Monday, September 27, 2010

Old Hens in a jar ( :

It again is butchering time. O Wise One and I thin out the older hens that have slowed down laying. They are the best chicken for soups, gumbos and dumplins because they can hold up to hours of simmering where a younger and more tender bird has a tendency to fall to pieces or get stringy.  My mama used to call these "stewin hens". Ours were butchered and the meat cooked and picked off the bones.   


Then the rich golden broth is strained and the meat is put back into hot jars and the hot broth poured back over the meat.




Then the jars are pressure cooked for an hour and a half at 10 pounds pressure. Producing quart jars of fresh cooked chicken meat in a natural hearty rich chicken broth. This makes great chicken and noodles or soup.

What's even better is no preservatives, no hormones and no chemicals. 


While we were at it we canned the last of the green beans for this year and pulled up the bushes. 

By the end of the day we were tired but felt we had accomplished a great deal.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter

4 comments:

  1. I can't wait for home made chicken broth. The stuff in the stores is pretty much terrible!
    Yours looks so yummy. :)

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  2. Goodness gracious! What a beautiful sight, you and wise one have really put your feet to the petal :o) I'm so happy to see that chicken stock and your absolutely right ..store bought cannot compete with homemade..Only thing it's hard to find an "Old Hen"in the stores around here. There's something to do a search for. String beans look good too, I see you only take the ends off too, I like them on plate like that for good looks :o) Ginny

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  3. So pretty-and so perfect come winter time!

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  4. I have a couple old hens but there is NO WAY I could kill and cook them. I look at it as they gave me plenty of eggs so they can just no into retirement.

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