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.
What GOST and SanPiN say
Technologies for raising poultry have come so far that the state is no longer able to regulate the shelf life of what the producer has grown. However, GOST recommends adhering to certain time limits, which the manufacturer cannot increase.
When leaving the enterprise, chicken carcasses are usually divided into:
- cooled down (temperature no higher than 25 °C);
- chilled (from -2 to 4 °C inclusive);
- frozen (not higher than -12 °C);
- deep frozen (not higher than -18 °C).
The shelf life is as follows:
1. At temperatures from -2 to 2 °C inclusive:
- whole chilled carcasses – no more than 5 days;
- parts of carcasses - no more than 2 days from the date of slaughter.
2. Frozen carcasses stored at -12 °C:
- entirely – no more than 8 months;
- cut into parts – 1 month.
3. Frozen carcasses stored at a temperature not exceeding -18 °C:
- entirely – no more than 12 months;
- divided into parts – 3 months.
4. If freezing and storage is carried out at a temperature not exceeding -25 °C:
- whole carcasses are stored for no more than 14 months.
SanPiN regulates the storage of poultry and prepared meals in public catering establishments and puts forward the following requirements (see table):
Shelf life of chicken meat products according to SanPiN
Freezing quality requirements
Mostly, semi-finished products with a high degree of readiness are frozen, that is, those that are not only processed, but also cooked (for example, fried). These are pancakes, seafood, pizza, pies, the same cutlets, vegetables and fruits.
How should finished products of semi-finished products with a high degree of readiness for storage be prepared?
There is a general rule that applies to all frozen semi-finished products, ready-made culinary products, and gourmet snacks without exception: pack the product in cellophane or other film, use cardboard boxes.
Under these conditions, good quality of the product can be guaranteed on average for at least six months from the date of preparation.
How to choose fresh
The quality of the prepared dishes and your health will depend on how fresh the chicken you bring home is.
If the chicken is packaged, you need to look for the production date on the label. If there is none, feel free to rip the packaging. The buyer has the right to be informed about the quality of the goods.
They say about the freshness of a chicken carcass:
- Smell. Even without experience, a person can determine whether chicken is “smelly.” Feel free to bring the carcass to your nose. You need to smell the incision site on your stomach. Fresh meat has almost no smell. Any smell should stop you, it’s better not to buy such chicken.
- Mucusiness. The skin of fresh chicken without packaging may be a little dry, this is normal.
Do you know that…
Before slaughter, birds are prohibited from being given a whole list of feeds that impair the taste and affect the smell. However, manufacturers neglect this in order to reduce the cost of products.
Broiler chickens sold in stores are often wet. There are several reasons for this:
- To increase weight, they increase the moisture content of chicken meat (this is beneficial to producers).
- Before shipping, chicken is washed with special disinfectants (this extends shelf life).
However, moisture and mucus are different things. Mucused meat may not have an unpleasant odor if it is washed with special solutions. But identifying the presence of mucus is not difficult; the main thing is to look closely and touch the carcass with your hand.
But you don’t need to pay attention to color. A pale chicken is no worse than a yellow one. In order for the chicken to have a marketable appearance, it is fed corn before slaughter.
The color of the bird does not affect the quality and freshness of the meat; the broth from yellow chicken will simply be yellower
Storage conditions
To ensure that meat does not lose its taste and nutritional qualities, it is very important not only to choose a fresh product, but also to strictly observe storage conditions. Apart from the preparation of semi-finished products - smoking, drying, salting, drying meat, there are two options left - cooling or freezing.
To begin with, it is important to evaluate the quality when purchasing. First of all, analyze the appearance. If it is a whole carcass, the skin should not be damaged. The presence of wounds, scratches, and traces of blood should alert the buyer. It should also be dry and clean - sticky skin can be a sign of staleness or disease.
How to store raw chicken
Chilled
If you are sure that the bird was slaughtered yesterday, then the shelf life of the chicken chilled in the refrigerator is up to 5 days from the date of slaughter. If the slaughter date is unknown, do not take risks, start cooking - by tomorrow the chicken may be covered with mucus.
Steamed (freshly slaughtered) chicken should not be placed in the refrigerator or cooked immediately - the meat must ripen. Biochemical processes in chicken after slaughter take place within 2–3 hours. This is how long a chicken should be at room temperature after slaughter. Otherwise it will be tasteless. Next comes cooling.
There is only one place to store raw chicken - the refrigerator. If you need to store parts of a carcass or fillet (breast), then the storage conditions and rules are the same.
Note to the hostess
You can put the chicken in the refrigerator wrapped in paper or a plastic bag. There should be a hole in the bag so that the chicken can “breathe”.
Frozen
If there is chicken, but there is no need for meat, it is sent to the freezer. Can already chilled chicken be frozen? The answer is simple - yes. To do this, just wrap the carcass in paper or a plastic bag and place it in the freezer.
Chicken can be stored in a household freezer for 5–7 months, provided it is not defrosted.
Thawed
Once the chicken has been thawed, it cannot be re-frozen. If the question arises about how long defrosted chicken can be stored in the refrigerator, then you can keep it there for no more than 12 hours. In defrosted chicken meat, the muscle fibers have already lost their structure, and the spoilage process will proceed much faster.
However, if there is no need for meat, the chicken can be prepared using the chosen method and the finished dish can be frozen.
Note to the hostess
Finished chicken, frozen in portions, can be stored in the freezer for 3 months. Please note that this product is edible, but you will not get pleasure from eating it.
By-products
Chilled liver, heart, gizzards should be cooked or frozen as quickly as possible. By-products should not be stored in the refrigerator for longer than 18 hours.
Deterioration processes occur rapidly in such tissues. The reason for this is intensive contamination with microorganisms. Do not buy offal for future use.
Offal can be kept in the freezer for 2 months at -8 °C and 6 months at -18 °C
Benefits of freezing food
In supermarkets and convenience stores you can buy a variety of frozen semi-finished products with the inscription “shock freezing” on the packaging. This concept means that the product is subjected to very rapid freezing at a very low temperature.
According to the standard, the process of freezing food products occurs in 3 stages:
- Cooling to 0.
- Freeze to -5°C.
- Deep frozen to -18°C.
Semi-finished products frozen by shock and conventional methods are stored in the same freezers in supermarkets. There are several advantages of the shock freezing method to give preference to:
- production time is reduced by at least 3 times;
- reduction of product losses by 2–3 times;
- production areas are reduced by up to 2 times, and personnel by up to 30%;
- production payback decreases by 15–20%.
A more accurate idea is given by the numbers: regular freezing of dumplings occurs in 2.5 hours, and shock freezing - in just 20 minutes.
How to store cooked chicken
After cooking the chicken, it is better to store it in the same container in which it was cooked. Once cooled, simply place the dish in the refrigerator.
If there is a need to take away some of the chicken meat and broth, then after that the remains must certainly be boiled. Then cool again and place in the refrigerator again.
Boiled
When boiling broiler, it is better not to eat broth. The chicken should be removed, placed in a container with a lid, and cooled. Next put it in the refrigerator.
Do you know that…
The broiler grows very quickly. Intense metabolism contributes to the accumulation of cellular metabolic products in meat. When boiled, they go into the broth - these are not useful substances for the human body.
Homemade chicken broth is delicious and flavorful. It perfectly helps soften coughs and soothe sore throats. Store boiled chicken in broth in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Without broth - the same amount.
The broth can be frozen in portions and used as needed. Repeated freezing is unacceptable.
When asked how long frozen boiled chicken can be stored, you can answer - up to 3 months, provided that the freezer does not defrost.
Fried
Fried chicken is good hot. If there are leftovers after a meal, they are placed in a container and placed in the refrigerator. Fried chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours.
You can also freeze the product, but after defrosting it will be tough.
Smoked
The smoked product should be treated with caution. The slightest violation of technology can lead to insufficient heating of the carcass inside. It is better to give preference to small parts (wings).
When purchasing, take a close look at the product. If a white coating is noticeable on the folds of the skin, refuse to purchase. This indicates the beginning of the growth of microscopic fungi.
The product can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
Grill
Grilled chicken is delicious hot. If it has cooled down and there is a need to preserve the product, then it is wrapped in paper or placed in a container and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours.
Pickled
A properly prepared classic (water, salt, sugar, vinegar, spices) marinade is already a preservative. You can store chicken in it without refrigeration for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5. At the same time, the product will be tasty and will not spoil.
If something else is used as a marinade (sauces, kefir, etc.), then store the preparation only in the refrigerator and for no more than 12 hours.
Note to the hostess
If the chicken is marinated and removed from the marinade, it can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.
What types of poultry are there?
The modern market offers a wide range of products – from the usual chicken to exotic ostrich. All types have high energy and nutritional value and excellent consumer properties.
Chicken
One of the most affordable products. Low fat and cholesterol content ensures good digestibility. It is important that fresh chicken contains a large amount of peptides, which are very beneficial for the cardiovascular system. This is one of the most popular elements in the diet of people with gastrointestinal diseases, weakened after illness, the elderly and children.
Duck
Belongs to the so-called dark varieties. It is much fattier than chicken, but it contains a large amount of healthy unsaturated fatty acids. That is why duck is recommended to improve the functioning of the heart and brain. Doctors also note the positive effects of eating duck meat on the genitourinary system. Duck is rich in vitamins, especially group A, which are good for vision. However, due to its high calorie content, those who have problems with excess weight and liver disease should avoid it.
Goose
People often treat it with caution, considering it too oily, but only the skin has an increased calorie content. If you remove it, this figure decreases by 4 times. The product is valued for its high content of vitamins C, B and A. It is also noted that goose meat helps increase hemoglobin, therefore it is recommended in diets for patients with anemia.
Turkey
Record holder for iron content. The advantages also include hypoallergenicity, low calorie content and low fat content. Thanks to these properties, turkey meat has become a popular component of diets recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children, the elderly and patients during the recovery period after illness or surgery.
Quail
Previously considered game, they are now raised on special farms. Despite its small size, this bird is considered a valuable product due to the rich and balanced composition of the meat. Quail fillet contains more than 20% protein, and less than 200 calories per 100 g. In addition, it contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, beneficial amino acids, but the content of harmful cholesterol is extremely low.
Ostrich
While still exotic, ostrich farms have recently become popular. Outwardly, this meat resembles beef, but is much more tender. Its main advantage is considered to be its unique chemical composition - the product is a leader in the amount of vitamins B and E, saturated fatty acids and easily digestible proteins.
Attention! To preserve the maximum beneficial properties of the product, it is better to boil, stew, steam or bake the bird. In fried foods exposed to high temperatures, the amount of vitamins and nutrients is significantly reduced.
