Chicken is undeniably one of the most popular meat products used in non-vegetarian households. Mostly all the parts of chicken can be used for cooking. It is not only convenient but is also easy, tasty, and freezes excellently. Like all other meat, chicken too is easily perishable. If the safety and health of your family means a lot to you, then it is important to use good judgment and proper food safety methods for storing and handling chicken at home. With all these tips and precautions, storing chicken becomes an easy and hassle free process. Follow the steps given below, and learn how to keep your chicken safe and bacteria-free.
Complexity level: Basic
Time required: 10-15 minutes
Resources required:
1. Chicken
2. Knives
3. Chopping board
4. Kitchen gloves
5. Plastic wraps
6. Air tight container or freezer bags
Instructions:
1. Preparation:
It is very important that the area where you are going to handle the raw chicken is clean. Keep all uncooked ingredients and food items away from the kitchen counter except for the chopping board and knife which you are going to use. Wash you hands thoroughly using a hand sanitiser and pat them dry. If you are using kitchen gloves, wear them at this point.
2. Slicing and segregating:
If you have bought a whole chicken, then it is better and safer to cut them into smaller convenient pieces. This would make enough space in the freezer for other items too and it would also come in handy when you want to thaw only smaller portions per meal. You would then need to take out only that particular container and thaw rather than de frosting the entire chicken. Place the chicken on the chopping board and chop them out into pieces of required size. You may want to keep the fleshy chicken breasts together, or the legs and thighs together and wings separately. Whichever way you do it, make sure you wash, and pat dry the sliced up chicken afterwards. It is also advisable to trim away any excess fat from the chicken.
3. Wrapping:
Once the chicken slices are washed and patted dry, wrap them tightly with plastic wraps or cling film. This will help especially if you are planning to store the chicken for more than 2 months.
4. Storing
You need to make use of air tight packaging if you like to freeze your chicken successfully. You can use freezer bags or air tight containers, whichever is convenient and readily available. Place the chicken slices into each container and seal it properly, letting out as much air from the container as possible in order to prevent the meat from toughening up while cooking. Continue the same process with the remaining chicken and label them to make things easier. Write down the date and maybe even the cut so you wouldn’t be mistaken at a later stage.
5. Freezing
It is apt to keep the air tight containers in the coldest part of the fridge. Essentially you would need to maintain a freezer temperature of 0°C to 5°C in order to obtain maximum storage quality and flavour when cooked.
Frequently asked questions:
1. How long can chicken be stored in the freezer?
Frozen uncooked chicken can be stored for up to nine months.
2. Is it ok to store chicken in its original packaging?
If you plan to use the chicken in a matter of two months, it is fine to do so. But for best results and especially if you want to store it longer, follow the method mentioned above.
3. Can thawed chicken be frozen again?
Ideally no, as it can affect the quality. But if you can manage to do it carefully, then it is acceptable. However do not refreeze thawed and cooked chicken.
Quick tips:
1. While handling raw chicken, everything and anything that comes into contact with it must be cleaned. Use soapy water on chopping boards and knifes to disinfect. And if you are not using kitchen gloves, wash hands thoroughly before and after handling the chicken.
2. Make sure you use a separate chopping board for all meat items as a health and safety precaution.
3. Remove and rinse the giblets (if any) from the whole chicken and store it separately.
4. When you buy chicken from the store, make sure it is completely sealed and also check the expiry date. It should not be refrigerated for more than 3 days and if expiry date has passed, do not store further.
Things to watch out for:
1. Salmonella, the bacteria can affect raw chicken and cause food poisoning. It is important to keep work surfaces, utensils and hands clean at all times to prevent this.
2. Always cook chicken completely before consuming. Undercooked or partially cooked chicken also promotes harmful bacteria.
