ISO advice on bloody chickens

[jennydot1]

hello everybody,

i know chicken is not supposed to be bloody but often when you buy chicken legs and wings from the supermarket they seem to be slightly bloody. (the chicken i have bought is of the lowest quality - i live near the worst supermarket in the world) is it safe to cook and eat?

thank you!

 

[Maverick2272]

As long as it is fresh and doesn't smell bad, just rinse it off good if you prefer before using it.

 

[GotGarlic]

I don't think chickens, any more than other meats, are bloodless when you purchase them, so a little seepage of blood is normal. As Mav says, unless it smells bad, it's fine.

 

[texasgirl]

Actually, I will buy chicken with blood on it before one without. I can see if the blood looks too dark or whatever. Just wash it off, it's will be fine, but, just as they said, smell it.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Wash it off, pat it dry - then prep/process and cook it!

 

[quicksilver]

When I get chicken home, I fill sink 1/2 way with cold water and pour in some table salt ( maybe 1/3 cup) in, swosh around to dissolve and soak chicken for about 1 hour. Then I drain, rinse, dry and use/cook.
My mother always did this - so - so do I. It always made me feel they are as clean then as could be.

 

[Robo410]

chicken should not be eaten raw or rare...the meat should be cooked, the juices running clear. But even in cooked chicken you may see reddish bone ends or joints. And certainly you will see blood in raw uncooked chicken.

 

[jennydot1]

ok good thank you all for your help!

 

[VeraBlue]

I've noticed lots of people recommend washing/rinsing the chicken before preparation. For some people, this is more harmful than simply seasoning it and then cooking it.... Not because the bloody juices are left on the chicken, but because the sink it was rinsed in is rarely properly sanitized after the rinsing.

Be diligent when sanitizing your sink after rinsing raw poultry, including the backboard and faucets/knobs.

 

[Nat2007]

It is ok if the chicken has blood when you buy it, but check there is no blood when you eat it!!!, it should be very well cooked. At least in Europe we have something called "salmonella", some kind of bacteria...you can get a pretty bad illness if you eat chicken that is not well cooked, or if you do not clean well chopping board, knives, hands, etc, after preparing the chicken.

 

[jennydot1]

yeah i got that last year. wouldn't recommend it. i'm a little paranoid about these things now, it scarred me for life!