using chicken feet

[agarnp]

Does anyone have any advice in using chicken feet?

 

[Isadora]

I dehydrate them and use as dog treats.
I've also used them for adding gelatin to my bone broth.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I clean them by scalding them and peeling them. The claws and spurs usually wrist off pretty easily too. If you overcook them the skin tears and they can be a pain to peel.

I skin my chickens instead of plucking so they have not been scalded. If you scald your chickens you are on you own. I bring water to a boil and scald for 15 seconds, then dump them out in the kitchen sink and run cold water on them to stop them cooking. It took me a while to learn to not overcook them.

I use mine for broth. They add a lot of gelatin.

 

[FunClucks]

After dispatching, scald whole chicken in water at 145-150F until pin feathers come out easily. When you do this, use wire to hold the feet under the surface of the water so they scald along with the rest of the bird. I use a piece of wire and wrap it around the feet as a handle. After plucking bird, cut off feet, then peel feet. The spur and toe nails will pop off along with the skin. If you get a good scald on the feathers to where pin feathers remove easily and keep the feet under for your entire scald time, the feet will be perfectly scalded.

After that you can cook the feet for broth or feed to dogs or something - they're perfectly clean. I plan to boil for broth then feed back to chickens.

 

[Mountain Roost]

I do the same as @FunClucks. When the middle toe peels easy is a good sign the scald is done, along with the wing feathers. The cooked feet add so much gelatin I like to make a big batch of foot broth and then freeze it in quart bags to add back a portion at a time to chicken soups.

 

[agarnp]

I dehydrate them and use as dog treats.
I've also used them for adding gelatin to my bone broth.

oh ok....do you have to scrape scales off before using to make the gelatin?

 

[Isadora]

oh ok....do you have to scrape scales off before using to make the gelatin?

Yes, but all you have to do is just peel the skin.

 

[agarnp]

Thank you!

Yes, but all you have to do is just peel the skin

 

[agarnp]

After dispatching, scald whole chicken in water at 145-150F until pin feathers come out easily. When you do this, use wire to hold the feet under the surface of the water so they scald along with the rest of the bird. I use a piece of wire and wrap it around the feet as a handle. After plucking bird, cut off feet, then peel feet. The spur and toe nails will pop off along with the skin. If you get a good scald on the feathers to where pin feathers remove easily and keep the feet under for your entire scald time, the feet will be perfectly scalded.

After that you can cook the feet for broth or feed to dogs or something - they're perfectly clean. I plan to boil for broth then feed back to chickens.

Sounds good but we froze them before taking skin off feetwill they peel ok after thawing?

 

[Isadora]

Sounds good but we froze them before taking skin off feetwill they peel ok after thawing?

Mine did