. A new one comes with a nice little booklet about that particular model's features and is good to read and follow. There is a good use for your chicken, can the meat and it is very easy to just open a jar of precooked chicken and add it to rice, noodles, whatever you like, dinner is ready in the time it takes to cook the rice. You can start chicken from raw, which is the way I like to do it, or cook the chicken and can it in some broth. You will not regret getting a pressure cooker, they are on Amazon for ~$125. A smaller Presto canner, 16 quarts, can also be used as a pressure cooker.