# When are ducks too old to eat?



## Sandro

I have 5 Pekin ducks between 5 to 6 months old. I would like to start processing them but I am concerned about the quality of the meat as they may be too old. 

I have read that the birds should be processed between 8 to 12 weeks for best meat quality. 

At 5 to 6 moths, are they a loss in regards to meat? or can they still be roasted?

Any comments most welcome.

Thanks,

Sandro


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## PotBellyPigs

Folks eat old ducks from the wild(hunting) do they not?
I imagine letting your bird hang a couple a days to age, and slow roasting will be your key to less tough meat.
Anybody else got ideas?
Greg Zeigler
Alger, Ohio


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## Caprice Acres

People eat old breeding stock all the time. You can try one and see if it's tough (I doubt it will be that bad), and if it is, just cook longer and slower the next time. Crock pot might work good. We also like chopping and boiling the breasts on a skillet for a while, then adding a rice side dish to the same pan, to make a nice rice dinner. 

Or, you can keep these guys around as breeding stock for next year.


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## LFRJ

Sandro said:


> I have read that the birds should be processed between 8 to 12 weeks for best meat quality.


Not so on this farm. Our muscovies are hardly where I want them to be size-wise at 3 months. We often wait 5 months or even longer before I get around to it. I like them to be looking much like their parents, and since I don't feed for growth, it takes lots longer. I imagine Pekins may be the same, though we only raise scovies for meat.

If in doubt, cook slower, though I'll add - like beef, we prefer our duck medium to medium well anyway (slightly pink inside). The muscovies are dryer and a little livery in taste otherwise. I've read that duck is better served this way.


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## Sandro

Thanks for your comments and for putting the age thing in perspective. My plan is to butcher this weekend and then slow roast a bird and serve it with some raspberry sauce.

I plan on letting them age for a couple of days, then cook and eat one and freeze the others for latter (thanksgiving or Christmas).

I do have one(maybe two) question though. I was planning on plucking the bird(s) and cooking it with the skin on. Have you had any issues with fat content with older birds? Would you recommend skinning them before cooking? 

I know that in regards to presentation, cooking the bird with the skin on would be preferable (nice golden & crisp). However, I just don't want to mess up the meal if the recommendation is to skin off the fat.

Thanks again.

Sandro.


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## KSALguy

it really depends on how you like your duck, Peking are already a more fatty breed, if you like a nice rich fatty bird roast it whole, skin and all, if you dont then you should remove as much fat as you can,


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## Pony

Plucking can be a royal pain in the patootie, but if you get your water hot enough, you should be fine. Add a little Dawn dish soap to the dunking water, and it will help to get the feathers closest to the skin wet.

To keep the fat dripping while cooking, pierce the skin - but make sure that you do it on an angle, not straight into the bird. Angled holes help the fat to drain into your pan.

Duck skin is probably my favorite part. So tasty, and makes my poor arteries scream for mercy. LOL!

Push comes to shove, you can always pressure cook or pressure can old ducks.

No problem with tough bird then.  

Today's lunch was old rooster that we pressure canned. Mmmmm! Nice, dark, flavorful meat. Sauteed some onion, celery, and apple in a skillet, and added some leftover rice and broth to that. Great side dish. 

If we'd had some almonds, I would have put those in, too.


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## LFRJ

Yep! You'll need your water pretty hot. I usually bring it just to a boil, then pour in a large cup of cold water. Brings the temp down just to where I need it. 

If you simply end up _having_ to skin it though, there are lots of ways to make it appetizing or even more impressive than the quintessential roasted bird. Breasts served over a bed of seasoned rice or colorful mixed root vegetables is always nice. Leg quarters draped with sauce and garnished makes for just as nice a presentation.

Savory shredded duck meat on crustini (sauce optional or topped with a thin wafer of pickled ginger or something) would make a nice appetizer, and while a bit out of season, duck chunklets on colorful shisk-a-bob is a fun treat too. We got lots of oos and ah's this summer with every picnic we went to.


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## motdaugrnds

Older fowl are often pressure cooked; and then turned into pot pies.

If going to simply roast it, I would pen it up for a bit and feed it lots of bread crumbs; then "slow" roast it in the oven with the skin (pierced) on it.


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## GrannyCarol

Yes, pierce the skin and roast the duck in a rack, so the fat collects under it and its not sitting in the drippings. The fat is great for frying things, supposed to be the best. I doubt that six months will be all that bad, I've done year and two year old drakes, they were a bit tougher and drier, but fine parted out and cooked well in a sauce.


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