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There are
descriptive terms used to identify chicken that
should be understood. Some of the terms, which can
apply to most any chicken type and chickens raised
by most any method, are listed below. |
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Fresh Chicken |
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Chicken
meat freezes at about 26° F. Any chicken labeled
"fresh" in a food store has never been allowed to be
cooled to a temperature lower than 26° F. Chickens
that have been frozen and then defrosted before they
are sold, cannot be labeled "fresh". They are
usually labeled as "previously frozen". A fresh
chicken should be cooked no later than 3 days after
the "sell-by date" printed on its label. |
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Frozen Chicken |
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In
order to be considered "frozen", a chicken
must be cooled to a temperature below 0° F. A
chicken that has been defrosted before it is sold
may be labeled "previously frozen". A frozen chicken
may be safely prepared as long as a year after it
was originally frozen. A frozen chicken that has
been thawed should not be refrozen until after it is
cooked.
Prestuffed: Prestuffed chickens can be
purchased with a variety of stuffing flavors.
Prestuffing and freezing a chicken at home can be
dangerous because home freezers cannot freeze as
quickly as commercial freezing processes. The
stuffing increases the rate of harmful bacteria
growth, which may multiply rapidly before the
chicken has a chance to freeze properly when using a
home freezer.
Self-Basting: A frozen self-basting chicken
is injected with various ingredients, such as oil,
juices, and seasonings, before it is frozen. When
the chicken is roasted, the added ingredients keep
the meat moist and tender.
Boneless Chicken: Pieces of white or dark
meat that have the bone removed before freezing. The
boneless chicken adds convenience to the preparation
and requires less effort when eating. |
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