Newcomers to the world of turkey hunting may feel overwhelmed by the process of cleaning a wild bird, but there are several simple steps they can follow to make their task simpler.
First step should be determining whether or not field dressing the bird. The choice should depend on weather and distance conditions.
Remove the Feathers
One of the primary steps in cleaning a wild turkey is removing its feathers. There are two methods for doing this, either plucking or skinning; plucking may take more time but preserves more flavor while protecting skin that adds to its taste and prevents drying out during cooking. Whichever approach you take, always ensure food safety by taking necessary precautions against bacteria contamination.
As with any field-to-table process, starting off with a clean workspace is key when dealing with wild game. Be sure to have plenty of work surface available, using only quality tools in order to prevent contamination of your meat with bacteria or parasites. Also take caution with touching exposed parts as this could contain insects carrying diseases that could contaminate it further.
Once you’re ready to begin, begin by heating a large pot of water – either outdoors using an outdoor burner, bunsen burner, or campfire; its temperature should reach 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit for best results and feather removal.
Step two of feather removal requires placing your turkey down on its back. Keep in mind that its breastbone marks the center of its body, so take extra care in finding its location before proceeding with feather removal. Step three will involve starting this task.
Care should be taken when extracting wings, as you’ll need to straighten them in order to access their open joints and pull webbed skin toward them – once done, feathers should come right off easily.
To complete this job, both sides of the vent must be cut open and any internal organs still attached, including windpipe and lungs, removed. You should then empty and clean out the gizzard as an essential step in digestion process.
Remove the Head and Neck
As any hunter knows, a fresh turkey is an exciting trophy. Before cooking the bird, however, you must first clean and prepare it; to do this you must remove its head and neck to get maximum meat from your kill. While this task may be time consuming and laborious, follow all necessary steps carefully so you receive maximum benefits from your hunt.
Before starting to clean a wild turkey, first ensure your hands are clean by washing. Next, locate and remove its head and neck by first finding its neck area then its anus section; once here make a cut into its chest cavity to open it up; making sure not to puncture any intestines and cause contamination; once opened you can reach in and remove its entrails but make sure not to puncture its gizzard as this could taint its gravy!
Step two of this recipe requires the removal of the tail-fan, beard, and spurs from your turkey for momentos or to use later in another dish. After taking care to secure it in place with string, collapse its base just above its vent before pulling up away from its body until you separate its skin and can plunk feathers with ease. Once this step has been completed you can then begin plucking feathers from its skin!
Plucking a turkey can be faster than skinning it, yet may leave some feathers intact for flavor and moisture retention during cooking. Plucking also provides an opportunity to save the giblets (heart, liver and gizzard), which can later be turned into tasty gravy sauce.
Rinse
After plucking the feathers, it’s essential to carefully rinse your turkey before cooking in order to eliminate any residual blood or debris which could reduce quality of meat or pose potential health hazards. This step ensures a more healthy turkey.
To easily remove its feathers, the best method for this task is placing your turkey into a large pot of boiling water for several minutes. This will loosen its feathers, making removal simpler.
Once your turkey has been cleaned thoroughly, it is ready for cooking. There are various methods of doing this depending on your personal preference and the species of turkey you’re cooking – whole roasting, whole smoking or deep frying are great ways to go for wild birds.
Selecting an ideal workspace is essential to this task, as you must avoid infecting your turkey with bacteria or parasites. An outdoor table that can accommodate your turkey with all its components should work best before being cleaned to eliminate any possible contaminants on its surface.
Before beginning to clean and field dress your turkey, it’s essential to know whether or not it will be mounted, as this will determine your field dressing approach. For instance, if you plan on mounting the bird, it would be beneficial not to field dress it at all; rather transport it in an iced cooler instead – this will preserve its meat better while decreasing chances of it spoiling during its journey home.
Note that, if you plan to mount your turkey, it is essential that the skinner method of dressing be used. This technique involves extracting internal organs as well as skin in one step for easier transportation and storage purposes.
For this method, you will require a sharp knife, protective gloves and a pot of boiling water. First, make an incision at the turkey’s lower point (known as its sternum) large enough for you to insert your hand through. Next, pull outwards on its skin in order to reveal its flesh beneath.
Dispose of Waste
An exciting hunt and the promise of a delicious feast are an incentive for hunters, but handling wild game must come with responsibility. Missteps during cleaning and processing turkey could result in foodborne illness – potentially life threatening! Therefore it’s imperative that hunters wear gloves throughout their process of processing turkey; wash their hands often; clean any tools used on it as well as properly cook their bird so as to eliminate bacteria or parasites that might exist on it.
Utilizing the right tools for turkey cleaning can make the task simpler, faster and more effective. A great set of tools should include a sharp knife for precise cuts; a large table as the workspace; a pot for scalding the turkey; latex gloves to ensure hygiene and gallon-size freezer storage bags to dispose of waste products.
To clean a turkey properly, it’s necessary to remove its head, neck, wings and tail. For optimal results, first remove its breast section before proceeding with other parts. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to take steps such as plucking wings in order to make plucking easier.
After you have removed the body and head from your turkey, it is critical that it is carefully washed in order to eliminate all bacteria and parasites, as any remaining can contaminate its meat and pose potential health hazards.
Wild turkeys should never be fed or handled by humans as they are wild animals and should never become aggressive and dangerous when perceived as being part of their pecking order. Males attempting to find female mates may venture into neighborhoods looking for potential mating partners during mating season, so to haze a wild turkey away use loud noises, popping an umbrella open, throwing tennis balls or dousing it with water from a hose or squirt gun may help scare it off – leashed dogs may also aid in scaring it off!
Once your turkey is clean and dried thoroughly, patting it dry before placing it into the freezer will help not only preserve its flavor but also prevent bacterial growth.