Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Elke Beck]

All done. Just too emotional over non-chicken stuff to keep on keepin on today. I must have put my big girl panties on inside out or backwards, or both. Ever have a day where nothing goes right? Yeah, that's today for me. I doubt I've ever had a more b____s-up time of processing. Missed the mark with my knife, not once, but twice - once on each side. Didn't notice til like a minute later (was swatting other birds with a broom trying to jump in the bucket after the blood) so had to make a third cut into a gory scene, using my fingers to "see" where to cut. Then had decided to try a 140* scald. Yeah, that didn't work for me. Quit after about two minutes of dunking and noticed I had begun to cook the meat. Will be going back to my 150-155* scald and just peel off the top skin layer. I've never had a harder time plucking, gave up after nearly pulling the bird off the table. Decided to skin him out, and did a hack job. Ended up just settling for harvesting the leg quarters and some terribly mangled boneless, skinless breasts. Still, two and a half pounds of meat in the fridge.

I thought I was over the learning curve - I've been doing my own birds for about 18 months now, but ugh.

Gonna go feed the remaining broilers and call it a day.

I think no matter how experienced you get some days just don't go right.

I apologize, but the picture of you swatting at the other birds trying to get in the bucket with a broom made me snort and chuckle. That is the kind of thing that would happen to me.

I hope you treated yourself to something special. You deserved it.

 

[ronott1]

I think no matter how experienced you get some days just don't go right.

I apologize, but the picture of you swatting at the other birds trying to get in the bucket with a broom made me snort and chuckle. That is the kind of thing that would happen to me.

I hope you treated yourself to something special. You deserved it.

My Family gave me a hard time for killing the Cockerels where the other chickens could see. It is weird when Human thought patterns are assumed to take place in Chickens.

Yours just saw dinner and were not bothered by the process at all!

 

[Wax Myrtle]

I've decided that from where the chicken stands, parts is parts. I think this may have actually been a small part of what made my husband ok with homegrown. If they're willing to eat each other, he figures he should feel no qualms.

Gonna shove the free ranging CX in a tractor when I get the cone and pot set back up, in a couple days,tho - they just get too much in the way.

 

[Beekissed]

My Family gave me a hard time for killing the Cockerels where the other chickens could see. It is weird when Human thought patterns are assumed to take place in Chickens.

Yours just saw dinner and were not bothered by the process at all!

Quite odd. It happens all over the world and about all animals and it's growing and growing. People have no shame about that child-like mentality, I've found, and will try to force it upon you as scientific fact and threaten you with calling the law if you butcher in front of other animals...but will gladly sit their kids in front of all kinds of depiction of human violence against other humans and call it entertainment.

Been killing chickens in front of chickens for so many years now and have never seen anything but complete indifference to the process and an eagerness to get some blood and scraps from the event. It seems the chickens are smarter than most of the people who keep them.

 

[chicksooner]

Caught up. BBQ chicken looks finger lickin' good.

Hillflower-your girl rocks!

Wax we all have those days.

Dh is eyeballing my birds. He is ready to try the processing again. I too don't understand how people can be grossed out by home grown meat of any kind. Give me home grown any day.

I need a freezer.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

Chicks, I only have a half sized freezer - plus the one over my fridge. The little half sized one holds a lot more than you'd expect. Do you know how to can? Canned stock and meat can be stored under a bed.

Elke - you asked about treating myself, well let's just say I have a ball of egg noodle dough resting as I type, and I'm planning on making stroganoff. Beef - its what's for dinner tonight.

 

[chicksooner]

Chicks, I only have a half sized freezer - plus the one over my fridge. The little half sized one holds a lot more than you'd expect. Do you know how to can? Canned stock and meat can be stored under a bed.

Elke - you asked about treating myself, well let's just say I have a ball of egg noodle dough resting as I type, and I'm planning on making stroganoff. Beef - its what's for dinner tonight.

I am just starting my canning learning. I have yet to get a pressure canner so no meats or meat products yet. I have a fridge/freezer in the garage for drinks and other stuff but the freezer just doesn't stay cold enough in the summer heat here. So I am wanting one of the little chest freezers.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

My little chest could probably handle two dozen whole birds, if that were all I had in it. I was frightened to bits of a pressure canner, but I'm so glad I have it. It's easier than it seems. Plus, I can make a killer batch of "baked" beans with almost no effort, and this St Patrick's Day corned beef was fork-tender in just an hour.

 

[LemonMeringue]

Poor Wax!! I bet I could not have done it if I had not had my trusty Superman leading the way. Thank goodness he experienced a lot of these processes when he was young. Hope you have better luck next time.

Ok, so pressure cooker question! I have one and have been wanting to use it and have been too chicken

I do the water bath canner all the time. Last year we did over 100 jars of dill pickles alone. (And not because we wanted that many pickles really......there were just so many cucumbers and I couldn't let them go to waste. And besides the Mrs. Wages pickle mix makes awesome pickles and ppl love to get a jar as a gift) So my question is. I have a glass stove and the top is cracked, so can't use that. Besides I have read not to put a pressure canner on a glass top. But I do have a burner on the side of our gas grill and a burner that you would use under a big crawfish pot. I'm thinking I should use the one on the side of the grill because you can adjust the temp/flame lower than on the big crawfish burner. Any thoughts on that? I would love to try my hand at using the pressure canner!

 

[chicksooner]

Poor Wax!! I bet I could not have done it if I had not had my trusty Superman leading the way. Thank goodness he experienced a lot of these processes when he was young. Hope you have better luck next time.

Ok, so pressure cooker question! I have one and have been wanting to use it and have been too chicken

I do the water bath canner all the time. Last year we did over 100 jars of dill pickles alone. (And not because we wanted that many pickles really......there were just so many cucumbers and I couldn't let them go to waste. And besides the Mrs. Wages pickle mix makes awesome pickles and ppl love to get a jar as a gift) So my question is. I have a glass stove and the top is cracked, so can't use that. Besides I have read not to put a pressure canner on a glass top. But I do have a burner on the side of our gas grill and a burner that you would use under a big crawfish pot. I'm thinking I should use the one on the side of the grill because you can adjust the temp/flame lower than on the big crawfish burner. Any thoughts on that? I would love to try my hand at using the pressure canner!

My only thought on that would be could your grill handle all the weight on one side? I have not gotten a pressure canner due to glass top stove and lack of other heating options. I did a lot of work getting a pot and rack that will fit on my stove top and heats to boiling with out cracking the top or tripping sensors. I think this time round I will use my propane burner for the turkey fryer. I would love to have an outside kitchen in the garage with a propane set up. On my list of to do stuff.