What do you do with the chicken after you have processed it?

When we butcher our chickens I usually leave them in ice water for about 4 to 6 hrs before we bag them and put them in the freezer. It seems to help the bird to not be so tough.

 

I usually soak mine in ice water for a few hours then put them in the frig for 2 days.

 

Quote:I generally eat them.

For sure get it chilled to 38 F as quickly as you can (ice water), then let it age at least a day in the fridge before eating it.

 

When you put it in the fridge for the day, it's to let the meat rest, so it's not so tough. An old cookbook says to make a tough rooster fit to cook, soak it overnight in buttermilk.

 

Oh, and if your meat bird was "old", such as an excess roo instead of a cornish x, he may need to be slow cooked.

 

Dont be embarrased, we were all there at some point or another.
Since I was canning the chickens, I baked mine the next day, it was delicious. So I do not know why it was so it was so tough. We didnt really mess our first ones up, we messed our second batch up, LOL. We'll learn.

 

if you get it right the first time, somewhere along the way, you missed a step. Like when ya fix your car, it runs great, but you got 3 extra pieces.

 

Yup, good to let it rest and let the rigor pass fully out of the muscles (like, overnight); and if this was a regular normal chicken, and full grown, it will be more flavorful but more, um, springy-textured <g> (="tough") than anything you've ever gotten from a supermarket. Full grown 'regular chickens', i.e. not broilers, need to be cooked with slow moist heat, not fried or roasted the regular way.

Brining, or marinating in buttermilk for a while, will also help tenderize an adult bird somewhat.

Good luck, it's a learning curve, heaven knows I'm still on it,

Pat