Resting Meat Birds????

[corky569]

I plan on butchering 8 CornishX next month. I plan on resting them for 3 days before freezing. My question is this...do I need to find room in my fridge, and the fridge will most likely dry out the skin. Can I place them in a cooler with ice instead? Will it damage them if I let them sit in ice water for the three days or do I need to keep them dry with ice on top?
Thanks in advance
Tom

 

[BlueShadow]

Some people brine them while they are in the fridge (soak in salt water solution).

That is what I intend to do to the one that I just put in my fridge tonight. Thanks for the reminder, I need to look up the recipe...

 

[BlueShadow]

Here is the thread with a couple ideas for brines (you also can search online, there are tons of recipes): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/preparing-the-meat-tips-tricks-advice.1171567/

 

[Amandakae]

I keep mine in the ice water in the cooler the whole time. I did some in the fridge this time and they looked gross...all dried and what not. So back into the cooler they went and they looked better the next morning when I bagged them. I have had no problem so far, though I'm sure other have had success doing it their way =) It just kinds grosses me out to have raw chicken open to the rest of my food...

 

[corky569]

I rested mine in a cooler packed with ice for three days, draining the water and adding ice daily. They turned out perfectly. Not water logged at all!

 

[Birdinhand]

you can wrap them for the freezer before resting in the fridge, that's what I do. I use a foodsaver sealer. I let them soak in the ice water for at least 4 hours to loosen them up first so they are easier to bag.

 

[Nupe]

I drop them in a cooler of icy brine the moment I butcher them. At the end of the day, I give them a rinse, put them in a ziplock and into the fridge. Once they're rested, I rinse them again, part some of them up and vacuum seal/freeze. I prefer the wasted bags over babysitting an ice chest. Crap happens and I'm always nervous about the ice melting and the temp at the top getting too high.