Keeping times for chicken?

[Phil R.]

Hi everybody,

I bought a 12 pack of chicken thighs last Sat. Well, didn't get to them today. Will they be o.k.? I wasn't sure about the smell...not sure whether it was regular chicken smell or not. Anyway, they're brining right now. I'm just wondering whether I should cook them or not? I think they can survive 4 days, right?

 

[Hallgrimur Oskarsson (Halli)]

There should be some kind of "use by" date on your packaging but poultry should keep for up to 5 days if properly stored on the bottom shelf of your fridge.

 

[Bryan S]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Phil R.:
Hi everybody,

I bought a 12 pack of chicken thighs last Sat. Well, didn't get to them today. Will they be o.k.? I wasn't sure about the smell...not sure whether it was regular chicken smell or not. Anyway, they're brining right now. I'm just wondering whether I should cook them or not? I think they can survive 4 days, right? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
As in Sat Sept, 1? I would look for the sell by date as Halli mentioned and they are usually good for 2 days after that. I would guess they are fine. With chicken, if they were going South you would know it.

It's a very unpleasant rotting smell that one never forgets. Let me tell you A 40lb case of bad chicken is something you don't want to be anywhere near.

 

[Phil R.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
A 40lb case of bad chicken is something you don't want to be anywhere near.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll take you're word for it on that one.

Actually, the chicken had a "sell by" date of 9/5...so I'm o.k. The only thing is, it smelled a little "off"...but it might be my imagination running away with me. Anyway, I brined 'em for 2 hours, put a aji amarillo based rub on one and my free penzey's sample of adobo seasoning on the other. They're in the WSM now. So if you guys never hear from me again, trust your instincts on the smell thing...

 

[Doug D]

"Vaguely sulfurous" is about as far as I go with chicken. If I rinse it off and the odor abates, I cook it immediately, otherwise...

Re: 40 lbs of bad chicken. New Orleans Cold Storage and Warehouse lost 52 million pounds of chicken to Katrina when its massive freezers went from -10°F to well... The odor was allegedly detectable for a 1-mile radius.