Im Getting ready to butcher out my first batch of chickens, a little schetchy on a few details...thats where you all come in I really like Frugals way of doing up the birds. I have read so much how people after they clean the chickens out put the chickens into ice water or different solutions and let them sit for days etc... I dont remember my folks doing any of that when I was a kid and when I read frugals post it didnt appear that he soaked them or gave them a bath either. What is the reasons for the baths? Is it absolutly nessesary? This is the real dumb question and I guess I just need to look up the birds arse so to speak LOL, when I go to clean out the bird what is the correct and easiest way to go for the innards? Thanks, Sanjo
Plunging the finished birds into ice water is an easy way to quickly cool the meat all the way through, to inhibit bacterial growth. But I think most folks take them out when they're finished with the day's session and put them in the refrigerator. Although sometimes if I finish late & have a backache I'll leave them in the ice water until the next day when my back is feeling better. There are some good tutorial videos on YouTube (and some awful ones too!). Look for ones featuring Joel Salatin & his Polyface Farms, also one by the Custer Family. And a great & helpful website is http://www.HowToButcherAChicken.com by the inventor of the WhizBang Plucker. Let us know how well you do!
Ok, thanks. Awesome site He is very thourough. Here is another question that wasnt answered on his site. I understand you need to throw the bird into an ice bath following the process, but 1. For how long 2. Can you have that chicken for dinner either on the bbq or rotissery or whatever, or do you have to wait for a certain period of time. Thanks again for all of your help.
You want to wait 24 hours at least before you eat any animal that has been killed. Either soak them in the iced water or keep them in your fridge for this time. It should take four hours to bring the temp of the bird down to 40 degrees which is safe from bacterial growth. This is done with lots of ice and fresh clean water. Good luck...
I like to keep mine is an ice water bath for 24 hours, then bag them followed by a rest in the fridge for another 24 hours before I freeze or eat. While the ice water isn't "crucial," it RAPIDLY cools your birds which is very important. It also helps pull additional blood from the meat. Adding salt to the water helps with both of these.
