Storing fresh and chilled chicken at home

Poultry is considered the most popular among all types of meat. Chicken, turkey, quail, and chicken (quail) eggs are more common in the diet of many families than beef or pork. It is precisely because of the popularity of this category of products that one can often hear the question: how to store poultry meat and semi-finished products from it at home.

Chicken shelf life

• Shelf life: 8 months
• Shelf life: 8 months
• Shelf life in the refrigerator: not specified
• Freezer life: 2 months

When choosing meat, in our case chicken, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the production date.
If more than a week has passed since the date of production, then this chicken is no longer fresh and will soon begin to deteriorate. After purchasing the chicken, you definitely need to freeze it, unless, of course, you are going to cook it on the same day. When storing chicken, packaging must be sealed and moisture-proof. There are several ways to cool poultry. The first method is air cooling. In this case, the carcass is placed in a chamber with a low temperature, where it is cooled with air. In this case, the carcass will lose weight, as all moisture content decreases, after which the meat shrinks.

The next method is contact. In this method, the chicken is immersed in ice water or a water-ice mixture to cool it. This method is more effective than the previous one, since cooling occurs faster and the surface of the meat becomes white. The water temperature should be no higher than 2 degrees, and the cooling time, depending on the equipment, ranges from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

The third cooling method is called combined. First, the chicken is immersed in ice water and then blown with cold air.

There is another way to preserve chicken for a long period of time - freezing. Before freezing, it is better to cut the chicken into the required portions and pack it in different containers. If the raw product has been in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days or at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, it can be re-frozen.

Proper storage is the main task, as otherwise food poisoning may not be avoided.

Chicken, like any other raw meat, is a perishable product, so when purchasing, the first thing you need to do is study the information about the manufacturing date, which is on the package.

How to store chicken at home

Many excellent dishes can be prepared from chicken meat. It is juicy, tender, low in calories and cooks fairly quickly. Poultry is boiled, fried, baked, smoked, used for soups, as a filling for pies, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine a refrigerator that does not contain chicken.

For meat to be tasty and healthy, it is important not only to cook it correctly, but also to preserve it. In the store, raw poultry is sold in two forms: chilled and frozen.

Chilled product

After slaughter, poultry meat is safe to eat within 2-3 hours. Then decomposition processes begin in it, and it is no longer advisable to consume it. Therefore, when raising and slaughtering chickens yourself, it is important to immediately process the carcasses and place them in the cold or freeze them.

At poultry farms, chicken carcasses are cooled in different ways:

• air - the bird is sprayed with cold air in a special chamber, after which the meat dries out a little and loses weight;
• contact - carcasses are placed in a mixture of water and ice for several hours, as a result of which they become white;
• mixed - after being in a vat with ice, the carcasses are blown with air.

In stores, chilled poultry is stored in refrigerated chests, where the temperature is close to 0°C. When purchasing, you should pay attention not only to the indicated date of manufacture, but also to the appearance and smell of the carcass. It should be pale pink in color, with thin skin without mucus, with a pleasant fresh smell. At home, it is better to cook the bird immediately or place it in the refrigerator.

Important! If ice crystals are visible in the substrate, this indicates that the bird was frozen. This means that it can no longer be called chilled. If you discover fraud, you should not buy the carcass. Who knows how long it was stored before freezing and how long it stayed in the freezer?

In a refrigerator

The shelf life of chicken in the refrigerator is only a few days. This depends on the equipment itself, the temperature, the shelf on which the bird is stored, and other factors:

• in a single-compartment refrigerator, the coldest place (0-2°C) is on the top shelf, immediately below the freezer section;
• in a two-chamber refrigerator, the place with the lowest temperature is at the bottom, in the drawers, and the warmest is on the top shelf and door;
• chilled chicken will last longer than defrosted chicken;
• the shelf life of pitted pulp is longer than that of a whole carcass;
• It is best to store the bird in an airtight container, vacuum sealed container, or tightly sealed bag.

How long does chicken last in the refrigerator?

Chicken chilled at a temperature of +2 will be stored for no more than five days from the date of production. If the chicken cooling temperature is close to zero, the period increases to two weeks. Chicken frozen at a temperature of -12 will be stored for 2 to 4 months. If the chicken remains frozen at - 18 degrees, then it will be stored for up to 8 months, and if at a temperature of - 25, it can stay in the freezer for a year.

The third cooling method is called combined. First, the chicken is immersed in ice water and then blown with cold air.

Storage conditions

The shelf life of poultry meat depends on the temperature and air humidity in which the product will be located.

• The plucked and gutted carcass can remain on the refrigerator shelf for up to 5 days. And if the meat needs to be preserved longer, it is placed in the freezer.
• Poultry meat is stored in the freezer at a temperature not exceeding -10°C and a humidity of 85 - 90%. In industrial refrigerators, the shelf life is 15 days.

Storing poultry chilled

You can store poultry meat in the refrigerator if:

• A temperature that does not exceed +2°C.
• Air humidity, which should be at the level of 80 - 85%.

Storage of meat in such conditions is possible for no more than five days. A longer shelf life is provided in the frozen state.

Freezer storage

Poultry meat is stored in the freezer in polyethylene bags or thick paper. This will prevent the meat from actively losing moisture and freezing to the freezer.

The shelf life of poultry meat in the freezer depends primarily on temperature indicators.

At -12°C, according to the rules, a packaged whole carcass will be preserved for 8 months, without significantly losing its nutritional value.

Lower storage temperatures increase the shelf life of poultry. So, at -15°C it can last up to 10 months. And a temperature of -18°C ensures its reliable storage for up to 12 months.

Thawing of meat should occur gradually, at room temperature. If you place it in the microwave or under hot water, it will lose some of its nutrients.

Shelf life of chilled chicken according to GOST

GOST R 52702-2021

NATIONAL STANDARD OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

CHICKEN MEAT (CHICKEN CARCASSES, CHICKENS, BROILER CHICKENS AND THEIR PARTS)

Chicken meat (carcasses of chickens, broiler-chickens and their parts). Specifications

OKS 67.120.20 OKP 92 1161 92 1162

Introduction date 2021-01-01

The goals and principles of standardization in the Russian Federation are established by Federal Law of December 27, 2021 N 184-FZ “On Technical Regulation”, and the rules for applying national standards of the Russian Federation are GOST R 1.0-2021 “Standardization in the Russian Federation. Basic provisions"

Standard information

1 DEVELOPED by the State Institution “All-Russian Research Institute of Poultry Processing Industry” of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SU “VNIIPP” of the Russian Agricultural Academy), the Non-Profit Organization “Russian Poultry Union” (NO “Rosptitsesoyuz”)

2 INTRODUCED by the Technical Committee for Standardization TC 116 “Products of processing of poultry, eggs and freeze-drying”

4 INTRODUCED FOR THE FIRST TIME

5 REPUBLICATION. June 2021

Information about changes to this standard is published in the annually published index “National Standards”, and the text of changes and amendments is published in the monthly published information indexes “National Standards”. In case of revision (replacement) or cancellation of this standard, the corresponding notice will be published in the monthly published information index “National Standards”. Relevant information, notifications and texts are also posted in the public information system - on the official website of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology on the Internet

How long can liver be stored?

Fresh liver is a perishable product and, accordingly, such liver is stored in the refrigerator without any options. Its shelf life at different temperatures and packaging methods is different: from one day to three.

In answers to the question of how long the liver can be stored in the freezer, the timing will also vary from four to 10 months depending on the cooling temperature. Please pay attention to this information. You don’t want to buy a low-quality product and feed your family with it?

The table below contains information taken from current GOST standards for the storage of beef and pork liver.

Ways to keep raw chicken longer

To increase the shelf life of raw chicken, use the following methods:

1. The bird is rubbed with salt and ground black pepper, placed in a container and covered with a lid. Place on the refrigerator shelf, where the temperature is maintained at about 0°C. This way the product is stored for about five days.
2. The enamel container is lubricated from the inside with vinegar. Fold the cut product, cover it with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. Shelf life – 5-6 days.
3. Cotton fabric is soaked in a vinegar solution and lightly wrung out. Wrap it around the carcass, put it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator. This way the chicken can be stored for up to seven days. This method is used when transporting raw chicken over long distances. The vinegar wrap will preserve the product without refrigeration for 3-4 hours.
4. To increase the shelf life of chicken by 1-2 days, place it in an enamel container with ice. Sprinkle ice on top and put it in the refrigerator.

How to choose a liver when purchasing

Buy chilled and frozen liver from sellers trusted by you and other buyers. In places with a large flow of people, food, as a rule, does not remain stale.

Look at the storage conditions: beef liver, pork liver, chicken liver or any other liver should be stored in the refrigerator, if they are chilled, or in the freezer.

When purchasing, carefully inspect and smell the product. The liver must be clean, without blood clots, vessels, nodes, ducts, fat, fragments of ligaments, and it must not have odors unusual for a fresh product!

Beef liver is brown, red-brown in color, while pork liver is brown-red or brown.

Chicken, goose liver and other poultry are elastic and smooth in appearance, have one or two lobes and are brown and red-brown in color.

The bird's liver should also be clean, without any remains of the gallbladder or bile; it may have small remains of fat and connective tissue.

If you thawed the liver, but did not use all of it for cooking, can it be frozen again? No! This product is delicate and quickly deteriorates and decomposes. And anyone who has experienced food poisoning at least once in their life knows how dangerous it is to eat stale food.

Remember: the liver should never be re-frozen! Twice frozen, with dark pigment spots, slimy offal is not allowed for sale, and therefore for cooking.

Shelf life of poultry liver

Let's figure out how long you can store chicken liver or other poultry, depending on its temperature condition.

• if the product temperature is from 0 to +2˚C, it is recommended to store it for no longer than 2 days;
• if the temperature is from -1˚C to +1˚C - no longer than 4 days;
• It is recommended to store the product in polymer packaging in a gas environment with a temperature from 0˚C to +4˚C for no longer than 15 days.

It is recommended to store frozen poultry by-products at temperatures from -2˚C to -3˚C for no longer than 7 days from the date of production.

• at a temperature of minus 8 ° C they are stored for no longer than 2 months;
• deep frozen at a temperature not exceeding minus 18 °C - no more than 6 months.

What types of poultry are there?

This meat is divided into several types. It happens:

1. doubles,
2. cooled down
3. chilled,
4. frozen,
5. ice cream,
6. defrosted.

Pairs. This is the first 4 – 5 hours after slaughter. Products are not yet sent for sale at this time. A process of “maturation” occurs, associated with natural biochemical reactions.

Cooled down. In deep muscles the temperature is +5°C -+25°C. Provided that the carcass was stored at positive temperatures. In such conditions, meat quickly begins to deteriorate, so it is immediately sold or canned.

Chilled. The deep muscle layers have a temperature from 0°C to +4°C. A chilled carcass of a completely healthy bird can remain in the necessary sanitary conditions for 5 to 7 days.

Frostbitten. Meat, chilled to a deep degree, with a temperature of the central layers of muscles from -1°C to -5°C. Under such conditions, the moisture partially becomes ice, and the shelf life of frozen poultry will increase to 10–15 days.

Frozen. A carcass with an intramuscular temperature not exceeding -6°C. Almost all moisture becomes ice.

Thawed. A carcass that was defrosted using thermoregulation (to muscle temperature -1°C). If chicken has defrosted naturally due to a breakdown of the refrigeration unit, it is called thawed.

If frozen twice, the meat will have lower nutritional value. And its color will become much darker. Such a product is no longer suitable for sale - it is sent for processing.

Liver paste

The liver is very useful, contains a lot of vitamins and microelements, so it is desirable in one form or another in our diet. It is fried, stewed, and used as a filling for pies.

Many housewives make homemade liver pate and store it in the refrigerator or even freeze it. Indeed, cold and sealed environments prolong the life of products. Thus, freshly prepared homemade pate can be stored in a regular refrigerator for up to two days - watch for color changes; darkening indicates the beginning of the degradation process.

If you have frozen and stored the offal in the freezer, defrost it naturally in a regular refrigerator compartment or at room temperature and do not freeze it again. Do not use aggressive or quick defrosting methods.

But in general, any freshly prepared dish is always valued more than one that has been subjected to any method of preservation. Whenever possible, cook fresh with fresh ingredients and stay healthy!

Bonus video. How to make liver cake

If you have additional information or interesting experience on the topic of storing liver or liver dishes, please share it with other readers in the comments.

Rate the usefulness of this article from 1 to 5 using rating stars.

• chilled - temperature from 0 ˚C to +4 ˚C;
• frozen - from -2˚C to -3˚C;
• frozen - temperature not higher than -8˚C;
• deep frozen - temperature -18˚C and below.

How to choose chilled chicken?

Which chicken is better to buy - everyone answers this question in their own way. Very often the answer depends on the time of year, the assortment in the store or at the market, the culinary idea, and the expected time of use.

• Chilled chicken meat is sold in stores in individual packaging with labels and a link to the current state standard (GOST), with a Gosvetnadzor stamp, information about the manufacturer, packaging and sales dates, and storage conditions.
• How honest the information is is a matter of the buyer’s trust in the retail outlet and the manufacturer. The larger the store, the better the quality control conditions for the goods.
• At the market, the seller has the right to sell only carcasses with a mark on the neck or outer thigh after receiving a certificate from the veterinary service, which states the deadline for selling the meat.
• But no one can tell you what you are trying to buy better than your own senses of smell and touch. Freshly chilled chicken has dry, thin skin that should not have any blemishes. Sticky, slippery skin means you need to get away from this product as soon as possible. Its color should be light with a pinkish tint. The meat should not emit an unpleasant odor.

If ice crystals are visible through the packaging, it means the chicken has been frozen several times. If ice was also found inside the packaged carcass, it means that the manufacturer tried to increase the weight of the product by pouring water into it. The glaciation rate stipulated by GOST is 4%. And with this method of sale, the meat becomes heavier by 10–20%.

• Violation of the integrity of the packaging reduces the storage time of chilled chicken and may cause the development of pathogenic bacteria.
• When you press on the fillet, the fresh product is quickly restored, while a dent remains on the stale product.

How to extend the shelf life of poultry

The most effective way to extend the shelf life of fresh chicken is to freeze it. However, you don’t always want to resort to it, because chilled meat turns out more tender and juicier.

If you plan to cook the bird in a few days and want to keep it tasty and fresh until then, the following tips will help:

1. Vinegar. Moisten a cotton or linen towel with table vinegar. Wrap the chilled carcass in it and put it in a plastic bag, tie it. Place in the coldest place in the refrigerator. This will allow you to preserve the bird for up to a week - if it was fresh, of course. This method will also help deliver meat to a picnic, extending the shelf life in a warm place to several hours. You can lubricate the walls and bottom of an enamel pan with vinegar, put the carcass in it and close the lid. In this way, the bird will be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
2. Spices. The carcass can be rubbed with salt and ground black pepper and placed in a container with a tight-fitting lid. On the coldest shelf, such a bird will be stored for up to five days. Before cooking, you should wash it, but do not forget that you will need less salt.
3. Ice. A common way to preserve chicken is in an ice container. The bird must be placed in a bag and tied. Pour crushed ice into the bottom of a large container and place the carcass on top. Close the lid tightly. This also allows you to extend the shelf life of the meat by up to a week.

When storing a cut, chilled carcass, keep in mind that boneless fillets will last longer than legs and wings. It is best to place the dressed bird in a vacuum container. There is no need to wash it before this - water will speed up the decomposition process. You can wash it immediately before cooking.

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How do you cool chicken meat?

Manufacturers use three methods for cooling chicken carcasses.

1. Air cooling. In a chamber with a low temperature, the meat is blown with air, as a result of which it shrinks, that is, it loses weight due to a decrease in humidity.
2. Contact. The meat is immersed in water whose temperature is not higher than 2 degrees, or in a mixture of ice and water for 30–120 minutes. The duration of cooling depends on the equipment. In this case, the chicken turns white.
3. Combined. After immersion in ice water, the carcass is removed and blown with air in a low-temperature chamber.

But there is another way to store chicken - freezing. This method is used when meat has either been purchased in large quantities, but the sales deadline has changed, or as a method of preservation during mass slaughter at home. It is advisable to cut the meat before freezing and portion it out into different bags, containers, or film.

Shelf life of chilled chicken

If in a store or market you ask about the expiration date of a product, and they answer you “just delivered,” look for another store and another product. On packaged meat, pay attention to the production date. It is from this date that calculations are made. But not on the date and time of purchase.

In stores, poultry, regardless of the cooling method, is stored in chest freezers at a temperature of 0 to 2 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, a chicken carcass is stored for a maximum of 120 hours (5 days). When the temperature drops strictly to 0 degrees, the shelf life increases to 15 days. This means that when purchasing, it is important to inquire about the production date and, if more than 4 days have passed, the temperature in the refrigeration equipment.

For storing at home, there are also standards for the safe use of dietary products. Moreover, its safety depends not only on the temperature conditions, but also on the packaging itself. Packaging can be:

• store-bought substrate wrapped in cling film;
• plastic container for food (including vacuum);
• glass container with lid;
• plastic bag.

The main thing is that the carcass or semi-finished products should not come into contact with other products, since chicken easily absorbs odors and quickly deteriorates when raw.

Different temperature regimes are automatically maintained on different shelves of the refrigerator. Therefore, the length of time you store meat depends on where you put the chicken:

• In a single-chamber refrigerator, the coldest shelf is next to the freezer. The temperature on the shelf is 2–3 degrees Celsius. In the refrigerator compartment of a multi-compartment refrigerator, the coolest (zero) zone is located at the bottom and next to the evaporator openings.
• On the middle shelves the temperature is maintained at 3–5 degrees Celsius.
• The warmest shelves are on the top and on the refrigerator door. The average temperature here is +8 degrees. But if the refrigerator is opened often, it may be warmer.

You can store meat:

• no more than 24 hours at temperatures from +7 to +10 degrees;
• no more than 48 hours – from +4 to +7 degrees;
• up to 72 hours with a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees Celsius;
• up to 84 hours in the zero zone at a minus temperature of 2 degrees (possibly in a single-chamber refrigerator).

After purchasing chilled chicken or slaughtering it at above-zero temperatures, it remains safe for an hour, so the product should be put into the refrigerator as quickly as possible.

There are ways to extend the shelf life of fresh chicken meat in case you couldn’t cook the chicken right away. You need to take care of preserving meat immediately, and not wait until the smell of decomposition appears.

• A cotton towel is dipped in a vinegar solution or vinegar, lightly wrung out and the meat is wrapped in it. The package is placed in a plastic bag and put in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for up to 7 days. This method is also relevant in cases where you need to transport chicken over a long distance. Vinegar wrap will help preserve meat when traveling to the country, on a picnic (of course, not 7 days, but only a few hours).
• If you rub the carcass with salt and ground black pepper, put it in a well-closing container and put it on the zero shelf of the refrigerator, the meat will be stored for up to 5 days.
• Grease the inside of an enamel pan or bowl with vinegar (don't forget to wear gloves or use a brush). Place the chicken inside and close the lid tightly. Shelf life – 5–6 days.

• Chilled chicken meat is sold in stores in individual packaging with labels and a link to the current state standard (GOST), with a Gosvetnadzor stamp, information about the manufacturer, packaging and sales dates, and storage conditions.
• How honest the information is is a matter of the buyer’s trust in the retail outlet and the manufacturer. The larger the store, the better the quality control conditions for the goods.
• At the market, the seller has the right to sell only carcasses with a mark on the neck or outer thigh after receiving a certificate from the veterinary service, which states the deadline for selling the meat.
• But no one can tell you what you are trying to buy better than your own senses of smell and touch. Freshly chilled chicken has dry, thin skin that should not have any blemishes. Sticky, slippery skin means you need to get away from this product as soon as possible. Its color should be light with a pinkish tint. The meat should not emit an unpleasant odor.

Basic ways to store chicken at home

At home, chicken is stored in two ways:

• cool in the refrigerator;
• frozen.

To keep the bird as long as possible, choose a quality product when purchasing. When purchasing, pay attention to the expiration date indicated on the packaging, production date and storage conditions. Assess the appearance of the chicken. The cooled product is selected without damage, dark spots and bruises, with dry thin skin, white or slightly yellowish in color.

Slippery, sticky skin indicates that the product is not fresh. If the chicken has been frozen, it will take on a bluish tint. The product should smell nice. The presence of a vinegar or bleach smell indicates that it is stale or spoiled. If ice crystals are visible under the packaging, it has been frozen.

Reference. The presence of ice inside the packaged chicken indicates that an unscrupulous manufacturer increased the weight of the product by adding water.

The freshness of the product is checked by pressing a finger - a dent will remain on the stale product. Rub it: if gray mucus forms, then you should refuse the purchase. If chicken is purchased in packaging, then pay attention to its integrity. Damaged packaging shortens the shelf life of the product and causes the development of pathogenic bacteria.

When purchasing a frozen product, choose chicken without an ice crust. If the bird is covered in ice, it has been defrosted several times. When purchasing, give preference to a chilled product, because a frozen one may be stale.

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How to Store Fresh Raw Chicken Using Refrigeration

The optimal storage temperature for chilled poultry meat is from 0 to +4°C, air humidity is 80-95%. At room temperature it spoils in 1-2 hours. Therefore, the purchased product is placed in the refrigerator or freezer.

After slaughter, the bird is kept at room temperature for 2-3 hours to cool down, then placed in the refrigerator.

How and how long to store chicken in the refrigerator

In the store, poultry is stored at a temperature of 0 to +2°C, the shelf life is 5 days. If the temperature is reduced to 0°C, the product is stored for 15 days. When purchasing products that are 4 days after their production date, ask what their storage conditions are. Chicken breasts and minced meat are stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

Reference. The expiration date is calculated from the date of production, not purchase.

When storing chicken at home, pay attention not only to the temperature conditions, but also to the packaging. Store the product:

• on a store-bought base wrapped in cling film;
• in paper;
• in plastic bags with holes so that the meat does not suffocate;
• in foil;
• in glass containers with a lid;
• in plastic containers;
• in vacuum bags.

For storage it is recommended to use food vacuum containers. The carcass is divided into parts, placed in a container, and the remaining space is covered with ice cubes. In this form, the product will last up to 5-6 days.

When storing meat, place it away from other foods so that it stays fresh longer and does not absorb their smell. The shelf life of chicken depends on which shelf in the refrigerator the product is on. The lowest temperature - about 0°C - is maintained on the bottom shelf, on the middle ones - from +3°C to +5°C, on the top shelf and door - from +8°C to +10°C.

Here's how long chilled chicken can be stored depending on temperature:

• from +7 to +10°С – 24 hours;
• from +4 to +7°С – 48 hours;
• from 0 to +4°С – 72 hours;
• from -2 to 0°C – 84 hours.

A cut carcass is stored in the same way as a whole one. To keep the meat fresh longer, bones are removed from the cut chicken. Chilled chicken fillet can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Boiled chicken is stored in the refrigerator for 2 days; at room temperature it will spoil in 2 hours. The shelf life of stewed chicken in the refrigerator is 5 days, fried chicken is 3 days, smoked chicken is two days.