Kelly Holt
Chirping
I had the same problem with a few of my cornish X. I followed the same rules as a grocery store chicken: I could refrigerate for 2 days but must cook on the 3rd day, or it starts to smell. Four of them were disappointing because of toughness (we let them rest 24 hrs after butcher then shrinkwrapped as we were told).
I began to doubt the *stellar reviews* people gave their homegrown birds. I mean, all the time involved, not to mention the expense and then having a disappointing result? Not worth it.
So, another week comes, so I pulled one out from the freezer. But I kept putting off cooking it, dreading the results. After an astounding 5 days in the fridge, I thought I had ruined the bird by neglecting it. I cut open the shrinkwrap and tentatively sniffed, expecting to be bowled over. Nothing. I sniffed harder. Still nothing! I unwrapped it, sniffing all the way (I'm sure I looked ridiculous!). I cut it into 6 pieces and baked it.
Ashamedly, I let my husband take the first few bites of the chicken while I worked on my vegetables. I was convinced that he would suffer some severe bouts of intestinal discomfort sometime during the night and mentally calculated if we had enough Pepto. I wasn't buying his compliments. Then I finally bit in. By, golly, it was good! And *gasp* tender!
We never did get sick. Oh, and I never cook one of our birds unless it has sat in the fridge for a minimum of 5 days. That I could let my chicken sit that long and not experience any odor is the #1 reason I will never go back to grocery store chicken. The filth that they are processed in does NOT get washed away (YouTube videos may or may not be your friend in this respect). My homegrown/processed birds are CLEAN. Thankfully, they are delicious, too!
So let those birds rest 5 days after taking them out of the freezer. Put a date on it if you think you won't remember when you pulled it out or need to cook it. I think the results will impress you!
I began to doubt the *stellar reviews* people gave their homegrown birds. I mean, all the time involved, not to mention the expense and then having a disappointing result? Not worth it.
So, another week comes, so I pulled one out from the freezer. But I kept putting off cooking it, dreading the results. After an astounding 5 days in the fridge, I thought I had ruined the bird by neglecting it. I cut open the shrinkwrap and tentatively sniffed, expecting to be bowled over. Nothing. I sniffed harder. Still nothing! I unwrapped it, sniffing all the way (I'm sure I looked ridiculous!). I cut it into 6 pieces and baked it.
Ashamedly, I let my husband take the first few bites of the chicken while I worked on my vegetables. I was convinced that he would suffer some severe bouts of intestinal discomfort sometime during the night and mentally calculated if we had enough Pepto. I wasn't buying his compliments. Then I finally bit in. By, golly, it was good! And *gasp* tender!
We never did get sick. Oh, and I never cook one of our birds unless it has sat in the fridge for a minimum of 5 days. That I could let my chicken sit that long and not experience any odor is the #1 reason I will never go back to grocery store chicken. The filth that they are processed in does NOT get washed away (YouTube videos may or may not be your friend in this respect). My homegrown/processed birds are CLEAN. Thankfully, they are delicious, too!
So let those birds rest 5 days after taking them out of the freezer. Put a date on it if you think you won't remember when you pulled it out or need to cook it. I think the results will impress you!
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