Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Frozen Whole Chicken


jvalentino

Recommended Posts

I have frineds coming over Sunday, and wanted to roast a chicken. I have a high quality bird in the freezer that unfortunatly I forgot about. It's about 4 mos old-is this too old? I don't see any visible freezer burn, but maybe I should experiment on myself only. What do you think?

Thanks,

Jeff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it was well-wrapped, four months isn't a problem. Since you say there's no evidence of freezer burn, you're good to go. Just thaw it as slowly as possible (usually, that means the bottom shelf of the fridge) to minimize juice loss.

Dave Scantland
Executive director
dscantland@eGstaff.org
eG Ethics signatory

Eat more chicken skin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What Dave said, 4 months is not a problem.

I find well-wrapped birds, even vacuum bagged ones, can get a bit freezer burned from the inside where there's a void. Nobody sees that part and the meaty bits are just fine.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many years ago, as a new step dad with no prior children of my own, I made a startling discovery. A whole frozen chicken takes a long time to thaw in the garage fridge. Like 3 freakin' days.

THE FIRST THERMODYNAMIC LAW OF CHILDREN:

Items in the inside fridge thaw much faster than those in the garage fridge.

The fridge in the garage is opened infrequently, i.e. when I get a beer.

The inside fridge, where three children had ongoing lengthy investigations, was opened much more often, for longer periods of time.

I would recommend taking the chicken out for 10 minutes or so, every few hours. This would emulate the first TDLOC, and would probably thaw the chicken in 24 -36 hours.

Best,

Steve

"Tell your friends all around the world, ain't no companion like a blue - eyed merle" Robert Plant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...