Let's ask the chef: how long can you store chicken in the refrigerator?

Chicken meat is a product that contains many useful substances, cooks quickly and is highly digestible.

The peculiarity of such products is that they are perishable. Meat must be stored under careful observance of all conditions.

Read on to learn how long and at what temperature you can store chicken in the refrigerator (raw and cooked).

Shelf life

Chicken meat can be stored chilled, frozen or already cooked. Depending on this, appropriate conditions are selected.

Fresh

Chilled fresh chicken can last anywhere from several hours to several days in the refrigerator. The determining factor is the temperature in the chamber.

Closed containers should be used to store meat. This could be, for example, a tray covered with cling film on top. Fresh chicken should not be kept open on the shelf.

Shelf life after defrosting

Once frozen chicken is removed from the freezer, its shelf life begins to shorten very quickly.

Once the chicken has thawed, how long does it take to keep it in the refrigerator? cannot be more than 4 days at a temperature of about 0? C.

Additionally, to extend the shelf life, the technique of wrapping the meat in a cloth soaked in vinegar and other approaches can be used.

You should defrost as much chicken as you need to prepare the dish.. Repeated freezing is extremely undesirable - it reduces the content of nutrients in the product, disrupts its consistency and worsens the taste.

Ready

Cooked chicken also cannot be kept for a long time - it is also a perishable product. Shelf life largely depends on how exactly the meat was prepared and under what conditions it is stored. After cooling, cooked chicken must be refrigerated.

Cooked meat

Boiled chicken You can stay in the warmth of your apartment for no more than a few hours. The product can remain on the shelf in the refrigerator for up to three days, but only when the air temperature is within 4? C.

In the broth

Boiled chicken that remains in the broth is kept in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. If foam begins to appear on the surface of the broth and/or the smell changes, the product will have to be thrown away - it is gone.

Fried or baked

Fried chicken is not meant to be stored for future use. During storage, it loses its qualities, and its taste deteriorates. According to the rules, you can keep such a product for up to half a day.. If you need to preserve fried meat for a longer period of time, you can freeze it.

Smoked

One of the important points is compliance with smoking technology. The smaller the pieces of meat that need to be processed, the better they will be smoked.

Storage time in the refrigerator is up to a week. If smoked meat has been frozen, then after defrosting it must be consumed immediately.

There should be no white spots on the surface of smoked meat. They indicate the beginning of product deterioration.

In the marinade

Marinated meat, for example for barbecue, can last up to a day in the refrigerator. If you then need to transport it, it is recommended to use a thermal bag.

Stewed, pilaf

After stewing, chicken can remain on the shelf in the refrigerator for no more than two days.. It is important to isolate the product from air access.

Grill

When choosing grilled chicken, you need to be especially careful about choosing a high-quality product, since grilling can disguise missing meat.

Tara

Refrigerated chicken can last no more than 4 days, and only if a number of conditions are met. One of the rules is not to violate the temperature regime. Packaging is also important.

If possible, the top of the chicken carcass can be wrapped in a cloth soaked in table vinegar. As it dries, moistening with vinegar must be repeated.

The following can be used as storage containers:

1. Glass container with lid.
2. Plastic bag.
3. Closable enamel pan.
4. Plastic food container with lid.

One of the best packaging options is vacuum. You can use a portable household unit for these purposes. Do not place the product in a container that can react with meat.

Defrosting rules

In order for chicken meat to retain all its beneficial substances after freezing, the defrosting process must be carried out without exposure to high temperatures.

Available processing methods you can choose the one you like best:

• on the refrigerator shelf;
• in the oven;
• in a slow cooker;
• in the microwave;
• in water;
• in a water bath;
• at room temperature.

Gradual defrosting is preferable to rapid defrosting.

This video will show you how to defrost chicken in the microwave:

Signs of spoiled chicken

Chicken meat is a perishable product. Determine that the chicken has become unusable, possible by the following criteria:

• unpleasant odor;
• mucus on the surface;
• stickiness;
• spots;
• mold;
• foreign inclusions.

9 recommendations

Expert advice will help you store it correctly chicken without loss of meat quality and taste:

1. If you plan to freeze chicken, it is better to do it right away, without keeping it in the refrigerator on the shelf for a long time.
2. Only high-quality products must be sent for storage.
3. You can extend the shelf life to 5 days by rubbing the carcass with a mixture of salt and ground black pepper. After this, the product can be placed in an enamel pan, the walls of which are generously coated with vinegar.
4. For better storage, chicken giblets are removed immediately after slaughter. Otherwise, the meat can spoil very quickly.
5. Chicken (both fresh and cooked) should not come into contact with other foods.
6. Even when storing chicken in a freezer with a temperature no higher than -19? C, the chicken can last no more than a year. If the product has not been used within this time, it should be thrown away.
7. Chicken should not be washed before storing.
8. Without a refrigerator, chicken meat cannot sit in the warmth of an apartment for more than two days.
9. If there is no urgent need to prepare a large volume of chicken, it is advisable to always buy a fresh product and cook it immediately - without long-term storage.

Video on the topic of the article

How long you can store chicken is explained in the video:

Conclusion

Storing chicken in the refrigerator should be carried out according to the rules, observing the temperature regime. If it is necessary to keep the meat longer, it must either be frozen or subjected to other additional processing, for example, smoking.