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Why a WHOLE bird is such a good option!

written by

Maria McIntyre

posted on

February 20, 2021

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To some, a whole bird may seem intimidating or TOO much!  But, I'm going to take a moment to convince you that using a whole bird- chicken, turkey, or duck, is EASY and actually costs you less time and money in the long run.  Whether you are a busy family of 8 or a retired couple of 2, a whole bird works for anyone.  I, personally, sometimes cook 2 birds or 2 roasts because of the size of my family, so ONE bird is doable!  I have included a very simple slow cooker RECIPE right here on our site that will help you facilitate trying this out for your first time (or it's a great one if you're a seasoned whole bird believer). click here ➡️➡️https://mcintyrefamilyfarms.co...

I cook a whole bird (or more) every few weeks when I'm in a hurry.  When I'm on top of things, I grab a chicken just before bed and set it out on my big, farmhouse sink to unthaw.  By morning, it is perfect!  I  get the kids off, get ready for chores and the work day, and quickly put the chicken in the crockpot.  I'll check on it at lunchtime and maybe turn it down later (to warm) in the day-or sometimes, just let it go and let it fall apart, depending on my mood or what fires get thrown at me.  Now, what if I forget to take the chicken out to unthaw the night before?  Never fear!  Leave it in it's packaging and place it in a sink of warm water.  The unthawing process will start right away.  For me, at lunch time, it'll be ready to throw in.  And if worse comes to worse, you can always put it in the instant pot frozen.

Here's why I love a whole bird....

**I throw it in and it's done when I get home! All I have to make is veggies/sides and dinner is ready.

**I can make multiple meals from it (depending on what size of bird I have available for my family) I use the roasted bird immediately and then pick off all the meat for soups, salads, and more.  I even freeze some bags for later meals down the road.

**I keep all the bones and then make bone broth in the instant pot the next day, so simple

**The whole bird is USED!  There is literally no waste.  When I had a big dog (RIP), after the bone broth, he ate what was left.  So, all meat, broth, and bones were consumed!

**Less expensive.  Although I don't buy the bird from myself, I do know the cost of raising it and the cost of taking it to our small USDA processor.  It is more money, more packaging, and more time to have the bird cut up.  By using a whole bird, I am spending less money and less resources.

**I get to be creative.  There are a number of ways to season a whole bird!  Sometimes, I will cook one in the dutch oven outside on briquettes, sometimes in the oven.  All the leftovers can be used in so many dishes.  I do not even think twice when I see a recipe that uses 'breast meat' - I use all the shredded or cubed meat I have taken off the whole bird, and sub it immediately.  

**The kids love the wishbone.  It is tradition to set it in the kitchen window for a couple of days and let it dry out, then two of them pull on it to snap it.  The one who ends up with the larger end of the bone, gets their wish.

Don't hesitate to add your reasons for using whole birds or any recipes or links to recipes you love for them in the comments below!

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Join us at McIntyre Family Farms for our annual Fall Farm Festival on Saturday, September 27th, 9:30 AM–2:30 PM! Enjoy farm tours, hay rides to collect fresh eggs, our giant straw maze, face painting, the famous pea pit, and visits with pigs and chickens. Grab lunch from the grill, shop local pumpkins, and take home farm-raised meats with exclusive event savings. Perfect family fun in Caldwell, Idaho—don’t miss this fall festival tradition!

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Pursuit of the perfect, crisp Pickle!

Over 15 years ago, I went from a small garden in the back yard (or in pots) according to where ever I was at the time, to a large garden spot that has been permanent ever since.  I had helped my mother and grandma can over the years growing up and had collected or bought all the necesary canning equipment.  It was now my turn!  First up, was crisp dill pickles using my cucumbers.  I experimented with a few batches (with some results better than others) and eventually learned a few, very important tips that I'd love to pass on to you.  I've since pickled beets, beans (dilly), asparagus, and peppers.  This year I want to try an Italian blend with cabbage, carrots, garlic, peppers, and cauliflower. I am definitely not a pro, but these few things might help.  Let me know if you have other things that have helped in pickling. The most KEY advice I can give you is WATER!!   *don't use city water that has been treated or well water that has ran through a softener.  This is a sure way to end up with soggy, pickled veggies!  (most especially cucumbers) When I first started, I would actually haul water up from my parents' well down in the Magic Valley of Idaho, but since have found a source here on our place that has decent water, unaltered (our water table here is a struggle with lots of sulpher).  You can also buy many types of water.  There are a few different sources here in the Treasure Valley. Other tips include... *Making sure the veggies are nice and dry (either air dried or patted dry with a towel) after you rinse the dirt off, never water logged, before putting them in the jar and adding brine *Steam canning them just long enough to seal the jars and not longer than that (this is kind of a variable with your individual set up, but I like to go no longer than 10 minutes on most things) *Using alum?  And what about salts?I have found there is not a lot of difference in crispness when using alum in pickling, so I prefer not to use it/eat it.  As for salts, I have used sea salt, natural Redmond salt, pickling salt, and more.  There is not a huge difference.  The Redmond salt will not dissolve as well in the brine, so just be aware.  It still tastes good!  It will just show up as a brown color sometimes in the jar (almost like sand). Hope this helps in pursuit of your perfect, crisp pickle!