Defrosted Chicken

[chestertime]

Defrosted some chicken in cold water and forgot about it. Found it still in the cold water about 2 hours later. Safe or throw away?

 

[Alix]

Depends how cold the water was and if it was running water. I'd probably go for it.

 

[mcnerd]

Me too, if the water was still cold. The bird was probably still partially frozen. 2 hours isn't too bad, but I wouldn't make it a habit of forgetting.

 

[GB]

2 hours is OK, but any longer and I would be nervous.

 

[mozart]

Perfectly safe if cooked properly. Chicken is no more dangerous than any other potentially hazardous food. The only thing unique about chicken ( and other foul) is its tendency to have a higher likelihood of Salmonella organisms. Salmonella is always killed by proper cooking and care in preventing cross contamination.

The issue with leaving foods in the danger zone is Staph toxin, which is very heat stable. This can occur on any potentially hazardous food, and more often in foods contaminated after cooking that are not held at the proper temperature.

 

[giecay]

It depends on frozen chicken. Two hours of defrosting is still safe. Just make sure that chicken is cooked well if you serve it.

 

[macro_grp02]

I agree. If the water was still cold when you found it then I think it's still okay. But if not then I'd go with my guts. I'd probably cook it, anyway, and just make sure it's cooked well.

 

[Constance]

I'm sure it's fine.

 

[Claire]

IF the water is still cold, you should be OK. One thing to remember, though, is that poultry that is quick-thawed will often look red at the joints, even when cooked to a very safe temperature. Don't be alarmed, it isn't raw. There's just something about the process that causes this. Surely we have a food scientist on board who can explain that!