Coffee's Ready, Come and Sit on the Porch

[farmerjan]

Those tub pluckers are a god send for doing the chickens. Good for you getting them all done and in the freezer!

 

[CrealCritter]

Those tub pluckers are a god send for doing the chickens. Good for you getting them all done and in the freezer!

The plucker was so easy and definitely worth every penny. No more 45 seconds and two were plucked. Plus very inexpensive to rent for a day. The deposit was a little hefty but we got that back when we returned the plucker the next day, so it was all good.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[baymule]

I borrowed a plucker last spring and it sure cut down on time and effort! What a marvelous invention. @CrealCritter i see y’all bag the chickens whole. I go ahead and part them out. Boneless skinless breast, 1/2 breast to each package. I cut off wing tips, cut wings in 2 pieces and vacuum seal for buffalo wings. I vacuum seal the drumsticks. Sometimes I package the thighs as boneless, skinless and sometimes not. I cut some chickens in half and vacuum seal and I package a few whole. It makes preparing a meal a lot easier. By parting the chicken and vacuum sealing it all, it saves a lot of room in the freezer and vacuum sealed, it never gets freezer burn.

I can the back pieces for the dogs. Canning turns the bones to mush. Livers, gizzards, I package some for me and drop the rest in canning jar along with hearts and wing tips. I go ahead and cook skins and other tidbits for the dogs and spoon it over their kibble.

Dogs got so spoiled to chicken over their kibble that I now buy 10 pound bags of leg quarters on sale for the dogs. I just cooked a bag yesterday. There is a half gallon jar of meat in the refrigerator, 2 quart jars in the freezer and 5 quart jars of broth in the freezer. I cooked the bones down in the crock pot all night, they crumble to mush now and I’ll process them later today.

 

[Mini Horses]

That's using it all!! . Dogs love you. I agree, the broken down parts store better, plus when cooking for one it's better used when cooked. Any whole chicken or turkey becomes a cook fest week. Here there are cats for extras on kibble.

Generally I cut into "share" packages for DS & DD. I'm anticipating cutting the huge turkey in half when I thaw to cook this winter. Will give half to DD to do her own cooking!

 

[murphysranch]

I've been having a really tough time these last two weeks. I'm scattered and forgetful and distracted. One thing I thought about last nite, while tossing and turning, was that there are toooo many ways to communicate now. I'm having a difficult time trying to sort out what was said where.

ie: one renter sends me texts.. I could not for the life of me find his message about renters insurance, and four days later stumbled across it in a vm.
Landlord I work for leaves very long voice mails, so that she has to call back to continue to talk on the phone message machine. She also sends emails, but in a jumble of timelines.
Fair lady sends phone texts, two different messenger groups texts, emails and phone messages.

Luckily, DD only uses messenger. Son only uses text. Hubs never answers, so there's that.

Hubs stands in front of me to tell me stuff, but rambles alot.

Fair lady said to start to use Google calendar. I use a paper calendar. Clearly I screwed up myself when I had Poppy on Monday for her spay, instead of today. I have a fair meeting on the 24th, but learned yesterday that it was cancelled.

Its very very confusing to this 69 yr old.

 

[CrealCritter]

I borrowed a plucker last spring and it sure cut down on time and effort! What a marvelous invention. @CrealCritter i see y’all bag the chickens whole. I go ahead and part them out. Boneless skinless breast, 1/2 breast to each package. I cut off wing tips, cut wings in 2 pieces and vacuum seal for buffalo wings. I vacuum seal the drumsticks. Sometimes I package the thighs as boneless, skinless and sometimes not. I cut some chickens in half and vacuum seal and I package a few whole. It makes preparing a meal a lot easier. By parting the chicken and vacuum sealing it all, it saves a lot of room in the freezer and vacuum sealed, it never gets freezer burn.

I can the back pieces for the dogs. Canning turns the bones to mush. Livers, gizzards, I package some for me and drop the rest in canning jar along with hearts and wing tips. I go ahead and cook skins and other tidbits for the dogs and spoon it over their kibble.

Dogs got so spoiled to chicken over their kibble that I now buy 10 pound bags of leg quarters on sale for the dogs. I just cooked a bag yesterday. There is a half gallon jar of meat in the refrigerator, 2 quart jars in the freezer and 5 quart jars of broth in the freezer. I cooked the bones down in the crock pot all night, they crumble to mush now and I’ll process them later today.

I found gizzards to contain stones and a grass salad when I cut them open. I'm unsure how they sell them in the stores clean. We cook them whole, debone and can the meat. Dogs get trimmings that don't go into the canning jars. FB makes broth with the peeled feet and the bones.

The plucker also peels the feet if you submerge the entire bird in the scolder. I agree with you the plucker sure is a marvelous invention. I would buy one, but it's hard to justify the cost, when we plan on only processing once a year.

IDK... I learn a little more every time I process and from good folks like you who share their experience.

P.S. Sure chicken from the store ain't all that expensive, but organic chicken is rather expensive. By raising and processing your own organic chicken, atleast you know what went in them and what didn't and how they were raised.

P.S.S. Once upon a time all food was organic.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I found gizzards to contain stones and a grass salad when I cut them open. I'm unsure how they sell them in the stores clean.

I slice the gizzard lengthwise and clean all the gunk out - then peel off the thick yellow membrane. They're ready to go after that...

 

[Messybun]

I've been having a really tough time these last two weeks. I'm scattered and forgetful and distracted. One thing I thought about last nite, while tossing and turning, was that there are toooo many ways to communicate now. I'm having a difficult time trying to sort out what was said where.

ie: one renter sends me texts.. I could not for the life of me find his message about renters insurance, and four days later stumbled across it in a vm.
Landlord I work for leaves very long voice mails, so that she has to call back to continue to talk on the phone message machine. She also sends emails, but in a jumble of timelines.
Fair lady sends phone texts, two different messenger groups texts, emails and phone messages.

Luckily, DD only uses messenger. Son only uses text. Hubs never answers, so there's that.

Hubs stands in front of me to tell me stuff, but rambles alot.

Fair lady said to start to use Google calendar. I use a paper calendar. Clearly I screwed up myself when I had Poppy on Monday for her spay, instead of today. I have a fair meeting on the 24th, but learned yesterday that it was cancelled.

Its very very confusing to this 69 yr old.

Don’t worry, it’s confusing for this twenty something too.

You can always write down the main way someone communicates next to their name in a book. Or take notes of where something important is. If you have a smart phone you can add it in notes under their contact info. You can also tell people that sorry, I don’t check that message app. Make them use the method most convenient for you.

 

[Mini Horses]

@murphysranch I agree...let me count the ways!!
Wasn't like that years back -- there's that. We learned on simplified methods. Heck, written or spoken -- there were no portable phones, apps, emails and whatever!! Used to be only way to PAY was cash or check, in person or mail. Now I pay electronically zoom!!

I like my calendar in hand, on paper. I write myself a LOT of list/notes....often before bed, to know what I need to do when I get up next day. Makes it easier for memory & getting it done. As to hubs, well I sympathize beyond normal. My mom lived in my house 5 yrs with the big A. Not a fun time.

You'll find a system!

 

[flowerbug]

I slice the gizzard lengthwise and clean all the gunk out - then peel off the thick yellow membrane. They're ready to go after that...

*shudder* ick. i'm not really a cleaner of things in recent years since i quit fishing... i also only eat canned sardines by not really looking at them too closely. glasses off...

i know if i'm hungry enough i could figure out how to kill and clean raccoons and groundhogs and i'd never run out of meat here, but really, i'm also very happy to just eat dried beans and call that good enough.