Hanging Poultry?

[CARS]

About 4 years ago we took some Cornish Cross broilers to our first butcher shop. They told us to keep the birds refrigerated for 24 hours before freezing. Like hanging beef for 14 days to allow some breakdown of the tissue thereby making it more tender.

Does anyone do this? Because when I talk to others about it they look at me like I just came down from Mars! To me it makes sense but why doesn't everyone do it??

 

[miss_jayne]

some people let them sit a few days in the fridge and some don't. i have tried both and haven't noticed a difference.

hope you find what works for you.

 

[jab91864]

I normally soak mine in salt water and then change to fresh water after a couple hours and tuck into fridge or coolers to keep cold before freezing.

 

[Teach97]

I hang mine for several days...if I had the space and such I would hang red meats until stuff grew on it! But I like to do meat kinda old school...I don't get to but it does give a whole new flavor...before you say

that is what "aged" beef is

 

[Mahonri]

Yeah, many folks keep them in icewater in a cooler or two for a day or two before they freeze them.

 

[NurseNettie]

Quote:
Some folks do it, some don't--- what it's doing is "relaxing" the meat , essentially taking it past the rigormortus (sp) stage-- so it's more tender.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Why the salt water soak? Preserving or is it like a brine used before smoking??

 

[Brunty_Farms]

The brine kills some of the "stonger taste".

Before any bird is froze here, we always age it first. The birds are even aged before they go to customers, the difference between a properly aged bird and one that is not is tremendous.

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Jeff, would you mind sharing your brine recipe and other info so I may try this?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I don't brine any of my birds, I personally think it a waste of time. I work to hard to get that unique flavor in my birds to have it corrupted with a brine.

Especially for the cornish, but it's more commonly used for heritage breed turkey's and older chickens such as roosters and hens. But then again I only raise the young cornish and bbw turkey's, unless I get a special request.

I'm sure somebody on here has a recipe for it. Also google it, you will find millions.