Moving a Rooster to Freezer Camp

[YarrowFarms]

I'm not new to butchering chickens, I raise all my Roo's to eventually be dinner. I do a batch each spring and fall as they grow. This guy went after my three year old so he gets an early ticket.
Anyhow, since I do it by myself and my kiddos are usually around I usually just skin them as that's the quickest easiest way for me. I have an old cook pot we inherited from a neighbor we're saving just for chicken scalding but I've never used it and I don't have a thermometer for it. Are there any tricks or tips or old timey wisdom anyone wants to share? He's a big guy, jerk that he is, and I'd love to save him to roast up.

 

[raingarden]

He's a big guy, jerk that he is, and I'd love to save him to roast up.

I sure know that feeling. You'll have plenty of time to think about it and reconsider while the water heats up

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/who-skins-their-birds.1539414/

 

[Geena]

It would really be best if you had a thermometer. You can easily get a cooking thermometer that clips onto the side of the pot at walmart or even your local grocery store. Getting the temperature right is probably the most important part of scalding. Over scalding makes an ugly mess of things, with the skin ripping when you try to pluck. I go with about 145 - 150 degrees and swish them around for about 25 to 30 seconds. I also put a couple of good squirts of dish soap in the water to help clean them before processing, chicken feathers are filthy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have an old cook pot we inherited from a neighbor we're saving just for chicken scalding but I've never used it and I don't have a thermometer for it. Are there any tricks or tips or old timey wisdom anyone wants to share?

If you don't have a thermometer grab the bird by the feet and swish it in the hot water. Every few seconds try pulling a wing feather. When it comes out easily he's ready to pluck. If the water is too hot or you leave the bird in too long the skin can tear when you pluck. For some people that's close to a disaster but Mom wasn't worried about how pretty the carcass was. She wanted a bird plucked and gutted so she could cook it and feed the family. Just a different perspective.

 

[raingarden]

also put a couple of good squirts of dish soap in the water to help clean them before processing, chicken feathers are filthy.

The soap is a surfactant that helps break the oil and wet the feathers down to their skin. It's really important when scalding ducks but also helps with chickens.

 

[CNJ]

I heat the water to 160F and turn off the heat and soak the chicken for couple of minutes, and I keep the feet submerged in the hot water, so I can peel the outer skin and toe nails off. I use the feet, neck, wing tips and center bone for soup stock.

I bought a heavy duty poultry scissors from amazon to cut out the center bone and wing tips.

Heritage breeds can be fried or roasted at 3 months old, but I found 4 to 5 month old birds to be kind of rubbery. However, the older birds are great for stewing in gravy with the basic potatoes, carrots and celery vegetable base or used for chicken soup.

I use the Cajun trinity (Onion, celery and bell peppers) together with okra and garlic for my Chicken Gumbo and I like to add pork type sausage.