Whole frozen chicken pressure canner recipe

[CrealCritter]

So I defrosted 2 buff orpengton hens that I processed and froze in the fall of 2017. I then coated them in olive oil and salt and peppered them. Then i browned the skin best a could by flipping the whole birds in a little olive oil with my iron skillet..

In the pressure canner I added 2 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken bone broth that my wife made. The pressure canner book said cook @ 15# for 10 minutes. We'll the pressure canner never got to 15 lbs, it hovered around 13~ 14 lbs. So I left them cook for 45 mins before I cut the heat on the pressure canner.

This is what I seen after letting the pressure come down to 0 and taking off the jiggler thingy and lid. Ok not a "presentation" meal but OMG those buff orpengton hens were delicious

After carefully lifting them out of the pressure canner here is what those tender girls looked like. My wife said oh my God they are falling apart.

Then after I removed the cooker plate from the bottom of the pressure canner my wife looked it the bottom and headed for the canning jars shelf saying "oh yeah we are keeping that". I said look at that broth, it looks like butter.

So I poured out quart jar full.

Then I poured some over top of the buff orpengton hens and made some flour and milk gravy with the rest.

The stove top stuffing was ready and so was the gravy. So I cut a hen in 1/2, amazingly it cut easy and made my plate.

All i can say... Simply delicious tender juicy, succulent even. Just as good as any chicken I've ever had. Now this is the way to cook up those old layers and roosters for sure. Man look what I've been missing all my life by not cooking with a pressure canner.

Here is the recipe I followed out of the pressure canner book.

I told my wife next time I want to try smoking a couple of buff orpengton hens and roosters on the BBQ grill and then cook them in the pressure canner. So that's what I'm gonna try next. Anyways we got enough meat to make several chicken salad sandwiches this week and I already know it will be delicious

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You done good! Chicken looks great and the pressure cooker really does amazing things.

 

[CrealCritter]

You done good! Chicken looks great and the pressure cooker really does amazing things.

Amazing even to me, yes I made a awesome chicken dinner out of a couple of old buff orpengton layer hens. I was totally sceptical... I've tried to bake, fry, even slow cook buff orpengtons in the past only to have it so tough you couldn't eat it. All I can say, whoever invented the pressure canner is a genius!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

It works with the toughest cuts of beef, also. The basis for wonderful stews, meats & gravy, etc.

I have a couple older BOs & some older roos...they are pressure cooker birds who will provide tasty "young bird" meals.

And it is FASTER cooking.

 

[Britesea]

I found the same thing with a couple old roosters- It's amazing how tender it gets! And the flavour is so much more intense with an older chicken!

 

[CrealCritter]

I found the same thing with a couple old roosters- It's amazing how tender it gets! And the flavour is so much more intense with an older chicken!

Great to know thanks now that I know the "secret" to cooking tender juicy chicken other than CCX. I'm gonna start experimenting. It seems to me the "pre pressure canner/cooker" could be tweaked. Like maybe smoke or seasoning other than just salt & pepper. Maybe even stuffing the bird first. I hope @Chic Rustler is
reading this and gives it a try.

Here is what I picked off the remainder of the two hens in a gallon size ziplock baggie for chicken salad sandwiches. I had some today heatrd with BBQ sauce - delicious.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm going to have to try this! I have a couple birds headed to the freezer that might need this treatment!