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Raw poultry time in fridge?

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tenpenny_05
tenpenny_05 Posts: 286
in EggHead Forum
I typically but one of the big family sized packs of chicken drumsticks with plans on eating them over the course of a week.
My wife read that raw poultry is only good for 3-4 days in the fridge.
What do you guys think? I've always thought if you eat it before it's a week old, you're probably ok.
Kansas City, Kansas
Second hand Medium BGE, Second hand Black Kamado Joe Classic, Second hand Weber Kettle, Second hand Weber Smokey Mountain
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,345
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    I typically go by the date printed on the package/sticker and of course, the sniff test 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • tenpenny_05
    tenpenny_05 Posts: 286
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    I'm not smart enough to look at the date on the package. They usually go straight into a Ziploc bag when I get home from the store.
    Kansas City, Kansas
    Second hand Medium BGE, Second hand Black Kamado Joe Classic, Second hand Weber Kettle, Second hand Weber Smokey Mountain
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  • Killit_and_Grillit
    Killit_and_Grillit Posts: 4,326
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    72 hours is kind of my "iffy" spot. 96 hours of it still smells ok. 

    Ive had chicken wings I bought at Kroger before be nasty at 24 hours so...

    Follow your nose. 

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Depends some on how cold the fridge is. And if the chicken has been processed with a saline injection

    Most fresh unfrozen are good for 7 days at around 40F, but chicken has a pretty poor reputation at this point for cleanliness. If you have spots in the fridge that are cooler, it adds a couple of more days. But the unprocessed never frozen chicken I get from a farm market does start to smell at around 4 days.


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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    Top shelf rear is the coldest spot. 
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I keep mine in the fridge until the sell by day, plus 2-3 days. Usually gone before then anyway. Don't always ziplock either. Just take out what I'm cooking and put the now opened package back in the fridge. Air drying helps crisp the skin. =) If I do transfer to a ziplock, I tear off the date label and throw it in the bag too.

    I don't know what your wife read, but if "3-4 days" was correct, I would have gotten sick many times over. Depends on how long the chicken has been packaged and ready for sale too. Sometimes, it's marked down because the sell by date is tomorrow. Those get cooked (or frozen) within 2-3 days. 

    Look at it this way... What difference does it make whether it's sitting in your fridge or in the grocery store's? How many refrigerated days have already gone by before you bought it?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • tenpenny_05
    tenpenny_05 Posts: 286
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    @Carolina Q I get what you're saying. Seems like when I pick up the big packs they are almost always frozen. So I consider that day zero.
    Kansas City, Kansas
    Second hand Medium BGE, Second hand Black Kamado Joe Classic, Second hand Weber Kettle, Second hand Weber Smokey Mountain
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Wive's are never wrong. Don't believe me eh?  Ask your Wife. :grin:
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    tenpenny_05 said:
    @Carolina Q I get what you're saying. Seems like when I pick up the big packs they are almost always frozen. So I consider that day zero.
    The bugs don't start to grow until some time after they come out of freezing. If you are buying not quite defrosted, you can add in the time needed to defrost, a day or two, and then another few hours.
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    GrillSgt said:
    Top shelf rear is the coldest spot. 
    That's where mine is. Back when I was young, the standard was bottom shelf was coldest, 'cause the cold air goes to the bottom. But then, the cold air came in at the bottom.
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    Two things:  First, the smell tells you exactly nothing.

    The bacteria that make you sick don't make it smell bad, and the bacteria that make it smell bad don't make you sick.  If it doesn't smell bad, that does NOT tell you it's safe!

    From Foodsafety.gov:

    Myth #7: Leftovers are safe to eat until they smell bad.

    Fact: The kinds of bacteria that cause food poisoning do not affect the look, smell, or taste of food. To be safe, use our Safe Storage Times chart to make sure you know the right time to throw food out.

    If you think you need to sniff it because it might be bad, pitch it.  Why take the chance?

    Second: the big difference between food in the store's refrigerator and the same food in your own refrigerator is:
    • However much time that food spent getting warm in the shopping cart as you were shopping for other stuff in the store, 
    • As you were driving it home, 
    • As you were unpacking all of the bags 
    • And getting it back into the refrigerator, 
    • And however long it took once it finally was IN the fridge to actually get cold again.
    I confess that I also usually go by the "use by" date on the package, but for these reasons, that's not necessarily safe.

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