I'm getting ready to butcher the chickens (7 this time around). However, how should I package them in the freezer? What do you package yours in?

I looked at the food savers/vacuum systems but they are expensive to buy to start with and then the plastic bags that go with them are really expenive to buy.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), October 20, 2001

Answers

We use plastic bags that my wife purchases at the bakery dept. for 4- 5 cents each. They are heavy and you can get them big enough for the Cornish Cross breeds which we have had that were over 6 lbs. I think they use them for their dinner rolls and/or french bread. We have a book on butchering chickens and in the pictures they are using plastic bags and not freezer paper. We've done it this way for at least three years and so far no freezer burn or problems. Ron in Eastern WA

-- Ron (Ron@Verizon.com), October 20, 2001.

We processed our chickens for the freezer by first letting them get chilled overnight, we put the meat in the refrigerator overnight and then the next day we placed it into those Zip-loc freezer bags, worked good for us. Carla Emory mentioned to chill the meat overnight when she visited us a few yrs ago. That was a treat:):)

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 20, 2001.

We also chill the meat in the fridge overnight--makes it more tender. We just buy the gallon size freezer bags at Walmart, and for the birds too big for that(only a few), I wrap them in freezer paper.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), October 20, 2001.

Anita, I am just in the process of gradually butchering 75 meat chickens. We have done 30 so far. I will do 8 today at least. We go to the grocery store and ask to buy 8 lb ice bags for 5 cents each. You can use the smaller 5 lb bags too but it depends on the size of the bird. Right now, our birds are averaging 4.5 to 5.5 pounds each when put in the bag. So you can see why the 8 lb works well for us. Now, this year I decided to treat myself and buy a vacuum sealer. Yes, they are expensive, I bought mine on sale for $120. It is the Tilia 550 which comes with a roll of the 8 inch bags, a roll of the 11 inch bags and separate pre made bags in each size, as well as a canister. The bags are expensive so I am only putting my own chickens to keep in the vacuum bags (works soooo slick!) and the chickens I sell to others I use the ice bags. I thought that I could vacuum seal birds I sell if the people want for an extra fee. Still thinking on that one. Anyway, the vacuum selaer will be a good investment. We make deer sausage, do a lot of fishing, garden, etc. So, we will be able to vacuum seal all of these and TRIPLE the storage time by doing so. Have fun with your butchering. JoAnn

-- JoAnn in SD (jonehls@excite.com), October 20, 2001.

Anita,I found good durable plastic chicken and turkey bags from the place that does poultry butchering in my area and they are very reasonable.you want a good quality bag,I feel that I have spent alot of $ on raising good meat for the freezer and I will not take a chance on freezer burn because of cheap bags.I also let my birds chill in the frig for atleast 12-24 hours which I have heard brings on rigamortse I then place in a bag ,close the top with a straw inserted slightly in the bag ,then twist the top closed with the straw still in it and then I suck the air out of the bag when the bag gets tight quickly pull the straw out and twist some more and double twist tie the bag closed.this works great for me.Also Murray Mcmurray sells the bags online.

-- Dave Smith (duckthis1@maqs.net), October 20, 2001.

Aging your birds for 24 hours (48 for turkeys) in the fridge will almost guarantee tenderness. Also, if you are doing a large amount to store for several months, its a good idea to double bag them, in case one bag fails.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), October 20, 2001.

I agree with the 24 hour storage. We pack our in ice in coolers (they are almost half frozen when we take them out to package) and I believe it adds to the tenderness of the meat. When we use the ice bags to store in, I put the bird in, and get out as much air as I can, even to the point of laying against the bird on the countertop and then twirl the bag end and knot it. Then, I do the same with a second bag so that the bird is double bagged.

-- JoAnn in SD (jonehls@excite.com), October 20, 2001.

We also age ours 24-48 hours in the frig. Reason is, the muscles contract upon butchering. Aging causes the muscles to relax, which makes for a tender chicken. It is the reason some people think that homegrown chicken is tougher....they never aged it. We also pack ours in zip lock freezer bags, but if we are doing 25 to 50 at a time when we know they will be in the freezer for a long period of time, I double the bags. Put the chick in one bag and then put that bag into another bag. One quick tip...try to squeeze out as much air as you can from the whatever type of bag you are using.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), October 20, 2001.

Anita, just a little unsolicited suggestion. Depending on how your family uses chicken, you might want to cut the chickens up before freezing. They are more compact that way, and easier to use. I have a hard time with a whole frozen chicken, waiting for it to thaw before I can cut it up, so next time, I'll bone and skin the breasts and freeze them, cut the thighs and drumsticks off and freeze those, and throw the rest into a stewpot to make a big batch of broth with meat for freezing.

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), October 20, 2001.

everything everyone said is right, just be sure you dry your meat off before freezing.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001.

The vacuum sealers are expensive but the bags are easy to wash and reuse. We found so many uses for ours that it really justifies the expense.

I usually cut up the birds, debone the breasts and freeze them then simmer the rest with onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper until the meat falls from the bones and can the diced meat. For the few birds I do whole--they do take a lot of space but an elegant presentation at table--I double bag with good quality bags if the birds won't fit the larger vacuum seal bags.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), October 21, 2001.

I package ALL meat in a double layer of the twist-tie type freezer bags available at the grocery store. I use the twist tie type over the "zip" type for two reasons: 1 -- it is impossible to get the air out of a zip type, and 2) the zip type are far too expensive.

I put the meat in the first bag, suck the air out with a straw, and twist it closed, the place the whole thing in the second bag with the closure down, and do the same thing.

I never reuse the inner bag, but I do wash and reuse the outer bag.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), October 21, 2001.

I use a double wrap Saran method. Then use white paper to seal with a butcher's fold and tape tightly with electrical tape.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), October 21, 2001.

to wrap a chicken for the freezer: buy freezer plastic wrap...wrap the bird lengthwise then wrap it again around it the other way and then put it in a gallon size freezer bag...they keep a very long time when triple wrapped!

-- Pam Doudera (just_little_pammy@yahoo.com), October 21, 2001.

We use the vaccum sealer, after the birds have cooled in the fridge for 24 hours or so. On a few birds, we season with pepper, garlic, rosemary before sealing. Yummy!

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), October 22, 2001.

There is a two gallon size freezer Zip-Lock bag sold, works perfectly to seal homegrown chicken that doesn't fit in the gallon size. Double bag them to best prevent freezer burn, squeezing as much air out as you can by hand.

Be sure to wash well and reuse, since they are more expensive than the gallon size. Of course, I wash and reuse all Zip-Lock bags, cause I'm frugal (cheap and proud of it :-) )!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 22, 2001.

You've gotten lots of great advice.. my only addition is to push the legs back in that classic "roast turkey" position. It makes the chicken more compact and square for storage and it also opens up the cavity for faster thawing.

-- Ellen Wright (gardenfarm@earthlink.net), October 27, 2001.