how old is too old

[smarsh]

when it comes to frying chicken, what age has the chicken became too tough? In my childhood farm years, we filled a freezer every year with young fryers and I don't ever remember it being too tough. On my first efforts since that time long long ago, I have found them a little chewy. the first I killed were 13 weeks. Now I realize I am not the cook my mom was, and I actually grilled mine, not pan fried in lard.

I miss the days of entire meals fried in hog renderings; potatoes, chicken, wilted lettuce. I also miss the days my digestive system could take it.

 

[becky3086]

They are likely to all be tougher than you are used to. I haven't fried any older birds myself or dual purpose birds; I usually can them but you can also slow roast them or put them in the crockpot. I have a cornish X roaster in the crockpot right now--not because I think it will be tough but because it was too hot to bake it.

 

[itsy]

There are quite a few topics on here about tough meat and not resting the bird long enough.... so I thought I'd chime in in case you aren't letting the bird rest for at least a day in the fridge before cooking it. Some will even tell you to wait a few days or more if the bird is older - as well as potentially freezing the bird and then also letting it rest a day.

If all of this is already common knowledge to you - sorry for the repetition!

P.S. I went to the doctor today who told me to "eat more salad." So I know how you feel. lol