Comments on: Thanksgiving http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/ The adventure continues... Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:26:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: bruce fuller http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-47340 bruce fuller Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:06:12 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-47340 u asked if the turkey felt anything when u slit it's throat. When u sever the artery the blood flow to the brain stops and the turkey passes out from what is called anoxia.( no oxygen to the brain) this also causes anoxic anesthesia which simply means they are pain free because they passed out. we know people are pain free because people who pass out and are hurt from a fall for example, do not remember the incident and say they felt no pain from their injury til they came to. u asked if the turkey felt anything when u slit it’s throat. When u sever the artery the blood flow to the brain stops and the turkey passes out from what is called anoxia.( no oxygen to the brain) this also causes anoxic anesthesia which simply means they are pain free because they passed out. we know people are pain free because people who pass out and are hurt from a fall for example, do not remember the incident and say they felt no pain from their injury til they came to.

]]> By: Peter http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-46543 Peter Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:30:49 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-46543 Hi Theresa, I'm no expert, but I imagine it would be fine in a properly cold frig for 5 days. We let birds rest in the fridge for 3 days before freezing or preparing. This tenderizes the meat. If it's thoroughly cooked, anything icky that might have been there will be killed anyway. A 10% solution of chlorine bleach...that's not a sanitizing solution, that's melt-your-flesh-off solution! All it takes to sterilize things is a few drops per gallon of water...but I think even that would ruin any sort of food item. I sure don't miss the flavor of chlorinated city water! Hi Theresa,

I’m no expert, but I imagine it would be fine in a properly cold frig for 5 days. We let birds rest in the fridge for 3 days before freezing or preparing. This tenderizes the meat.

If it’s thoroughly cooked, anything icky that might have been there will be killed anyway.

A 10% solution of chlorine bleach…that’s not a sanitizing solution, that’s melt-your-flesh-off solution!

All it takes to sterilize things is a few drops per gallon of water…but I think even that would ruin any sort of food item. I sure don’t miss the flavor of chlorinated city water!

]]> By: Theresa Hardison http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-46541 Theresa Hardison Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:03:46 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-46541 This Saturday we're butchering our 4 turkeys for T'giving on Thurs. The first - and last - Great Bar X Turkey Endeavor! Your information is invaluable. If we slaughter on Sat. and not roast until Wed. or Thurs. is there something I need to do in the interim? Will refrigeration suffice - or should I freeze them for a couple of days? I'm feeding 40+ people and I sure don't want anyone getting sick. Someone suggested I might need to dunk them in a 10% solution of Clorox & water???? Yuk. This Saturday we’re butchering our 4 turkeys for T’giving on Thurs. The first – and last – Great Bar X Turkey Endeavor! Your information is invaluable. If we slaughter on Sat. and not roast until Wed. or Thurs. is there something I need to do in the interim? Will refrigeration suffice – or should I freeze them for a couple of days? I’m feeding 40+ people and I sure don’t want anyone getting sick. Someone suggested I might need to dunk them in a 10% solution of Clorox & water???? Yuk.

]]> By: Susie Pedersen http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-46075 Susie Pedersen Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:54:46 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-46075 hi Teri! I want to thank you for this website - it's so helpful. We processed 3 of our chickens and made southern fried chicken that very night and the meat was tough! but tasty. I was afraid to cook the next one that way so I cut up the meat and made a soup which was wonderful - the other chicken is in the freezer. I am bringing 2 turkeys up to my son's house for Thanksgiving and was very concerned about toughness - I see that I should let it rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – would it be any longer since turkeys are so much larger?? – Also we have bronze turkeys which are getting huge and also some mixed that are much thinner – I was told they are wild??? Would the process be the same no matter what type of turkey you have? Lots of questions – sorry – I just have to be comfortable taking turkey – I would be soooo embarrass if they were tough!!! Thanks much! Susie aka cooknwoman hi Teri! I want to thank you for this website – it’s so helpful. We processed 3 of our chickens and made southern fried chicken that very night and the meat was tough! but tasty.
I was afraid to cook the next one that way so I cut up the meat and made a soup which was wonderful – the other chicken is in the freezer.

I am bringing 2 turkeys up to my son’s house for Thanksgiving and was very concerned about toughness – I see that I should let it rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – would it be any longer since turkeys are so much larger?? – Also we have bronze turkeys which are getting huge and also some mixed that are much thinner – I was told they are wild??? Would the process be the same no matter what type of turkey you have?

Lots of questions – sorry – I just have to be comfortable taking turkey – I would be soooo embarrass if they were tough!!!
Thanks much!
Susie aka cooknwoman

]]> By: Peter http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-45908 Peter Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:43:36 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-45908 Hi Karen. I don't remember the exact timing and pressure, but we pressure-canned a lot of the turkey meat and were still eating from that two years later(!) I thought it might lose texture in the process, but it was just fine. I'm pretty sure we got the timing/pressure settings from the Ball Blue Book. Hi Karen. I don’t remember the exact timing and pressure, but we pressure-canned a lot of the turkey meat and were still eating from that two years later(!) I thought it might lose texture in the process, but it was just fine. I’m pretty sure we got the timing/pressure settings from the Ball Blue Book.

]]> By: karen hiss http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-45466 karen hiss Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:19:54 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-45466 Great and informative article. Will be butchering my first Tom soon, and he is going to be quite large also, so your tips were VERY helpful!! I can alot also, and was wondering how you can your meat? Would you be willing to share your info & expertise in that area? Much appreciated. Karen Hiss Great and informative article. Will be butchering my first Tom soon, and he is going to be quite large also, so your tips were VERY helpful!! I can alot also, and was wondering how you can your meat? Would you be willing to share your info & expertise in that area? Much appreciated.

Karen Hiss

]]> By: Amy Sirk http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-43281 Amy Sirk Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:27:52 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-43281 We have been processing our own chickens for a couple of years now but this will be our first year for turkeys. We also ended up with a "Gimpy" but he seems content to stumble around with his buddy and eat bugs from the garden. I'd like to address the issue of tough chickens. Here is how it was explained to me. When a creature dies the muscles tense up (rigor mortise). So when we slaughter a chicken we let the finished carcass rest in the refrigerator for two or three days before cooking. This allows the muscles to relax. Thanks for your great post. I'm sure our turkey processing will go much smoother with this good information. We have been processing our own chickens for a couple of years now but this will be our first year for turkeys. We also ended up with a “Gimpy” but he seems content to stumble around with his buddy and eat bugs from the garden. I’d like to address the issue of tough chickens. Here is how it was explained to me. When a creature dies the muscles tense up (rigor mortise). So when we slaughter a chicken we let the finished carcass rest in the refrigerator for two or three days before cooking. This allows the muscles to relax. Thanks for your great post. I’m sure our turkey processing will go much smoother with this good information.

]]> By: kim http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-25691 kim Fri, 14 May 2010 17:01:38 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-25691 Hello   We killed our first turkey hen this morning due to her uncontrollable behavior, she was getting out of the pen (flying over the fence) several times a day and once went into a subdivision and my husband had to  run her back home, to say the least, he was not a happy person and I told him that if he killed it I would do the rest.    I would llike to thank you for your article and it helped me with the process alot.  The photos really helped me alot.   I went ahead and baked her and we had a great feast even if its May.  I found the instructions were very helpful and simple to follow.  Hello
  We killed our first turkey hen this morning due to her uncontrollable behavior, she was getting out of the pen (flying over the fence) several times a day and once went into a subdivision and my husband had to  run her back home, to say the least, he was not a happy person and I told him that if he killed it I would do the rest. 
  I would llike to thank you for your article and it helped me with the process alot.  The photos really helped me alot.
  I went ahead and baked her and we had a great feast even if its May.  I found the instructions were very helpful and simple to follow. 

]]> By: Peter http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-21976 Peter Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:09:30 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-21976 I really don't know - that was our first turkey. Once it was cleaned, we kept it in ice water for a while then froze it. We defrosted it for a couple of days (BIG turkey) before Thanksgiving, and cooked it right up. One big surprise - we pressure-canned some of the meat (with a bit of fat in it), and that was the most flavorful, rich meat of all. I really don’t know – that was our first turkey. Once it was cleaned, we kept it in ice water for a while then froze it. We defrosted it for a couple of days (BIG turkey) before Thanksgiving, and cooked it right up.

One big surprise – we pressure-canned some of the meat (with a bit of fat in it), and that was the most flavorful, rich meat of all.

]]> By: Graham http://www.braidedbowerfarm.com/2008/12/how-to-butcher-a-turkey-at-home/#comment-21975 Graham Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:23:42 +0000 http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=731#comment-21975 Hi, I was just wondering if it is worth hanging the turkey to hel develop flavour? If so would you do this before or after gutting and for how long? Hi,

I was just wondering if it is worth hanging the turkey to hel develop flavour? If so would you do this before or after gutting and for how long?

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