Rest when processing

[aart]

It might be useful in an old one

Resting even does those wonders.
Rested older hens for 4-5 days, pressure cooked meat was tender enough for a sammich when usually I cut it up in small pieces for stew/soup/salad...I was rather surprised and very pleased.

I learned most about longer resting times when butchering fresh turkeys.
First batch I did(rested 2-3 days) was like a wrestling match parting out, tendons were tight as hell.
Next year I let them rest for 5 days and they came apart like a baby CX and the meat was more tender.

 

[NHMountainMan]

I'm a few weeks out from butchering. Love the idea of brining rather than just resting.

If I'm planning on freezing some whole birds for roasting, but butchering others for parts (breast / legs / wings) - I'm assuming I'd brine, then rests, then butcher - correct? First time with chickens. Only butchered deer and wild turkey previously.

 

[aart]

I'm assuming I'd brine, then rests, then butcher - correct?

I butcher chickens before resting...older birds you might want to rest first as it would be easier to butcher, as I mentioned with turkeys above.
I have no clue about brining before freezing, I would think you'd want to brine just before cooking.

 

[slbenter]

Regarding brining,

My husband and I have noticed that the store bought chickens we eat are rather....well..."squeeky". Meaning that the meat seems to have so much water added, that it changes the texture and flavor of the meat.
So I began to buy my chicken from a health food store, that was advertised as "dry processed". That helped.
Now that we live in an area that I can raise chickens (as soon as all the home construction is finished)...I plan to start slow and raise maybe 4 meat birds to start with.

My thoughts are that if we brined, we would get that bland, weird texture once again.
Am I making any sense? Does the superior flavor of a home-grown chicken take away that unpleasant factor? I hope I'm describing it well enough so others understand. Both me and my husband noted this in the chicken we were, and currently have to now, buy.
It's like the chicken is so water logged, that even after cooking it has an almost unnatural moistness to it...like it almost "squeaks" when you bite into it.
I know that I don't have to brine, but doing so with some herbs and such sounds so good.

 

[Kusanar]

Regarding brining,

My husband and I have noticed that the store bought chickens we eat are rather....well..."squeeky". Meaning that the meat seems to have so much water added, that it changes the texture and flavor of the meat.
So I began to buy my chicken from a health food store, that was advertised as "dry processed". That helped.
Now that we live in an area that I can raise chickens (as soon as all the home construction is finished)...I plan to start slow and raise maybe 4 meat birds to start with.

My thoughts are that if we brined, we would get that bland, weird texture once again.
Am I making any sense? Does the superior flavor of a home-grown chicken take away that unpleasant factor? I hope I'm describing it well enough so others understand. Both me and my husband noted this in the chicken we were, and currently have to now, buy.
It's like the chicken is so water logged, that even after cooking it has an almost unnatural moistness to it...like it almost "squeaks" when you bite into it.
I know that I don't have to brine, but doing so with some herbs and such sounds so good.

The ones at the store are injected with brine, you would just be soaking in it, so likely it wouldn't be as waterlogged, just wet.

 

[aart]

My thoughts are that if we brined, we would get that bland, weird texture once again.

Try it and see...brine one and not another..... then compare.
Go even further and brine 'rest' one and 'dry' rest another while then freeze both.

 

[jolenesdad]

Regarding brining,

My husband and I have noticed that the store bought chickens we eat are rather....well..."squeeky". Meaning that the meat seems to have so much water added, that it changes the texture and flavor of the meat.
So I began to buy my chicken from a health food store, that was advertised as "dry processed". That helped.
Now that we live in an area that I can raise chickens (as soon as all the home construction is finished)...I plan to start slow and raise maybe 4 meat birds to start with.

My thoughts are that if we brined, we would get that bland, weird texture once again.
Am I making any sense? Does the superior flavor of a home-grown chicken take away that unpleasant factor? I hope I'm describing it well enough so others understand. Both me and my husband noted this in the chicken we were, and currently have to now, buy.
It's like the chicken is so water logged, that even after cooking it has an almost unnatural moistness to it...like it almost "squeaks" when you bite into it.
I know that I don't have to brine, but doing so with some herbs and such sounds so good.

I think that texture is mostly due to feed and confinement to be honest. I think that’s what leads to a spongey quality to the meat.

I’ve been brining my latest batch and really enjoying it. To borrow from @aart , the ‘toothsome’ nature of the home grown meat is not effected by brining. It’s just a little more delicious.

Brining just ensures you retain moisture when you’re cooking. Honestly for me, it’s a fail safe...since my own chickens don’t come with one of those pop-up-I’m-done timers.

To the OP I rest for 24 hours.

 

[aart]

I’ve been brining my latest batch and really enjoying it.

To the OP I rest for 24 hours.

Your birds are young 8-12 weeks?
Do you brine while resting and before freezing or after thawing/just before cooking.

 

[jolenesdad]

Your birds are young 8-12 weeks?
Do you brine while resting and before freezing or after thawing/just before cooking.

They’re 9 and 12 weeks.

I brine before cooking only. I never thought to do it while resting but my next batch I’ll make a test and do that.

The usda processor I work with says if it’s getting frozen, birds 12 weeks and under can go directly in the freezer, and they do any of their own production birds this way. (They’re processing at 7-8 weeks....CX). They have the most gigantic walk in freezer with massive deliveries going out every day, so I want to trust that...

I still rest. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[aart]

They’re 9 and 12 weeks.

I brine before cooking only. I never thought to do it while resting but my next batch I’ll make a test and do that.

The usda processor I work with says if it’s getting frozen, birds 12 weeks and under can go directly in the freezer, and they do any of their own production birds this way. (They’re processing at 7-8 weeks....CX). They have the most gigantic walk in freezer with massive deliveries going out every day, so I want to trust that...

I still rest. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think the younger the bird the less resting is needed.
I imagine putting the processed birds in the freezer is easier(maybe safer, maybe USDA 'rules') when dealing with large quantities.

Not sure if resting after freezing and thawing is the same as resting a fresh carcass.
@Chef JimmyJ had some knowledge on that IIRC.

The whole resting/brining/freezing/cooking ...many different regimes creating different end products would be hard to 'test' thoroughly enough for true comparison quantification.
Am curious about it tho, cause I always 'think things to death'