Resting Meat...I know its be questioned to death but

[Jejahess]

I've seen and read all kinds of ways of doing this process. When we do birds, we keep it real simple. After they're eviscerated and rinsed they go into a ice water bath until they're cooled down. Once they're cold they either get bagged up as whole birds or cut apart in pieces and vacuum sealed. Then they either go into the fridge to chill a little longer or straight to the freezer.

They go from the pens to the freezer or fridge in the same day. I have not experienced any benefit to letting them chill or age longer. On chicken processing day I just want to get everything done that day and not have to worry about continuing into another day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They go from the pens to the freezer or fridge in the same day

Same here, freezer anyway. I bake mine, instead of fry, grill, or roast. I take mine out of the freezer on Sunday and thaw them in the fridge until I cook them on Thursday. I figure that counts toward aging, leaving them in the fridge a while after they thaw. As you said, many different ways you can do this.

Just try something. If it works you are good. If you don't like the results try something else. My tastes are different from other people's. What I like someone else might not.

 

[farmyardchic]

What if you don't have a drink cooler. Is a regular refrigerator sufficient?

 

[3KillerBs]

What if you don't have a drink cooler. Is a regular refrigerator sufficient?

AFTER the birds have been well-chilled in an ice/water bath.

A regular refridgerator has a limit on how much warm food it can handle being added at once (the info should be in the manual).

 

[farmyardchic]

AFTER the birds have been well-chilled in an ice/water bath.

A regular refridgerator has a limit on how much warm food it can handle being added at once (the info should be in the manual).

Thanks

 

[Jejahess]

What if you don't have a drink cooler. Is a regular refrigerator sufficient?

The ice bath serves to cool the meat down completely before going into the refrigerator or freezer.

Really just about anything can work for your ice bath. I just use the blue plastic 55-gallon drums that I lay on their sides and cut a lid into. The reason I put it on its side is so that I'm not reaching in to my armpits trying to get the last several carcasses out of the bottom of the barrel. I keep it right beside my processing area out of the sun. I put a pretty fair amount of ice in before I top it off with water and then once I have it loaded up with birds I wrap some old blankets around it for installation. Before I go to bed that night I just check the quantity of ice remaining and add some if necessary.

You can also use plastic totes and I've seen people just use a regular plastic garbage can.

 

[farmyardchic]

The ice bath serves to cool the meat down completely before going into the refrigerator or freezer.

Really just about anything can work for your ice bath. I just use the blue plastic 55-gallon drums that I lay on their sides and cut a lid into. The reason I put it on its side is so that I'm not reaching in to my armpits trying to get the last several carcasses out of the bottom of the barrel. I keep it right beside my processing area out of the sun. I put a pretty fair amount of ice in before I top it off with water and then once I have it loaded up with birds I wrap some old blankets around it for installation. Before I go to bed that night I just check the quantity of ice remaining and add some if necessary.

You can also use plastic totes and I've seen people just use a regular plastic garbage can.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[farmyardchic]

Same here, freezer anyway. I bake mine, instead of fry, grill, or roast. I take mine out of the freezer on Sunday and thaw them in the fridge until I cook them on Thursday. I figure that counts toward aging, leaving them in the fridge a while after they thaw. As you said, many different ways you can do this.

Just try something. If it works you are good. If you don't like the results try something else. My tastes are different from other people's. What I like someone else might not.

Confirms--I was wondering if this would work. Thank you.

 

[farmyardchic]

AFTER the birds have been well-chilled in an ice/water bath.

A regular refridgerator has a limit on how much warm food it can handle being added at once (the info should be in the manual).

Good point. Thanks.

 

[speedy2020]

I usually bagged and leave in fridge 24-48 hour and then move to the freezer.