Sweeten your chickens?

[mestaske]

Does anyone sweeten their chickens with any special foods right before processing? I have heard of feeding carrots the night before but I don't know... Also when is too old to butcher roos? I still have one extra rooster from last springs chicks. I have eaten about 5 roos since last summer. I like to make chicken and dumplings(saved the extra broth YUM) and also roasted one but it did not turn out good. I have read that you have to let them rest, this is probibly why. Any special ways you prepare fresh roast chickens, temp?

Thanks
Kateri

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

you will find a lot of recipes and discussions on this on the recipe thread.
although I can tell you that many on here do believe in brining especially with older birds.

 

[honeydoll]

I never heard of using carrots, I may just try that. I have heard of people giving cracked corn a few days before butcher, just some on top of their feed, to add a layer of fat, makes them tastier and you dishes you make with them too. Yes, butcher your older roo, but I would soak or brine for a couple of days, and then use him for only a long cooking dish, like dumplings, or in a crock pot. They are not good to roast when they get older. The older roos have a distinct flavor many enjoy. I really like older roo meat in the crock pot. Letting them rest before cooking or freezing is good because you don't want to eat one in rigor, very rubbery. I soaked one of my older roos in buttermilk overnight before I cooked him, it was a wonderful meal but a little expensive. I still let him rest in salt water before that though.

Two of my families favorite ways I cook my younger chickens, is in the routisierri(sp?) or roast it and baste a 5-6lbs.er with 4 Tbls. melted butter, 6 tsp. lemon juice and 2 tsp. of dried tarragon.

HTH

Carolyn

 

[vickircafe]

I have heard you should let them rest in the refridgerator for 3- 4 days before freezing. Then if you roast them, do it slowly. Oven temp no more than 295 degrees for about 2- 2 1/2 hours. Mine always come out great. I even stuff them. This last batch I processed, I did on Sat and had to leave yesterday morning for a vacation, so they only rested for 1 1/2 days in the refridgerator. I put them in the freezer Sun night. I hope they come out ok. I'll cook one for this Sundays meal and try to remember to post if it came out as good as the others or if it is more rubbery due to lack of resting time.
My roosters are alway between 9 and 15 months when I process so they are definately not young, but they are always great tasting. I do not eat the skin though. It seems to be rubbery and sticky, YUK! But the skin is not good for you anyway.

 

[mestaske]

Carolyn: That recipe sounds really good, I will have to try it. Terragon is a new herb I have only tried it once in a chicken dish, maybe I will grow some this summer. Also thank you for the idea of buttermilk. The last chickens I made all were only left in the fridge a day, I think it will definately help to soak them in something.

Vicki: Thanks for the temp, I tried to cook my last one at a higher temperature and it took forever for the inside to cook! Possible the slower the easier for it to cook from the inside out? Agree about the skin. I decided to defeather two of my roosters but what a waste of time! The texture was awful and I ended up giving it to the dogs, I think it has to do with them getting the same food as the hens and not meatbird feed. IDK though...

 

[Jared77]

Add a lime or lemon to your brine mixture. If you do a search for brining recipes you'll get some really good ideas. Hope it works out better for you

 

[garp94]

Quote:
I read somewhere else on BYC that you can rest them AFTER freezing if they didn't get any/enough rest before.

Hope that helps


Thank-YOU for that temp suggestion. Odd that i do that with pork ribs or a roast, but didn't think to do that with chicken.

 

[vickircafe]

Quote:
I read somewhere else on BYC that you can rest them AFTER freezing if they didn't get any/enough rest before.

Hope that helps


Thank-YOU for that temp suggestion. Odd that i do that with pork ribs or a roast, but didn't think to do that with chicken.

That is good to know. I will finish resting another 2 days after I defrost and see how that works.

 

[terri9630]

Quote:
I read somewhere else on BYC that you can rest them AFTER freezing if they didn't get any/enough rest before.

Hope that helps


Thank-YOU for that temp suggestion. Odd that i do that with pork ribs or a roast, but didn't think to do that with chicken.

That is good to know. I will finish resting another 2 days after I defrost and see how that works.

We do it both ways depending on how full the frig is on processing day.

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
This is some really great info. I didn't know about roasting slowly, I am going to try that.

So roasting the older birds slowly will make them tender and not rubbery? Yes, the skin is sticky and rubbery, I do not like it either. You can then use the carcass to make bone broth. Great for soups and very good for you as we can absorb the nutrients easier from the bone broth.