Can I leave a slaughtered chicken in the fridge for 10 days?

[SheppFamilyFlock]

Hello all, we have 3 roosters due to be processed today. We wanted to have one for Christmas dinner. I plan to brine it the night before. Can we leave it in the fridge that long? I'm getting mixed answers online. Just seems silly to rest it for 3 days, freeze it for 3 days, then thaw it for a day or two lol

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Can we leave it in the fridge that long?

My answer is yes.. *if* your processing is clean enough. Are you harvesting yourself?

Surprisingly, I've had them last as long as 3 weeks in the fridge before cooking without getting smelly or slimey. Way different than commercially processed chicken.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good question. Can it last that long? Probably. What do the food safety experts say? Not no how, not no way! But they are talking about purchased chicken with a posted expiration date.

I'm not sure how long it will take it to freeze or thaw. Some of that depend on how it is packed and if it in the same spot as the other two.

I think what I'd do is pack it fairly thin so it will freeze and thaw fairly rapidly. Freeze it immediately without aging. Then five days before you plan to cook it thaw it in your fridge an let it age in there after thawing.

Food safety experts probably would not agree with this either but I typically take the meat out of the freezer on a Sunday to let it thaw and age before cooking it on a Thursday. Never had a problem.

 

[Molpet]

I just found one last week that I had harvested veterans Day. He was shoved in the back of the bottom of the refrigerator, the coldest spot. I was flabbergasted that he was not smelly or slimy. Tasted great.

 

[Penpal]

Yea, keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator after rigor mortis. Practically freezing.

 

[SheppFamilyFlock]

My answer is yes.. *if* your processing is clean enough. Are you harvesting yourself?

Surprisingly, I've had them last as long as 3 weeks in the fridge before cooking without getting smelly or slimey. Way different than commercially processed chicken.

Yes we are harvesting ourselves. What would "clean enough" entail? We don't have a commercial kitchen but we would keep tools and surfaces clean, wash our hands regularly. Rinse the birds with clean water after removing the guts. Would that suffice?

 

[SheppFamilyFlock]

Good question. Can it last that long? Probably. What do the food safety experts say? Not no how, not no way! But they are talking about purchased chicken with a posted expiration date.

I'm not sure how long it will take it to freeze or thaw. Some of that depend on how it is packed and if it in the same spot as the other two.

I think what I'd do is pack it fairly thin so it will freeze and thaw fairly rapidly. Freeze it immediately without aging. Then five days before you plan to cook it thaw it in your fridge an let it age in there after thawing.

Food safety experts probably would not agree with this either but I typically take the meat out of the freezer on a Sunday to let it thaw and age before cooking it on a Thursday. Never had a problem.

We're planning to roast it whole so I figure it would take some time to freeze and thaw. I can keep it in the very back of the fridge the whole time we have a vacuum sealer too although I don't know if our bags are large enough for a whole bird

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes we are harvesting ourselves. What would "clean enough" entail? We don't have a commercial kitchen but we would keep tools and surfaces clean, wash our hands regularly. Rinse the birds with clean water after removing the guts. Would that suffice?

I'm definitely not a "food safety expert".. but that was sufficient in my experience.. noting that there were no accidental bile or feces contaminations made to the carcass during the harvesting.. and they went and stayed in the fridge until preparation time.

Hope you guys enjoy your Christmas dinner!

 

[SheppFamilyFlock]

I'm definitely not a "food safety expert".. but that was sufficient in my experience.. noting that there were no accidental bile or feces contaminations made to the carcass during the harvesting.. and they went and stayed in the fridge until preparation time.

Hope you guys enjoy your Christmas dinner!

Okay perfect. We don't have a commercial kitchen or anything like that but I feel like we're pretty clean I'm also more of a risk taker haha

Thank you! Happy holidays

 

[Molpet]

Actually how old are these roosters?
Cooking methods different for different ages of cockerels

And they still hang older birds to tenderize them
https://honest-food.net/on-hanging-pheasants-2/