Shrink bags

[SunnySkies]

I am reasonably sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it.

We are processing Friday. I raised the birds, my friends are coming to help process and providing the plucker (I am so very grateful...I hate plucking). We are splitting the cost of birds and feed. So they are taking home half the birds that night. They live 1.5 hours away.

I ordered shrink bags to use. Could we shrink bag them prior to letting them rest, after they chill down a bit? I am planning to rest mine several days before freezing in a Coleman Xtreme 5 day cooler and add ice as needed (fridge is simply not big enough), but it would be way easier and time saving if I could shrink bag while I have everything out for processing day, not to mention my dear friends could also have beautifully wrapped birds for their freezer.

I don't brine myself.

 

[DelcoChix]

In my limited experience (4th year with meaties, only having about a dozen processed each year after the fair) I have tried the resting for a few days in the fridge and the shrink wrap and throw in the freezer---have to say I have not noticed any difference whatsoever between the two. Have just read a few different posts tonight about the same subject and makes sense--once you freeze the shrink wrapped birds it takes at least 3 days for the to thaw in the fridge---that thawing time allows them to 'rest' along the same lines as resting prior to freezing,
I would just shrink wrap them and be done with it---they look beautiful and the shrink wrapping is wonderful and does a great job at keeping the meat freezer burn free.

I also have not tried the brining but am curious...have 17 taking the trip to freezer camp tomorrow so maybe this year will be the year to experiment with a couple

 

[SunnySkies]

Cool. That is kinda what I was thinking I just want to be done when we are finished, not messing with birds again in a few days.