To prepare the feet for use, heat a pot a water to a low boil or simmer and blanche the feet for just a few seconds. Too little and the skin won't peel off; too much and it won't peel because it's stuck on there. Seemed like about 3-5 seconds worked for me. I watched and the skin turned a light yellow when it was just right and I could see a bit of skin coming off - sometimes. Experiment by doing just two in the beginning before dropping all of them in at once.
Immediately plunge the feet into an ice water bath. Let them sit there for a while to really cool off (5 minutes or so). If you rush this step, they won't peel as well.
Now's the time to call the kids in so they can help. Especially boys that like gross stuff and animal anatomy. Peeling really should be easy and come of in small sheets. Take care to get the skin off in the pad of the foot. I found that I didn't need to fret too much about the upper part of the leg because that will come off better later. Do try, but concentrate on the actual foot portion.
Here is what a foot looks like before prepping, after it's skinned, and after the talons have been removed. I used a good pair of kitchen shears to remove these.
For the last step, run the foot under cool water and use a vegetable brush to clean up the remaining skin and any debris. Here's where you can get off anything the kids missed as well. No more yellow should remain on the feet.
At this point, I placed about 10 feet (1 pound) in a freezer zip lock back for making broth. You can make an entire broth with about a pound of feet, or take a couple and use them with a chicken if you prefer to make your broth with the whole bird.
I also kept all the necks and froze them separately on a cookie sheet so they wouldn't stick together, then threw them in a freezer bag of their own. These can be used to in broth as well as gravies.
So now you're all experts in chicken feet! Congratulations.
Wow, I'll bet that's some tasty chicken feet broth. That was interesting and odd all at the same time, LOL. Thank you, who knows I just may try it come time for butchering ours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, my son helped a friend process his chickens and received 15 for the freezer each packaged with the feet! I knew that I could use them but didn't know exactly how to "deal" with them.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. But, I'm curious why it's necessary to remove the skin. Does it inhibit the nutrients when you make broth?
ReplyDeleteMy dad loved his chicken feet broth......We buy them from our CSA for a $1.00 a bag! Can't go wrong!
ReplyDeleteGood tips! Way to "use" everything but the "cluck". Blessing from Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteYour post is timely. I have a bag of chicken feet in my freezer that I'm trying to get up the nerve to make broth with. I think I'll go for it!
ReplyDeleteMy dogs enjoy these delicaties, not to sure if I would.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do find this nasty but as I thought about it, who knows how they do things commercially. They use everything. We just don't get to know about it and see it.
ReplyDeleteHats off to you for being the ultimate homesteader! :)
I love how you suggest getting boys who love gross stuff and animal anatomy!!
ReplyDeleteI should clarify a few things...
ReplyDelete1) you don't HAVE to remove the skin, but it will make the broth a bit greasy if you don't. If you prefer it that way, by all means, go right ahead - especially if you raised it yourself. If it's not organic/free range, you may not want to do this.
2) the reason for making a broth of chicken feet is that it adds extra gelatin to your broth - great for intestinal/stomach issues.
I have been told that the broth is high in glucosamine and is very good for joint issues. I really enjoy it and its healthful properties.
ReplyDeleteI had never even considered the feet.....great post....reminding us of " waste not want not!"
ReplyDeleteI had the butcher give me the feet last year when we butchered our chickens. I was all excited until I had to clean them up. I ended up giving them away because ...sigh... I was too much of a sissy to deal with them. I was grossed out!
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying that we don't have to take the skin off. I have a big bag of feet in the freezer and I don't think I could fiddle with them that much!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post Amy! We butchered a rooster a few weeks back and while I knew that I wanted to utilize the chicken feet, I couldn't remember what to do with them! I'll stash this post away for future reference - timely and wonderfully written as always! :)
ReplyDeleteYikes! I never thought of doing this. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteNow that is super interesting. I had neighbors who would fry the chicken legs with the feet. I had never thought about using the feet for borth. I learned something today. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI had just previously posted about chicken feet serve at a Chinese Restaurant. They make a gravy out of them. Never thought anyone would ever find a use for them. But seems there is a use for every part. Thanks for enlightening me.
ReplyDeleteI just made some of this last month, and it totally grossed me out. I grew up on a farm plucking chickens, but I still found this chicken feet thing disgusting. :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband was doing Jordan Rubin's "Restoring Your Digestive Health" diet, and a broth made with chicken feet is recommended. We were able to get about 120 feet for free from some friends who were butchering chickens and they were planning to throw the feet out.
So now I have a freezer full of them! I guess I'll be making broth again since they have so much nutritive value.
that is such an awesome post!!! I don't know if i will ever be brave enough to butcher my own chickens BUT if someone gave me a bag of frozen chicken feet i would totally make chicken feet broth :0)
ReplyDeleteLimette, I should mention that the feet are much cleaner after the skin has been removed. Just saying... :-)
ReplyDeleteIf the feet are already frozen, is it a pain to skin them?
ReplyDeleteMarcy, I've never done them frozen, so I can't speak to that specifically, but I'd certainly give it a try. Who knows... it might be easier! Let us know when you do and tell us the results.
ReplyDeleteWe went to a Chinese DimSum for breakfast with some of my dh's coworkers. One of the men ordered chicken feet just to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteBeing the homesteading family that we are, my just turned 11 yod looked at this coworker and said, "If you KNEW where those feet have been, you'd not be eating them!" ; )
We also have cows and goats........and the chickens follow them waiting for the opportunity to scratch through their fresh manure........
From the mouths of babes! ; )
My boyfriend loves ordering chicken feet whenever we go for yum cha (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/68633791_6b7e252ae4.jpg) but I've never been able to get into them myself.
ReplyDeleteI save everything else...the giblets, necks, deboned carcasses...but I cannot bring myself to eat the feet. Blech! :P
ReplyDeleteOh girl. That is some hard core homesteading!! Ahhh! That totally freaks me out. LOL!
ReplyDelete