{"id":4543,"date":"2026-09-08T20:05:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altahooneh.com\/en\/?p=4543"},"modified":"2026-09-08T20:05:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:05:55","slug":"how-to-store-fresh-chicken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altahooneh.com\/en\/how-to-store-fresh-chicken\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Store and Handle Fresh Chicken Safely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fresh chicken is one of the least forgiving things in a home kitchen. Most of what goes wrong happens between the shop and the pan, and almost all of it is avoidable. Here is the practical version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get it home cold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buy chicken last on a shopping trip and get it into a refrigerator quickly. In Jordan’s summer heat, a car boot can undo a properly chilled cold chain in twenty minutes. An insulated bag is worth keeping in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refrigerate at 4°C or below<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Raw chicken keeps for one to two days in the refrigerator. Store it on the bottom shelf, covered, on a plate or in a container that will catch any drips \u2014 that single habit prevents most cross-contamination in a domestic fridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are not going to cook it within two days, freeze it on the day you buy it rather than at the end of its fridge life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freeze at -18°C<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Frozen at -18°C or below, chicken stays safe indefinitely, though quality is best within a few months. Portion it before freezing so you can take out only what you need \u2014 refreezing thawed raw chicken is where quality and safety both suffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thawing at room temperature lets the outer surface sit in the temperature range where bacteria multiply while the centre is still frozen. Move chicken to the refrigerator the night before instead. If you are short of time, a sealed bag under cold running water works; thawing in the microwave is fine only if you cook it immediately afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not wash raw chicken<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rinsing raw chicken does not make it safer. It splashes bacteria onto the sink, taps and nearby surfaces, spreading contamination rather than removing it. Cooking is what makes chicken safe. Pat it dry with paper towel if you want a better sear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook to 74°C<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chicken is done at an internal temperature of 74°C, measured at the thickest part and away from the bone. Colour is not a reliable guide \u2014 meat can stay slightly pink at a safe temperature and can look done well before it is. A digital probe thermometer is inexpensive and removes the guesswork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep raw and ready-to-eat apart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n