Cooked boned chicken
First I made a huge pot of chicken soup with celery, onions
bell peppers and carrots. I removed the skin, bones, and visible fat and
refrigerated some 8 pounds of leg quarters. I let it cool overnight in the refrigerator.
Originally, I was going to slice the chicken into strips or slices. But it was
so tender it just came apart. I decided to shred it instead… Path of least
resistance. <smile>
I filled a pot with very hot water and rinsed the chicken
twice. Quite a bit of fat came off , then I squeezed it fairly dry and spread
it out on the racks to dry.
Dried chicken shreds
When is it done?
It’s very crunchy when dry. You can crush it with your hand
to break it into smaller pieces.- This can be used in casseroles and stews
- rehydrate and used in chicken enchiladas or chicken tacos
- makes a nice flavorful crunchy snack. Just munch it as is.
- Crush it and use it in instant cup o’ soup
Can I assume you could powder it up and use it as chicken boullion??
ReplyDeleteYes you can. Just remember that it will be a bit bland because we removed the fat. Plus there will be no salty taste, so season accordingly.
DeleteOne of the primary advantages is that you get the nutritional benefit from the meat plus the light weight storage capacity, which makes it ideal for an emergency, or bug-out situation.
how long is this good for ?
ReplyDeletelong term storage would be how long ?
So Far, I haven't seen any reliable sources that talk about storing chicken and other meats. Most books talk about freezing or refrigerating it. But I've had dehydrated ground beef for some five years now and it seems perfectly fine. We've used it with no ill effects. I suspect that if all the fat is out and it's kept in a dry environment, it will keep for years.
Deletedo you seal yours in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to help increase storage time? and store in cool space?
ReplyDeleteSome people use the mylar bags, but I don't see any point in it. Although I have purchased the oxygen absorbers, I don't use them, either. I'm thinking if you live in a humid climate, you might want to consider them. But I live in a very arid climate (Wyoming).
DeleteSome people swear by them, but I am not convinced that they make a significant enough difference to allow for the added cost. It's a judgment call, I guess. So far, I haven't had any problem with food going bad.
Personally, the best place to use the oxy packs is probably in five-gallon buckets of beans and grains, and such.
I keep mine stored in a shed with as cool a temp as possible. Not too difficult as we only have a few weeks of summer around here.
I don't store bags of just one food item, I try to make casseroles and one dish meals with just enough for the two of us with no leftovers.
I keep my food in zip freezer bags until I have enough ingredients to put together meals.
You might want to look over some of these suggestions:
http://dehydratingwaybeyondjerky.blogspot.com/
http://dehydratingwaybeyondjerky.blogspot.com/2012/10/macaroni-tomato-green-pepper-casserole.html
http://dehydratingwaybeyondjerky.blogspot.com/2012/10/apple-raisin-pie.html
http://dehydratingwaybeyondjerky.blogspot.com/2012/10/peach-crumble-pie.html