The deed is done...

[Frosty]

This is the basic recipe that I use: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Pork/BriningPork.htm I replace some of the water with apple juice, add some garlic and hot peppers, whatever else sounds good to me. Don't be afraid to experiment! I use the same basic recipe for pork or poultry, just change the spices a bit. For instance, if I am doing a pork roast, I replace part of the water with soy sauce and add garlic and fresh ginger. If I have the time, sometimes I rinse the meat and follow with marinade. If I forget and leave the meat in the brine too long, marinading helps cut the salt. The site tells how much salt per gallon of water based on what kind of salt you use.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I had plank to make a plucker too, when a guy showed me a quick way to do a few at a time. hot water is key and I can pluck it clean in about 10 minutes or less. DOod luck and enjoy those birds.

 

[SillyChicken]

I processed 23 turkeys Sunday with a friend. All heritage birds. Some of the toms were 15 to 20 lbs. hens were 7-10 lbs. They were all sold to a market for the holiday so it was nice to get some money for my birds. I hope to do it every year!! The weather was incredible for processing, couldn't have asked for a better day.

Last year we grew a bbw tom for the Holiday, he weighed 40.5 lbs and had to be cut in half to fit in the roaster.. tender and juicy! I'm looking forward to trying one of my heritage birds soon.

 

[frank53061]

Good Lord so many Turkeys with two people it took me 3 hours doing 2 rooster and one Tom that's till they were put in the freezer and clean up was done.
I guess I am going to have to stream line my proses or get more help My Son helped pluck one rooster and then I had to pluck the other half of the rooster LOL.
The hot water dip helped a lot for the feather removal thank goodness.
The woman folk in my family are not any help they wanted to be gone all the while the deed was being done.
My wife says she is not going to eat any of it....She wont even know HA HA I do all the cooking all the time and my Daughter wants to eat the rooster first she says she hated that rooster it was mean LOL.

 

[redneck4life27]

Well today I did my BBW tom the deed wasnt hard used a grain bag with a hole for the turkeys head and the bag held the turkeys wings from flapping and any chances of him breaking a wing. Then we put his head on the block and off with the head he bleed out quick. Had a 50 gallon metal garbage can half way filled with water on the turkey fryer took about 40 mins to get the water to 150 degrees. Dipped the bird andthe feathers came out very easy except for the flight feathers. Did the gutting and saved all the giblets for homeade stuffing. Then did a final cleaning and into the the so ice cold water for chilling then after chilling I brought him in then with pliers i got mostof the pin feathers that I seen. Then we weighed him 38#. Then into somemore water and salt to let brine for 3 days. The tom was almost 6 months we got him the end of may. The weather was perfect for slaughtering here in upstate ny sunny with a high about 38.

 

[Celie]

Good Lord so many Turkeys with two people it took me 3 hours doing 2 rooster and one Tom that's till they were put in the freezer and clean up was done.
I guess I am going to have to stream line my proses or get more help My Son helped pluck one rooster and then I had to pluck the other half of the rooster LOL.
The hot water dip helped a lot for the feather removal thank goodness.
The woman folk in my family are not any help they wanted to be gone all the while the deed was being done.
My wife says she is not going to eat any of it....She wont even know HA HA I do all the cooking all the time and my Daughter wants to eat the rooster first she says she hated that rooster it was mean LOL.

Daughter wants to eat that mean old rooster......

Son plucked one rooster and then I had to pluck the other half of the rooster.........

Frank, maybe you don't need more help, just need different help! You are so funny !

Well today I did my BBW tom the deed wasnt hard used a grain bag with a hole for the turkeys head and the bag held the turkeys wings from flapping and any chances of him breaking a wing. Then we put his head on the block and off with the head he bleed out quick. Had a 50 gallon metal garbage can half way filled with water on the turkey fryer took about 40 mins to get the water to 150 degrees. Dipped the bird andthe feathers came out very easy except for the flight feathers. Did the gutting and saved all the giblets for homeade stuffing. Then did a final cleaning and into the the so ice cold water for chilling then after chilling I brought him in then with pliers i got mostof the pin feathers that I seen. Then we weighed him 38#. Then into somemore water and salt to let brine for 3 days. The tom was almost 6 months we got him the end of may. The weather was perfect for slaughtering here in upstate ny sunny with a high about 38.

Good Job !

 

[Haunted55]

This is the basic recipe that I use: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Pork/BriningPork.htm I replace some of the water with apple juice, add some garlic and hot peppers, whatever else sounds good to me. Don't be afraid to experiment! I use the same basic recipe for pork or poultry, just change the spices a bit. For instance, if I am doing a pork roast, I replace part of the water with soy sauce and add garlic and fresh ginger. If I have the time, sometimes I rinse the meat and follow with marinade. If I forget and leave the meat in the brine too long, marinading helps cut the salt. The site tells how much salt per gallon of water based on what kind of salt you use.

thank-you!!! I've never brined before and want to try it out. I have 12 birds to do and plan on brining and smoking a couple 2 or 3 for Christmas presents.

 

[Haunted55]

I had plank to make a plucker too, when a guy showed me a quick way to do a few at a time. hot water is key and I can pluck it clean in about 10 minutes or less. DOod luck and enjoy those birds.

Thanks! We've done meat birds with friends who built one of the pluckers and it was slick! We did almost 200 birds in 4 1/2 hours. Start to shrink bag to clean-up. It all goes along so quickly with the plucker. I also just got a scalder put together. I used the tub from an old washing machine, which I took to a welding shop and had them put a new bottom in and legs for stability. This sits right on top of a gas turkey fryer. The BB and BBW I've raised would never have fit into anything I had for hot water so I really had to scramble to come up with something.

 

[3 NH reds]

Well today I did my BBW tom the deed wasnt hard used a grain bag with a hole for the turkeys head and the bag held the turkeys wings from flapping and any chances of him breaking a wing. Then we put his head on the block and off with the head he bleed out quick. Had a 50 gallon metal garbage can half way filled with water on the turkey fryer took about 40 mins to get the water to 150 degrees. Dipped the bird andthe feathers came out very easy except for the flight feathers. Did the gutting and saved all the giblets for homeade stuffing. Then did a final cleaning and into the the so ice cold water for chilling then after chilling I brought him in then with pliers i got mostof the pin feathers that I seen. Then we weighed him 38#. Then into somemore water and salt to let brine for 3 days. The tom was almost 6 months we got him the end of may. The weather was perfect for slaughtering here in upstate ny sunny with a high about 38.

The grain bag idea is great, I wondered how I was going to do this. Tonight is the big night for me and my wife. We are going to process our large Tom. Not sure on his weight but he is a huge Broad Breasted White. I just finished building a Whizbang plucker yesterday and fired it up so tonight is the break in. I know that Turkey do not pluck as well as chicken but any help is good. This will be a rough night, "Thanksgiving" as we call him is the only bird we got close with. We had a batch of 6 chicks and the ^@*&%! GFI tripped so the light went out. 4 died but my wife saved 2 by picking them up and warming them. I asked her if she wanted to be gone while I did this but she said no she would be here. I will update on how the plucker works on Turkey

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good job Frosty!