I had Food Network on today... and this show called "Ask Aida" was playing. I had never seen it before (don't care for it, personally). Anyways, there was a viewer question that asked if she was supposed to wash pieces of chicken before cooking or if the heat would kill the germs. ??? Then Aida says that to be safe, she washes her chicken. Why on earth would washing chicken make it safer? You still have to cook it to 160º, no? Maybe I'm missing something... but her answer makes no sense to me. Why would washing a piece of raw meat get rid of germs? As far as I knew, the only way to prevent food borne illness was to thoroughly cook the food... The only thing I can see washing the chicken will accomplish is you splattering the bacteria all over the counter, etc....
Washing chicken... for safety?
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college_cook
Head Chef
Yeah, washing chicken is more likely to spread bacteria, IMO.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
You are correct crankin. The FDA warns against washing chicken for this very reason.
expatgirl
Master Chef
if you have never washed chicken parts then maybe you've never seen some of the gunk that comes off of them or you've dealt with some really clean chicken pieces.....now we still might get sick from eating chicken after all but I guarantee you it is probably less due to the stuff that goes down the drain........yecch.......and I won't go into detail..............
elaine l
Head Chef
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Interesting. I always washed chicken but now I am doubting if I should be doing this. Makes sense.
Constance
Master Chef
I used to wash chickens, always, and usually squeezed a little bottled lemon juice over them at the same time. But then I saw the FDA thing, and I've pretty much quit.
If I'm going to cook a whole chicken, it gets washed. But since it's just the two of us now, we generally just buy thighs (for me) and bone-in breasts (for DH). They're usually pretty clean to start with, and then I trim off extra skin and fat, leaving just enough to make it flavorful.
I had a friend in high school whose dad owned a grocery store, and she was expected to work there. One of her jobs was unpacking the chickens out of the big, heavy waxed boxes they came in so they could be weighed and bagged up with the store's own tag, and she hated it. Even in rubber gloves, her hands about froze, and she said the stink was enough to make you gag.
A good answer to the problem is to wash your sink out with dish soap and a little clorox after you wash the chicken. Pour a little clorox down the drain, too, and then rinse all with cold water.
If I'm going to cook a whole chicken, it gets washed. But since it's just the two of us now, we generally just buy thighs (for me) and bone-in breasts (for DH). They're usually pretty clean to start with, and then I trim off extra skin and fat, leaving just enough to make it flavorful.
I had a friend in high school whose dad owned a grocery store, and she was expected to work there. One of her jobs was unpacking the chickens out of the big, heavy waxed boxes they came in so they could be weighed and bagged up with the store's own tag, and she hated it. Even in rubber gloves, her hands about froze, and she said the stink was enough to make you gag.
A good answer to the problem is to wash your sink out with dish soap and a little clorox after you wash the chicken. Pour a little clorox down the drain, too, and then rinse all with cold water.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
...and wash your handles, and your faucet, and your counters around and behind your sink, as it all splashes everywhere!
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
No way, never, this is one thing FDA got it right.
BigDog
Head Chef
Wash everything the chicken comes in contact with, but not the chicken. Washed chicken doesn't taste very good. Cooked chicken tastes better.
Gotta appease the Chicken Police!
Gotta appease the Chicken Police!
What is wrong with washing chickens? Can you please explain FDA or whatever it is.
My mother in law is full on when it comes to washing chickens. She told me to always soak my chickens in water with vinegar and then rinse them off with water. Is this OK?
My mother in law is full on when it comes to washing chickens. She told me to always soak my chickens in water with vinegar and then rinse them off with water. Is this OK?
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
Regardless of whether you want to rinse or not rinse off your chicken, no one will EVER convince me that washing food with dish soap is a good idea. I find even the visual nauseating.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
It's not the chicken that's the problem. It's the area in which you gave your chicken a salt-water "bath". It's the area in which you did this washing that is the issue. If that is what you want to do then do it. I choose not to do it and others choose not to do it. The only thing I do is take a wad of paper towels and dry my chicken inside and out. I then immediately sanitize my sink or cutting board - wherever that chicken was sitting.
It's not going to be solved here and I don't think it will ever be solved. Everyone will do what they want in the end because that's what they were told to do or that's just how they grew up doing it. Just know that when you wash your chicken and that water is splashing you MUST thoroughly clean the area in and around. It appears that some of you already do that - that's the responsible thing to do.
The End.
expatgirl
Master Chef
I spray the sink with Clorox Cleanup and leave it to set until rinsing.....never have I had a problem......I've never washed my chicken in dishsoap.......I rinse the pieces under running water, however......
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
VeraBlue
Executive Chef
I agree completely.
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