whole versus cut up chicken in the freezer

[adoptedbyachicken]

I do the breasts and bone out the thighs for the ground turkey. I keep the wings and the drumsticks for other meals. The wings I split into the drummette and middle section and give the wing tip to the dogs. I use them as a bigger appy than chicken wings or as the meat of the meal. The drumstick I often use for soup, stew or casserole. Any slow cook way and the meat slips off the tendon and bone easy. I know what you mean, even the BBB turkeys have way more of that going on! If I'm needing the meat to be into the casserole I just steam the drumstick in a pan first (morning hopefully if I'm that organized) and let it cool so I can pick the meat off it in the afternoon. Nothing stopping you from doing that ahead of time, in fact it would be easier in many ways to do them all, package a bit of meat and broth for the freezer and just take that out for the casserole.

Yes the backs/rest of the carcass/thigh bone are dog food here too, I have enough of that for soup with the turkeys I do whole and the legs.

 

[Beau coop]

Lots of good info! Thanks!

I don't think dogs can have chicken bones, but can they have turkey bones?

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Dogs can have all RAW bones, none of them cooked, not even beef. A cooked bone is brittle and can be sharp when chewed up, a raw bone chews into bone meal.

Common misconception, in truth the best thing for a dog is a raw bone, and chicken bones make up a huge part of the raw dog food diet.

 

[ninjapoodles]

We feed the Volhard Natural Diet, so bones are more "recreational" in that plan as opposed to being part of the actual diet, but we feed them a lot. Poultry backs and necks are not scary because they're really just cartilege and connective tissue. The only danger I could think of would be if the dog and the neckbone pieces are exactly the right size, a section could conceivably get caught in the throat. Hasn't happened here in over a decade, but I've heard people expressing concern over it.

April, how do you steam turkey legs?

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
So what are your thoughts on ground chicken?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
So what are your thoughts on ground chicken?

Don't even get me started... If she tries making chili with ground turkey one more time, she's out of here.

 

[Beau coop]

Quote:
So what are your thoughts on ground chicken?

Don't even get me started... If she tries making chili with ground turkey one more time, she's out of here.

At least you know what is in the chicken and the turkey! With ground beef it's a mystery.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
So what are your thoughts on ground chicken?

Don't even get me started... If she tries making chili with ground turkey one more time, she's out of here.

I have to agree with you, to some extent. I don't like ground turkey as a beef substitute, but I do like it as itself! I shape it into patties, dredge in flour, and fry them. Salt and pepper o taste. They almost taste like fried chicken. I freeze it in patties, so I can take out what I want for that meal, and thaw them quickly. It's one of those things handy when I've forgotten thaw something for diner! I do the same thing with ground pork.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
And here I always figured it was beef... What do you presume they put in there?

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I just put the turkey legs in a deep fry pan with water and a lid, nothing special. Not covered with water but they are in it so maybe steamed is not the best description, but not boiled either.

I have one of those pans with the lid that puts the water back from the steam hitting the lid so they don't go dry as much, I still have to keep an eye on it but they do help lots.