First time processing turkey

[Berd Man]

Hello meat bird people
I have been processing meat birds for about two years now. I still consider myself to be fairly new to the processes involved. I have done a number of chickens, ducks, and mostly geese. This year I added heritage turkeys to that list and am pretty excited to try them.

These were three young Narragansett toms that were 22-23 weeks old and weighed between 13-15lbs processed. They were fighting too much and I couldn’t take seeing their disfigured bloody faces anymore . I wish I could have let them go until 28- 30 weeks.

I pretty much did what I always do for any other birds in terms of evisceration, plucking, and ice bath for 48hrs at 38*F.

I have read some things about heritage turkeys benefiting from a rest in the fridge following the ice bath phase. I wanted to try this so I removed them from ice bath, dried them off, bagged them in turkey bags, and have them resting in the fridge at 40*F.

My questions are :

1) Am I doing anything that I should not be doing by resting them in bags on the fridge shelf ?

2) How long should I let them set like this until I freeze them?

Normally I part birds into sections for storage but I wanted these to be whole and do the best for them I could.

 

[Molpet]

I harvest jakes starting at 6 months. Depending on what I fed them, dressed out 10 to 17 lbs.
I have found resting longer gives a better flavor IMHO. Up to 10 days.
If you are going to freeze long term, needs to be vacuum sealer or shrink bags. I had one I found in the bottom of the freezer 4 yrs later and he was great. I used an expandable food saver roll. Which is out of stock https://www.foodsaver.com/bags-cont...ble-vacuum-seal-rolls-2-pack/SAP_2159398.html

 

[Berd Man]

I harvest jakes starting at 6 months. Depending on what I fed them, dressed out 10 to 17 lbs.
I have found resting longer gives a better flavor IMHO. Up to 10 days.
If you are going to freeze long term, needs to be vacuum sealer or shrink bags. I had one I found in the bottom of the freezer 4 yrs later and he was great. I used an expandable food saver roll. Which is out of stock https://www.foodsaver.com/bags-cont...ble-vacuum-seal-rolls-2-pack/SAP_2159398.html

Okay thank you. I’ll have to order some big vacuum sealer bags as mine won’t hold the turkeys.

Can they really rest in the bags in my fridge for ten days?

 

[Molpet]

Okay thank you. I’ll have to order some big vacuum sealer bags as mine won’t hold the turkeys.

Can they really rest in the bags in my fridge for ten days?

Yes.
They will drain into the bags. Some people don't like the liquid and drain the bags. I did that for awhile and don't worry about it anymore.

 

[Berd Man]

Yes.
They will drain into the bags. Some people don't like the liquid and drain the bags. I did that for awhile and don't worry about it anymore.

I’m not worried about it. I always dry them off before cooking anyways. I’ll probably dry them before vac sealing.
Thanks a lot for the input.