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Chicken in Fridge

  • 15-07-2008 11:48am
    #1
    JustaJourno
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭


    Hey all,

    Im new to cooking 'properly' and have a question regarding chicken. I bought a breast of chicken in the shops on Sunday which was in a normal fridge section. I came home and stuck it in the fridge. I was meant to have it last night but didnt get around to cooking it so am planning on having it tonight instead (Tues).

    Is it OK for me to do that? I havent put it in the freezer at all, its just been in the fridge for the past 2 days (unopened). Expiry date is tomorrow.

    Thanks in advance...


Comments

  • #2
    axer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    JustaJourno wrote: »
    Hey all,

    Im new to cooking 'properly' and have a question regarding chicken. I bought a breast of chicken in the shops on Sunday which was in a normal fridge section. I came home and stuck it in the fridge. I was meant to have it last night but didnt get around to cooking it so am planning on having it tonight instead (Tues).

    Is it OK for me to do that? I havent put it in the freezer at all, its just been in the fridge for the past 2 days (unopened). Expiry date is tomorrow.

    Thanks in advance...
    From what I know if it smells bad then it is bad. Always smell meat before using and that will tell you whether it is gone off.

    It does say expiry date tomorrow so if it looks ok and smells ok then there should not be a problem since it was refrigerated.


  • #3
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,058 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    I reckon it should be fine (as far as any chicken breast fillet is fine!) but, as said, if it smells bad, chuck it.


  • #4
    The Sweeper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,658 ✭✭✭✭The Sweeper


    OP,

    Use by and best before dates are guidelines. You should always let your eyes and your nose be your guide, especially your nose.

    It is possible to cook and consume a chicken breast fillet that is a day past its use-by date and suffer no ill effects, assuming that fillet smells okay and looks okay and is properly cooked.

    By that same logic it's also possible to cook and consume a chicken breast fillet that's within its use-by date and fall ill because you ignored the fact that it smelled when you opened the packet.

    The guide is always to try and buy meat as you need it, use it when you buy it or freeze it on the day of purchase, but circumstances do arise where that's not possible. In those circumstances, go by the 'if in doubt, throw it out' rule.

    Trust me, old chicken smells RANK.

    The more experience you get with cooking, the easier it is for you to successfully judge when you're cutting it too fine - and you start to learn what sort of packaging and storage helps things keep longer.

    For instance, I find beef that is vacuum sealed keeps for longer than its use-by date and some packaging even claims to help it mature. I've used Jamie Oliver 21-day matured steaks (sold by Sainsburys in the UK, cuts of meat vacuum sealed) up to two solid weeks after their use-by date and they've been, dare I say it, better for the wait. (They're always refrigerated, but never frozen.)

    However the meat has to be vacuum sealed - meat in a polystyrene tray that's swimming in blood and is swollen with air is just as likely to go off before its use by date.

    (NB: I'm not recommending people do this generally with meat - I just cook enough to know the difference between mature, ripe, overripe and 'hospitalisation awaits')


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