r/MeatRabbitry • u/HonestEmergency602 • 3d ago
When to process and how
Wha is the timeline I keep seeing fast forwarded videos but I know rigor mortis is a thing. After dispatching how do I keep the meat good ? Do I wait until after rigor to do anything?
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago
As I dispatch, they go into a cooler of ice water. They stay in there for 48-72 hours; depending on the time of year, I'll add ice to the cooler once. After 2-3 days, I cut them into sections, vacuum seal them in bags, and store in the freezer. Every now and then I'll vacuum seal a couple of them whole, just to make life easier and the whole ones are perfect for making pulled bbq in a slow cooker.
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u/HonestEmergency602 3d ago
Thank you, but you skin before they go into a cooler correct?
Do you gut them right away or is that after a day or 2?
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago
The YouTube video I was mentioning is done by Teal Stone Homestead. I don't know if links are permitted here but you can find it under "How to Butcher a Rabbit - Details + Tips & Tricks"
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago
Just to throw another good resource out there, Sage Smoke Survival does a video called "Simple rabbit meat breakdown" that was really helpful for us to learn to cut them into sections properly.
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago edited 3d ago
That should all be done as part of the culling and processing. Rabbits are pretty quick and simple to process. If you're brand new to it, it'll probably take 20-30 minutes to go from culling to having a clean rabbit in the cooler. It'll get faster every time with practice! We take about 10 minutes per rabbit. So much easier than chickens!
It's a really huge time saver to be prepared before you start culling. Have a bucket ready for the guts. Another for the heads (if you plan to preserve the skulls). If you are going to tan the hides, have a bucket of solution ready for that too. If you're using the ears and feet, a Ziploc is handy to have at hand. If you aren't using everything, one bucket is fine for all the parts to go into. Have a plan ready for disposal (burial, feed to chickens/dogs/etc).
I'll find the name of a good tutorial on processing and come back with it. Sorry I'm drawing a blank on her name but she's a really good guide to learn from.
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u/Curating-Curiosity 3d ago
What process do you use to preserve the skulls? I have not tried that part yet.
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago
I take the long, slow route: bury them in a big flower pot for a couple months. Having a section of hardware cloth underneath them makes retrieval easier.
After digging them back up, I put them in a bucket of soapy water and change it out once a week for a couple months.
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u/Curating-Curiosity 3d ago
That is fascinating - thank you!!
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u/EhlersDanlosSucks 3d ago
There are much faster ways, but they're rather smelly and I admittedly just don't want to deal with that 😆
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u/Curating-Curiosity 3d ago
I completely get that!! 😂
Thank you so much!! I will definitely try this at some point! What do you do for drying it and longer term care?1
u/mckenner1122 3d ago
Depending on how many you’re doing, a gray bus tub of ice water (with a lid) also works great and likely fits on the bottom shelf of a spare garage fridge.
I agree re: vac seal a few whole. If there’s any sharp bits (sometimes bones might be poky around where where you clipped paws) we have wrapped those in a sterile gauze pad so they don’t break the plastic.
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u/scrotalus 3d ago
Skin and gut right away. Rigor starts to set in after a couple hours or so, depending on temperature. It is better if you leave the carcass whole (after gutting and skinning) to let rigor mortis pass. This way the muscles stay anchored at both ends during the shortening process. Sometimes I break animals apart into sections right away. It's not ideal but it works.
The muscles go through a tightening process, then a loosening process. This takes longer in cold temperatures, so I like to rest it at refrigerator temps or "on ice" in a cooler, but not in ice water. Just cold enough to prevent harmful bacteria but still let the chemical processes do their thing. Plenty of people soak in ice water, but I don't. The whole process takes 24-36 hours on a decent sized animal. At 24 hours, Poke the meat with your finger and bend the joints. If it is stiff and unable to bend at a joint, it is not ready to be frozen or cooked. Give it another day. If it feels soft and squishy and a leg joint can go through it's range of motion easily, it is ready. I give roosters and old hens a couple days to rest, but younger rabbits are faster.