How do you Freeze Your Broilers?

[jessepona]

We just butchered some broilers and we had planned to wrap them up in freezer paper and pop them in the freezer. However, they didn't make such pretty packages as I'd planned and I'm afraid they'll get bad freezer burn because of all the open space in the package. So we decided to split them in half and preserve them that way. It makes wrapping them much easier at any rate.

I'm curious though, for those of you that preserve your broilers whole, how do you do it? Is there a way to wrap them that reduces the amount of air in the package, or do you just stick them in huge freezer bags? Does air in the freezer paper package even matter with regards to freezer burn?

Thanks for the advise!

[piglady]

The best way we found is to buy one of those little tabletop machines at Walmart that sucks all the air out and then seals the bag. Meat will last for well over a year and no freezer burn. The down side is it takes more time and the bags are expensive.

[moonwolf]

I can't afford one of those fancy shrik wrap freezer vaccuum machines, nor the expensive wraps that go with those. I've always wrapped my broilers in cling plastic wrap and then wrapped that in the heavy freezer paper and tape it, freeze it. I never experienced much freezer burn problems even after a year frozen.

[Cornhusker]

We always use the big zip lock freezer bags.

[cowgirlone]

I like to wrap mine in plastic like moonwolf does, and then bag them like CH does.
If you can keep the air away from the skin, no ice particles or frost will form. You can even fill the cavity of the bird with some wrap before bagging.
I also like to can them.

[Macybaby]

If you are using plastic bags, you can put them in water to help force the extra air out. Actually works quite well. Of course, you don't put the open end under the water. . .

I've tried sucking air with a straw, but after a few mouthfuls of "chicken water" I gave that up.

First few years I bought extra large freezer bags from McMurry. Put them in the bag, put bag into the laundry tub filled with water. Twist the end and tie shut, and then dry off. That worked very well.

Three years ago I used large ziplock bags. Had several fail, was not happy with that. Got a sealer machine on sale during the off season, and used that this time. My birds are big, so the prepurchased large was not large enough - had to make my own.

The bags are reusable. Turn them inside out and clean them and let them dry. I figure I can reuse the bags from the birds a few times, as they are quite large to start with.

Cathy

[DQ]

we vaccuum sealered ours but grandma always kept the containers from schwans icecream and stuck 'em in whole and filled them with water adn froze. whenever we went to visit I always requested her fried chicken mmmmmmmm. it was never freezeburned. I am collecting similiar size buckets to use in the future the same way. buying the bags for the vaccuum sealer is pretty expensive and I haven't replaced the roll I used because of that.

[homebirtha]

We use the Cryovac bags for ours. You just cut a small hole in the bag, dunk them in very hot water and the bag shrinks around the chicken. Then stick a label over the little hole. It keeps them from getting freezer burned and they look a lot better for selling too.

http://www.footstepsfarm.com/cryovac.html

[jessepona]

I like the idea of wrapping them in plastic wrap before the freezer wrap or bag. I'd love to get a seal-a-meal machine eventually, but it isn't in our budget right now.

DQ, your grandma froze the whole chicken in the ice cream tub filled with water, so it was like ...a... big chicken ice cube? That sounds great! I think I have some of those buckets kicking around here. I bet I could use trick or treater buckets... if I can find them with lids on that is.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

[lorian]

Just don't forget to let them chill in the fridge for 24 hours before you put them in the deep freeze. Although it has nothing to do with freezer burn, it does keep the meat from being tough.

[Wendy]

I put in big ziplock bags & then wrap in freezer paper.

[westbrook]

after butcher, I place them on a rack in the refrigerator that has a towel laid over the top.. place the chickens in so none of them tough each other. I lay a towel over the top and let them age for 72 hours.

I remove them and make sure they are completely dry, inside and out. I use freezer paper (wax coated on one side...not butcher paper which is just paper).

I wrap like a Present.. so the bird is lain cross ways on the paper and begin to roll and fold ends. It is easier if the legs are tied.

I also like to cut up my meat and wrap it or sort meat parts.. thighs with thighs, breasts with breasts and so on. the backs then become soup which I can.

I do like the cryovac bags from footstep farms followed the link to look at order for pricing, but it wasn't working. I don't know that I would use them at home, but if I was in a commercial business I would certainly consider it.

[sammyd]

We skin and cut up the birds. Debone the breast meat and put it freezer bags and into the freezer.
Haven't had tough meat, haven't had freezer burn except for that one bag that had been in there for 2 years.