Thoughts on spent hens?

[Hopeful homesteader]

Yes, yes I do. and its GOOD. But you can't use chicken fat, poultry fat doesn't get hard at room temp like pig fat or cow fat (goat fat is a bit "flavorful" - makes better soap, once its been boiled down). So bulk it out with fat from a pork shoulder/butt, a brisket, or a top/bottom round roast.

Any sausage recipe for pork works well with old chicken.

Yes you can, look into schmaltz. I've started making it with chicken fat store it in the fridge for several weeks or freeze for a year with larger batches. I've also skimmed the fat off after making bone broths but get much smaller amount compared to the typical schmaltz that's made by rendering the fat from chicken skin. I just learned of it recently myself.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, but not good for sausage making.

 

[kmpcfp]

Thanks all!

Could I use bacon grease to sub for pork fat in a chicken sausage recipe and omit any added salt, or would it still be too salty, you think?

Also, can I age birds in the freezer or do they have to sit in the fridge until rigor mortis passes?

 

[Isadora]

Thanks all!

Could I use bacon grease to sub for pork fat in a chicken sausage recipe and omit any added salt, or would it still be too salty, you think?

Also, can I age birds in the freezer or do they have to sit in the fridge until rigor mortis passes?

They won't age in the freezer. You can rest them in the fridge 1st or you could freeze them and rest them in the fridge before cooking. Whatever works for you.

 

[Brooks_]

Could I use bacon grease to sub for pork fat

Consistency wouldn't be right.

Also, can I age birds in the freezer or do they have to sit in the fridge until rigor mortis passes?

Fridge, but can rest as thaw time.

 

[kmpcfp]

They won't age in the freezer. You can rest them in the fridge 1st or you could freeze them and rest them in the fridge before cooking. Whatever works for you.

Thanks, that's what I thought. I have about 15 birds to process and it'd be nice to get them done all at once, but I don't have the fridge space and I don't want to mess around with keeping coolers filled with ice.

 

[Brooks_]

They won't age in the freezer. You can rest them in the fridge 1st or you could freeze them and rest them in the fridge before cooking. Whatever works for you.

Fascinating when you think about it. Natural processes still happen after freezing.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

Yes, but not good for sausage making.

I missed the part about making sausage, disregard my comment on that lol

 

[KreetchaKeepa]

I pressure can my spent hens.

Like a whole chicken in a jar?

 

[bobbi-j]

Like a whole chicken in a jar?

I bone out the breast and thigh meat, and can the wings and drumsticks whole. I usually can the boneless meat separated from the whole other parts. The rest of the carcass is frozen and saved for bone broth.