Congratulations, job well done.
I eat the gizzard, liver, and heart as separate pieces. I'd consider it important to remove the gall bladder, I don't want to cook or eat the bile. I remove the crop, intestines, all of the connective tubing in the digestive tract, and testicles in the boys. In the girls I remove the ova that are growing into yolks and I try to remove the ovary and the reproductive tract. If you butcher females you'll see what I mean.
Some people eat the organ meat, including the testicles. I draw the line at the testicles, not because they will harm you, it's just kind of YUK! to me. After thorough cleaning people use pig intestines as sausage casing and eat it. I don't do that with chicken intestines but I don't know why they'd be any more harmful if thoroughly cleaned.
The gizzard needs to be split open to get the grit and partially digested food out. You should peel off a very tough lining. It won't hurt you to cook that lining but it would be unpleasant to eat.
Bottom line is that other than the gall bladder and things that would gross you out I don't see the harm in eating the organs. I do have my limits though.
The purpose of this aging process is to allow rigor mortis to pass. Rigor mortis sets in after death, the meat gets really stiff and can be so tough it is practically inedible if you cook it. After aging, rigor passes. You'll get different opinions on how long it takes for rigor to pass. That's because how fast rigor passes depends on the age and sex of the bird plus what temperature it is held at. It might pass in a day or two. It might take 3 or 4 days. It has passed when you can very easily move a joint or the meat jiggles when you handle it.
You did nothing wrong. It will get easier as you get practice and confidence but I never enjoy taking a life. I consider it respectful to that life by using the body, not wasting it.
It sounds like you got out more than I usually do. I often leave the kidneys in. I don't see the benefit in digging them out.
I eat the gizzard, liver, and heart as separate pieces. I'd consider it important to remove the gall bladder, I don't want to cook or eat the bile. I remove the crop, intestines, all of the connective tubing in the digestive tract, and testicles in the boys. In the girls I remove the ova that are growing into yolks and I try to remove the ovary and the reproductive tract. If you butcher females you'll see what I mean.
Some people eat the organ meat, including the testicles. I draw the line at the testicles, not because they will harm you, it's just kind of YUK! to me. After thorough cleaning people use pig intestines as sausage casing and eat it. I don't do that with chicken intestines but I don't know why they'd be any more harmful if thoroughly cleaned.
The gizzard needs to be split open to get the grit and partially digested food out. You should peel off a very tough lining. It won't hurt you to cook that lining but it would be unpleasant to eat.
Bottom line is that other than the gall bladder and things that would gross you out I don't see the harm in eating the organs. I do have my limits though.
Unsafe? No. But get the gall bladder out. And remove anything people would not want to find in the soup. Not because it is dangerous, just unpleasant to find for many people.
You get mixed opinions because there are so many different ways to successfully do this. You can store them uncovered in an ice chest or the fridge. You can bag them up before you store them. I suggest bagging in the fridge to avoid cross-contamination with other food. Some people even hang fowl, hung pheasant is sort of a tradition in Scotland but other places hang them too. The recommendation is that the temperature needs to be below 55 degrees Fahrenheit when hanging or just storing them. I prefer much closer to freezing but you don't want them to freeze.
The purpose of this aging process is to allow rigor mortis to pass. Rigor mortis sets in after death, the meat gets really stiff and can be so tough it is practically inedible if you cook it. After aging, rigor passes. You'll get different opinions on how long it takes for rigor to pass. That's because how fast rigor passes depends on the age and sex of the bird plus what temperature it is held at. It might pass in a day or two. It might take 3 or 4 days. It has passed when you can very easily move a joint or the meat jiggles when you handle it.
You can do any of that or just leave it. That liquid will not hurt it.
Just rinse it off well and life is good. I part mine into serving pieces when I butcher and use a lot of water rinsing the meat and my hands.
You did nothing wrong. It will get easier as you get practice and confidence but I never enjoy taking a life. I consider it respectful to that life by using the body, not wasting it.
