resting birds after processing

[alexk1980]

How long should you let a bird rest after processing? Can you rest them in the freezer?

 

[booker81]

A lot depends on the age of the bird - if it's under 12 weeks or so (like most CornishX), a couple days is good. The older the bird, the longer you want it to go, up to 4-5 days (I did a year+old rooster for 5 days a bit ago).

Resting is to be done in the fridge, but it can be done before or after freezing. Freezing stops all the chemical/muscle processes that are important during resting. If you don't have the space to rest them in the fridge after processing, you can freeze right away. Just take the one out you want to eat, thaw it, and then let it sit in the fridge for the right amount of time that it should rest - 2-5 days depending on it's age.

 

[homesteadapps]

Eat immediately before rigor sets or let set -- usually 24 to 48 hours. Basically you just want the meat to feel flexible, not stiff. It can rest before or after freezing.

 

[stuckinthecity]

Quote:
I'm not trying to snatch this thread, sorry OP

BUT, how long do you have before it sets in, and could you fry a bird that was over the age for frying (say 5 or 6 months) if you did it before the rigor mortis sets in, without it being too tough?

 

[homesteadapps]

We have fried white rock, barred rock and comet crosses that we 5 (20 weeks) to 7 months old and were still tender.

If you know that the bird is going to be used for meat then try to limit it's activity or area even if free ranging, and keep it fed well to plump it up.


I've read somewhere that rigor sets in on chickens between 30 minutes to 4 hours after death.

 

[Salt and Light]

A while back, someone posted a link from a State agricultural site that included information on processing. If I remember correctly, the article stated that the rigor mortis process in chickens is COMPLETE after 4 - 6 hours. If true, there is no need to rest a chicken more than overnight.

 

[Tracydr]

Can I brine while resting? How much salt do you add to the brine? I'm butchering seven jumbo crosses, nine weeks, tomorrow.

 

[homesteadapps]

Yes,

Brine recipes below:

http://www.crawfish-crawfish.com/how-to-brine-meat-poultry.html


We use 1/4 to 1/2 of the salt called for in these recipes.

 

[Mia_]

Quote:
Basically, rigor mortis happens because the muscle tightens and does not have the chemical to untighten because the blood is no longer circulating. So, when you work too hard and say, "My arm is dead." you are being much more literal than you think, until you pump enough blood through it to get it to work again.

Clostridium is a bacteria that is spore forming (makes a shell around it's self when things go bad) and an obligate anaerobe (cannot live in the presence of oxygen). They are what gets rid of rigor mortis. They are also what makes a carcass bloat and smell bad. We want to eat the meat in that window between them tenderizing it, and them making it icky.

When we freeze the meat, it is too cold for the bacteria to eat and grow. Therefore, no tenderizing goes on, also the meat does not go bad.

Does that make sense?



Did they mention at what temperature they were talking about for the 4-6 hours? I could see a chicken carcass, if left out in the sun, be bloated and stinking in 4-6 hours.

 

[homesteadapps]

Didn't think it needed to be said, but the meat should rest in the fridge or a cooler --