How Long To Keep Chicken Stock?

[JohnRov]

I made chicken stock. I used some but needed to get containers to freeze and then stuff came up and I went out of town, etc. Anyway, it's been refrigerated for about a week and a half, is it bad or can I still freeze it and use it?

[weinoo]

I made chicken stock.  I used some but needed to get containers to freeze and then stuff came up and I went out of town, etc.  Anyway, it's been refrigerated for about a week and a half, is it bad or can I still freeze it and use it?

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Whew, I'd be getting rid of that. Usually, if I'm keeping stock in the fridge, I'll boil it every two days or so - then it may last for a week or more.

When in doubt, throw it out.

[Chris Hennes]

I suspect that after a week and a half it doesn't even pass the "smell test" -- throw it out. No sense risking getting ill over a few dollars' worth of chicken stock.

[OliverN]

I suspect that after a week and a half it doesn't even pass the "smell test" -- throw it out. No sense risking getting ill over a few dollars' worth of chicken stock.

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Yeah, Chicken Stock is remarkably similar in consistency and nutirtional content as the media we use to grow bacteria in the lab.

It's just not worth it

[JohnRov]

I dumped it last night. It really didn't smell bad, but it didn't have that nice clean chicken-y smell anymore either.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Usually, if I'm keeping stock in the fridge, I'll boil it every two days or so - then it may last for a week or more. 

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Actually, if you re-boil your stock every three days, it will last indefinitely. *Something* I learned from cooking school... Not that anyone would have stock around that long, but it is a good thing to know. Boiling will kill the nasty bugs and there is no reason you would have to dump it, even after a week or more!

Many larger commercial kitchens will simply keep their stores of stock continually replenished; making new stock and adding it (and re-boiling it) to older stock.

[Qwerty]

I don't know if that's good advice....boiling will surely kill the bacteria, but won't do anything to the toxins they may leave behind. I wouldn't go around preaching that type of behavior...

[Feedbag]

Does this also apply to the commercialized, tetra-packed stock, say, like Campbell's produces? I've had some left over in the fridge for about a week (still in its pack, but opened nevertheless). Wouldn't there be a whack load of chemicals in there to keep it fresher longer?

[StanSherman]

I don't know if that's good advice....boiling will surely kill the bacteria, but won't do anything to the toxins they may leave behind. I wouldn't go around preaching that type of behavior...

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Before pressure canning, that was a proper technique for food preservation. From what I understand after the first boil spores can then "hatch" a couple days later. The second and third boil get rid of the spores.

Since we pressure can large batches I'm not sure of the time intervals necessary for chicken stock.