Preserving Meat/Veggies/Fruit

[ShrekDawg]

Did you put yours in an ice bath at all? I’ve read some people do it after butchering or scalding or whatever but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary?

 

[FortCluck]

Did you put yours in an ice bath at all? I’ve read some people do it after butchering or scalding or whatever but I wasn’t sure if it was necessary?

I put them in cold water in the sink that had ice to cool it down before putting them in the fridge.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I put them in cold water in the sink that had ice to cool it down before putting them in the fridge.

Thanks!! Good to know! Did you do that after you did all of them or as you did each one or? How long did it take you to do each one start to finish? Sorry for all the questions lol

 

[FortCluck]

Thanks!! Good to know! Did you do that after you did all of them or as you did each one or? How long did it take you to do each one start to finish? Sorry for all the questions lol

It took me only 20 minutes except for the really feathered one.

I did them all one by one in the ice water then I dried them off then vacuum sealed them then put them in the fridge.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long it takes will vary between us. You do get more efficient with time. But what you do and what you are butchering makes a difference. It typically takes me about 25 to 30 minutes from when I kill one to the next. I butcher dual purpose pullets, cockerels, spent hens, and occasionally a mature rooster. Most cockerels are around 5 months old, pullets typically around 8 months. I skin them. Pullets are a little faster than cockerels. A mature roster is slowest. If you skin a young Cornish X it should go really fast. I don't pluck so won't address that.

I work alone. If you have help you can get really fast. What equipment you have suited to your way of processing can really help. Sharp knives versus dull knives makes a difference.

Some people just take the legs and breast and toss the rest without even gutting the bird. Some leave the carcass whole after gutting and removing the internals. I cut the bird into serving pieces, save the back, neck, feet, and such for broth. I keep one bucket for stuff that will be buried and another bucket for stuff I feed back to the remaining chickens. Don't worry too much about how long it takes someone else, they may not be doing the same thing as you.

My suggestion is to just do a couple the first time. See how long it take you so you know before you too deeply commit. You'll gain experience plus could easily see ways to modify your process for the next time.

I toss the meat in an ice chest with ice water when I finish one bird and go to the next. That's part of my efficiency with my method. I kill the next one then wash up and put the meat in the ice chest as it is going through death throes. You don't have to be in a huge hurry to get it in a cold place, you have some time. The colder it is the slower bacteria grow so you do want to cool it down.

There is another advantage to cooling it down. If you put hot meat in the fridge it takes the fridge a while to cool it, the warmer and the more meat you have the slower. That can also warm up the other stuff in the fridge. Same thing in the freezer. Warm meat takes longer to freeze, especially if you stack several packages. And it might thaw other stuff in the freezer.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It took me only 20 minutes except for the really feathered one.

I did them all one by one in the ice water then I dried them off then vacuum sealed them then put them in the fridge.

Thank you!! Very helpful!! Only 20 minutes!? Wow!

And thanks! Sounds like a good plan.

 

[ShrekDawg]

How long it takes will vary between us. You do get more efficient with time. But what you do and what you are butchering makes a difference. It typically takes me about 25 to 30 minutes from when I kill one to the next. I butcher dual purpose pullets, cockerels, spent hens, and occasionally a mature rooster. Most cockerels are around 5 months old, pullets typically around 8 months. I skin them. Pullets are a little faster than cockerels. A mature roster is slowest. If you skin a young Cornish X it should go really fast. I don't pluck so won't address that.

I work alone. If you have help you can get really fast. What equipment you have suited to your way of processing can really help. Sharp knives versus dull knives makes a difference.

Some people just take the legs and breast and toss the rest without even gutting the bird. Some leave the carcass whole after gutting and removing the internals. I cut the bird into serving pieces, save the back, neck, feet, and such for broth. I keep one bucket for stuff that will be buried and another bucket for stuff I feed back to the remaining chickens. Don't worry too much about how long it takes someone else, they may not be doing the same thing as you.

My suggestion is to just do a couple the first time. See how long it take you so you know before you too deeply commit. You'll gain experience plus could easily see ways to modify your process for the next time.

I toss the meat in an ice chest with ice water when I finish one bird and go to the next. That's part of my efficiency with my method. I kill the next one then wash up and put the meat in the ice chest as it is going through death throes. You don't have to be in a huge hurry to get it in a cold place, you have some time. The colder it is the slower bacteria grow so you do want to cool it down.

There is another advantage to cooling it down. If you put hot meat in the fridge it takes the fridge a while to cool it, the warmer and the more meat you have the slower. That can also warm up the other stuff in the fridge. Same thing in the freezer. Warm meat takes longer to freeze, especially if you stack several packages. And it might thaw other stuff in the freezer.

Thank you so much!! This is extremely helpful!! I really appreciate it! Thank you for taking the time to share all this.

I have a bunch of extra cockerels right now so I was thinking of butchering them. Was going to try to rehome them but have no takers so far and some of them are really getting annoying so starting to think more seriously about butchering.

Problem is, the two most obnoxious, loudest ones are the two scrawniest ones.

They’re all only 17 weeks old too. Not sure if they’re big enough yet? I think some of them definitely are but not sure about the two I want to take out.

Anyway, I’m also not sure, if I do kill them, if I should do all of them at once or just do maybe the two most obnoxious ones even though they’re small and do the rest later?

They crow all the time and it’s affecting everyone’s sleep and getting really irritating.

I have 6 cockerels total but I’m keeping one and I think I possibly found a home for one so I would have 4 to do. Unless the other home falls through then 5.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some people butcher cockerels as young as 12 weeks, often to avoid some of what you are going through. There is very little meat on a 12 week old dual purpose cockerel. Don't let that stop you.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Some people butcher cockerels as young as 12 weeks, often to avoid some of what you are going through. There is very little meat on a 12 week old dual purpose cockerel. Don't let that stop you.

Thank you!! That’s good to know!! Definitely a lot to think about.

 

[FortCluck]

Some people butcher cockerels as young as 12 weeks, often to avoid some of what you are going through. There is very little meat on a 12 week old dual purpose cockerel. Don't let that stop you.

I think 16 weeks is the perfect age. Mine seem to mature a lot slower because they are part Jersey giant. It makes it a lot easier for me because at 12 weeks they would look very scrawny