Chilling and Vacuum Packaging
At 15:33 in
How to butcher chicken outdoors
What happens here
After evisceration and rinsing, the chickens are placed into a three-bay stainless steel sink filled with cold water and ice. They are left to chill, allowing their body temperature to drop quickly, which is essential for food safety and meat quality. Once sufficiently chilled, each chicken is placed into a BPA-free shrink-tight bag. A straw is inserted into the bag to allow for air removal. The bag, with the chicken inside and the straw still in place, is then submerged into hot water at 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). The heat causes the bag to shrink and seal tightly around the chicken as air escapes through the straw. The straw is then removed, and a zip tie is used to secure the bag opening, creating a vacuum-sealed package ready for freezing.
Goal: Cool and vacuum-seal chickens for long-term storage
Tools and materials
- Broomstick Handle — Pushing bags into hot water safely
- Scalding Pot Coops N More — Heating water for bag shrinking
- Thermometer — Monitoring water temperature for bag shrinking
- Three-Bay Sink — Chilling chickens
- BPA-free Shrink-Tight Bags — Packaging chickens for vacuum sealing
- Ice — Chilling chickens in the sink
- Straws — Removing air from packaging bags
- Zip Ties — Securing packaged chickens