What's the longest you can keep raw chicken in the fridge...

amother

Thu, May 24 2012, 12:25 am

I bought chicken capons last Tue from the grocery and only got around to actually make them very late that Thursday night (close to fri morn)...I am now second guessing myself and I'm nervous I kept them in the fridge too long before I cooked them. Is this something I should be concerned about? I'm starting to get nervous to serve it on shavous...when I was washing them off I do remember them having a chickeny smell..but once they were cooked they smelled delicious Smile

but don't know if that means anything..

WWYD?????

Annon because I told my cousins (who are on imamother) that I will be asking this question on here....

amother

Thu, May 24 2012, 1:16 am

amother wrote:

but don't know if that means anything..

WWYD?????

Annon because I told my cousins (who are on imamother) that I will be asking this question on here....

Ok its most definitely OK to buy chicken on Tuesday and make it that Thursday, or even Friday... as long as your fridge works properly and is cold. No worries whatsoever! (And I am very neurotic with raw meat and food prep in general) Also, that "chickeny" smell (I know EXACTLY what you mean and I haaaate that smell) is NOT indicative of the chicken spoiling. Rotten chicken has a diff smell altogether.

What I WOULD worry about, is making chicken last Thursday (which is now about 6 days ago), and serving it on Shavuos (another few days) !! I read and re-read your post and that is what it seems to say. I would NOT serve cooked chicken 8 or 9 days after it was made!!! No way jose! I try to serve cooked meat within 3 days of making it max! (not to say it absolutely will be unsafe for consumption passed that time, but it def wont be fresh and I just wouldnt do it. 8 or 9 days is wayyyyy out of the question). Sorry.

amother

Thu, May 24 2012, 1:16 am

amother wrote:

but don't know if that means anything..

WWYD?????

Annon because I told my cousins (who are on imamother) that I will be asking this question on here....

myself

Thu, May 24 2012, 6:48 am

AFAIK no longer than 3 days. I actually go by the 3 day rule for raw or cooked chicken. So say I cooked chicken on the third day I wouldn't keep it for more than another 3 days. I would use the capons with no problem at all. I'm sure they're delicious. Enjoy them!

ETA: After looking at the guidelines in cm's post I see it says 2 days. IIRC I actually heard about the 3 days from the butcher. I always wonder though, chicken purchased is not always fresh from that day so although it's within the use by timeline it may have been in the butchers fridge for a day already. In general if I purchase chicken on a day when I know it cannot have been fresh from that day then I cook it immediately.

amother

Thu, May 24 2012, 8:58 am

Hi OP here..I want to clarify I made them and froze them RIGHT away I plan to defrost them before the meal I mad them for... so as far as that's concerned I don't think its an issue my concern was really the time that elapsed from when I purchased the chicken until I actually made them....(basically 3 days..)

TIA!!