Defrosting Chicken

Defrosting Chicken the Safe Way

2012-04-09T17:07:00.001-04:00

Chances are, you're here because you're having chicken for dinner tonight. Are you staring at frozen chicken that looks like it came from the last great Ice Age?

Well, you're not alone. Lots of people faced with the task of making chicken for a meal have walked into the kitchen only to realize to their dismay that the chicken due on the dinner table in about an hour is encased in a block of ice.

Three Methods

There are three ways of defrosting chicken safely. The first is the quickest way, but is only recommended if you are cooking it immediately afterward.

The Microwave - fastest method of defrosting chicken

If your microwave has a auto-defrost setting, you can use this for defrosting chicken. Times can vary depending on the power of your microwave. Again, this is the fastest way of defrosting chicken, but it can cook parts of the meat as it thaws. This method is not recommended for whole chickens.

Remove the bird and put it on a microwave-safe dish. this will catch any of the juice of the defrosting chicken.
Set the microwave for defrost, following any instructions from your microwave. (If your microwave doesn't have an auto-defrost setting, see below.*)
Carefully monitor the defrosting chicken. Many microwaves are not as reliable when it comes to thawing and some cooking can occur on the edges of the meat.
Halfway through the defrosting, rearrange and turn the defrosting chicken.
Cook immediately - never store poultry defrosted in the microwave uncooked in the refrigerator because some heating will have occurred that is favorable to the growth of harmful bacteria.

*If your microwave doesn't have an auto-defrost setting, Start off slow. See my handy Chicken Defrosting Calculator below!

Change the power setting to 30%.
Set the time for short intervals, like a few minutes at a time and check the defrosting chicken for hot spots.
Turn and rearrange as needed.
Cook immediately.

Cold Water Bath - 2nd quickest way of defrosting chicken

If cold water defrosts fast, hot water must thaw faster! Wrong!

Only use cold water! Hot water will probably cause the out layer to rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (the danger zone for bacteria) and leave the center frozen. Cold water immersion allows the defrosting chicken to gently thaw over the course of a few hours. Whole birds as well as parts may be thawed with this method. Do not use sink for any other reason when defrosting chicken in it. Check out the Chicken Defrosting Calculator at the bottom of the page!

Fill sink or a very large bowl full of cold water.
Make sure the bird is tightly wrapped in original packaging so that no water leaks in. It's always a good idea to use a layer or two of plastic wrap or press-seal plastic bag in addition to the original packaging.
Immerse the defrosting chicken full in the cold water.
Partially empty the water and replace it with fresh cold water periodically as the bird thaws. You can leave a small stream of cold water running continuously, just make sure you have the sink draining some, or you'll have a bigger problem than a late dinner!
Cook chicken immediately. Poultry defrosted this way may have reached temperatures over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so it shouldn't go into the refrigerator.
Wash sink out with hot, soapy water for sanitary purposes.

Refrigerator Method - Safest, but slowest way of defrosting chicken

If you've really planned ahead, this is the best way of defrosting chicken, whether it be whole bird or breast. It really is the recommended way, but not everyone plans meals out this efficiently - I don't! The

key here is time, about 5 hours per pound. Whole birds should have no ice lining the inside of the body cavity. Count on about 2 days for an average whole bird and overnight until dinnertime the next day for parts or boneless breasts.

Keep whole bird or parts in original wrapping if desired.
Always use a large tray or plate underneath to catch any dripping juice. Do not use paper towels or newspaper. Juice will still get on your shelves and/or your other food! Yuk!
Unlike other methods of defrosting chicken, the Refrigerator Method allows you to store your poultry for 1-2 days after thawing. Make sure you cook no later than this.

Use This Handy Chicken Defrosting Time Calculator to calculate defrosting times.

Next: Do's and Don'ts for defrosting chicken

Avoiding Freezer Burn

2012-04-08T12:32:00.000-04:00

"My frozen chicken doesn't look so great anymore. Why not?"

If you've taken out your chicken and it looks a little dried out and discolored, it may be freezer burned. Don't worry, it's still safe, but it's definitely not top-quality anymore. Just cut off the parts with freezer burn and use the rest.

There are a number of reasons why chicken might have freezer burn. One is that it has remained in your freezer too long. Sometimes it's easy to shove a package back and bury it under other items in a freezer, especially if you have a chest freezer like me. I love my chest freezer dearly, but sometimes I curse it. I can't tell you how many times I've taken out just about everything and put it on the floor just to find that one item. A great trick that some people use is one where they get different sized plastic storage containers or trays and place like items inside each. It's a brilliant way to keep things organized and rotate out food so it doesn't get freezer burn. Plus, it's much easier to take out a half-dozen or so trays than it is to take out 50 individual items when you're looking for something.

Another reason chicken might get freezer burn is that it wasn't repackaged or wasn't repackaged correctly. Chicken kept in the original package (except for tightly wrapped whole chickens), tend to have a large amount of air pockets. You'll notice that it's especially in these areas that the chicken gets most dried out and looks like it has freezer burn. You may even have repackaged in ziplock freezer bags, but if you didn't remove all of the air, that could be the problem.

The trick to avoiding freezer burn is to remove all the air surrounding the food. You can do this by filling your bag with chicken to be frozen. Zip the bag until only a small part remains unzipped. Take a clean drinking straw and insert it into the bag into the part with air. With one hand, zip the bag tight up to the straw. Now suck out the air (it shouldn't be much). Immediately pull out the straw and zip it simultaneously. Now label the bag with the contents and the date.

And don't forget to use that chicken up within the next 9 months to avoid freezer burn.

Freezer Storage

2012-03-31T16:51:00.000-04:00

"How long should I store my frozen chicken? I want my family to be safe."

As long as chicken stays frozen, you're safe. Freezer storage is basically a quality issue, not a safety issue. Remember, bacteria only thrive, grow and multiply between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. And it's always advised to cook to 165 degrees to be safe, of course.

At freezer temperatures, bacteria isn't killed off as some people believe. Freezer storage simply causes the bacteria to go dormant. So whatever bacteria was present in your chicken at that time it was frozen simply remain in a frozen state. Their date of execution is the day you cook your chicken to the proper and approved temperature.

So although you don't have to worry about freezer storage of chicken as a safety issue, you will have to worry about it in terms as how good your chicken will taste when you cook it.

Whole chickens will keep about 1 year if they are properly packaged. This usually means packaged in their original tight wrapping. Obviously, the closer to the 1 year mark of freezer storage, the lesser the quality and flavor will be for them. You theoretically could keep the chicken for years and safely eat it, but by then you probably wouldn't want to. Best cook it and give it to your dog at that point.

Chicken parts such as legs, breasts and thighs have a somewhat shorter acceptable term for freezer storage if properly packaged. You shouldn't keep these in the original pack, but re-wrap to ensure maximum protection from freezer burn. Good quality zip-lock bags either vacuum sealed or sealed using the straw-method is best. Expect to chicken parts to remain usable and tasty for around 9 months maximum.

Chicken freezes very well and keeps reasonably long in freezer storage. Enjoy your chicken to the max and use it before you lose it. Bon appetit!

Chicken Marinades

2012-03-23T11:38:00.000-04:00

Here are some great time-saving tips on how to kick-up the flavor of your chicken with marinades!

I've compiled a list of some awesome chicken marinades that you can use. Not only are they good to use on fresh or previously frozen meat, you can actually freeze your meat in a zip-lock bag along with the chicken marinade! Then, when you defrost the meat, it's already marinaded! This method is perfect for when you're in a hurry and whether or not you forgot to take out your meat for defrosting. It may not seem like it would work, but trust me, it doesn't under- or over-marinate at all.

To be honest, I don't use the "marinate as you freeze" method as much as I used to anymore. Not for any good reason, though. It really was a good way of marinading chicken. I used to do it all the time and it was a great time saver since I often would forget to take out the chicken for defrosting until the last minute. It even beat using some of those 30 minute marinades I used to buy.

Marinating fresh or defrosted chicken

To use with fresh or defrosted chicken, simply mix up the marinade, trim and prep your chicken per your recipe and marinated by putting your chicken in a zip-lock bag inside your refrigerator for a few hours. You could put your marinade on defrosting chicken as it defrosts, but you should only try this with the refrigerator method of thawing.

How to freeze chicken in a marinade

To freeze chicken with a marinade. Mix up the marinade. Trim your chicken according to how you will use it when it is thawed. (For example, if will be making an Asian stir fry or Mexican Fajitas, you'll probably want to cut the chicken in strips.) Put your chicken into an appropriate size zip-lock bag and carefully pour your chicken marinade in. Zip up the bag and try to get the last bit of air out before completely sealing the bag. Once it is sealed, make sure the chicken marinade coats the meat totally by working it around some with your fingers. Wipe off any spilled chicken marinade and label the bag with the date and contents. Freeze flat. To thaw, use one of the three methods for defrosting chicken, preferably the refrigerator method.

Some safety tips when marinading chicken:

Never marinate on the counter-top as the temperature of your marinade and chicken might rise above 40 degrees F. Also, never re-use marinades or add uncooked chicken marinade to your cooked meat. That's a recipe for food poisoning you don't want to follow.

To convert from U.S. standard measurements, use this handy converter

Chicken Marinades

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons oil
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Fajita Chicken Marinade

1 cup of cold water
6 teaspoons of oil
9 teaspoons of lime juice (can substitute with lemon)
5 cloves of garlic (or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder)
3 tablespoons of minced onion (or 1 teaspoon of powdered)
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Barbequed Chicken Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder)
1 tsp of yellow mustard
1 tsp of ground black pepper
(finish cooked chicken with your favorite bbq sauce when done)

Rosemary Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons of dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Lime Tarragon Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons dried tarragon or (1 tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

I will try to update this list with other chicken marinades in the future. If you have any good chicken marinades you have used, email me and I will list them along with your name if you wish.

Cooking Conversion Calculator

2012-03-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

This website uses standard measurements like pounds and ounces, teaspoons and tablespoons, etc. But since a number of you may use the metric system for measurements, I've included this handy cooking measurement converter gadget from Google for your convenience.

For example, to convert from Pounds to Grams:

Select Weight from the drop-down box.

Enter your desired weight in the "From" field

(example: 1 )

Select the unit in the "From" field (pound (lb)) to the

unit to convert to, in the To field, (grams).

The weight in metric will automatically be converted.

Organic Chicken vs. Regular Chicken

2012-03-21T16:15:00.000-04:00

organic, free-range chicken

regular, factory chicken

If you're wondering what the difference between organic chicken vs. regular chicken is, consider the fact that sometimes it's what you don't get that counts.

Most people never really think about where the chicken they buy comes from. It's there in the store, neatly packaged and ready for cooking. Does it really matter whether it's organic chicken or non-organic? What's the difference besides the cost? Is the extra cost worth it?

organic chicken is pink

There are several reasons why someone might choose organic chicken vs. regular chicken. The first reason is that they believe that organic chicken is healthier. You can actually tell organic chicken vs. regular chicken by the color. Organic chicken tends to have a pinkish skin or complexion. This because their natural diet consists of bugs, seeds and other organic edible things the birds find while foraging. While they may receive some feed from the farmer, it is organic and the bulk of their diet self-provided and natural.

regular chicken looks yellow

Regular chicken, on the other hand, usually has a yellow skin. Does the difference in color necessarily mean organic is better? No. It simply shows that there is a difference in what the chickens eat. The reason regular chickens look this way is because they are fed with growth enhancers and mostly feed on yellow corn-based or soy-based feeds with additives. Also, in the past, some poultry companies used marigolds to enhance the yellow as the public was led to believe that yellow skinned chicken was superior. The result of the unnatural additives is the unnatural color and a larger size. Ever wonder how chicken breasts can sometimes weigh about a pound a piece sometimes? Growth hormones do that.

In addition to feed, there is difference in how organic chickens vs. regular chickens are raised. This is another reason a person might choose organic chicken vs. regular chicken. Humanely-raised, organic chickens must be allowed to live in an area large enough for movement and necessary preening. They must be allowed sufficient time outside and adequate time in full sunlight. On the other hand, regular chickens spend their time in very tight quarters. Chickens raised conventionally in factory houses usually are prone to getting sick due to the quick and easy way diseases are transmitted among cramped and crowded birds. Farmers must administer antibiotics to prevent the spread of these diseases. Organic chickens do not need these drugs and the practice of organic chicken farming tends to prevent the spread of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

Nutritionally, as far as proteins and minerals, there is essentially no difference between organic chicken vs. regular chicken. According to the USDA, a standard 3 oz. serving of skinless, boneless chicken of either type provides 25 grams of protein. Free-range organic chicken may have slightly less fat content vs. regular chicken due to increased ability to get exercise and they may contain additional trace mineral due to their varied diet.

But what about the taste? Many people claim that there is a difference. But some also say that the cook makes more difference than the farmer. I personally believe there is a difference in taste. Organic does taste better and here is some of the reason why: regular birds are dipped in a chlorinated cold water bath to chill, whereas organic birds tend to be air-chilled and mist-sprayed to cool. It is possible that the regular chickens absorb some of that chlorine water, which consequently can artificially add weight for the market. Also, it is a fact that the more mature the chicken, the better the taste. Factory-raised birds tend to be harvested at about 40 days compared to over 60 days for organic birds. This is possible due to the growth enhancers.

Another difference between organic chicken vs. regular chicken is the fact that organic birds may contain lower levels of food-illness causing bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter. A 2009 Consumer Reports study found that about 2/3 of chickens they tested had one or both of these bacteria. They also found that the cleanest birds were the organic air-chilled broiling chickens - only 40% of those tested positive for contamination.This being said, you should always be on the safe side and assume every bird has germs. Always treat your raw chicken with care and make sure you cook to at least 165 degrees F and store uncooked poultry at 40 degrees F.

So, what do you think? Is organic chicken worth the extra cost? If you are concerned ethically with the living conditions of the chicken, nutritionally with the fact that they are hormone and antibiotic-free and taste-wise that they are more flavorful, then yes, organic chicken is the better choice vs. regular chicken. But it's up to you.

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2012-03-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

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