Do you often forget your groceries in your car or just outside your door? Do you suddenly panic with the fright that the groceries might have gone bad? Well, indeed, it’s something that you need to worry about! How long can you leave raw chicken out is a question; people are crazily talking and inquiring about!
And to answer all your questions, we’ve covered a complete section that is going to speak about everything you need to about keeping your chicken out! Let’s take a quick dive to find out in detail about it.
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How Long Can You Leave Raw Chicken Outside?
Are you wondering what happens to your chicken when it’s left out? If you’ve gone to the grocery store and left your raw chicken in the car, then let me tell you it might be edible anymore.
Chicken can get rotten, which is a matter of two hours if it is kept at 21 degrees Celsius. However, if you live somewhere where it is hotter, you will increase the chances of your meat getting rotten.
Are you wondering why? Well, when you keep meat and any other thing in a hotter environment, you can be sure that the bacteria will grow much faster. And that’s exactly what makes your chicken go bad and is not good for your health overall.
Why Does Your Chicken Go Rotten If Left Out?
Now that you know your chicken can not survive if left outside let’s take a quick dive in checking out why.
1. Exposure to Bacteria-Dense Air
Well, if you think why chicken can go rotten if left outside, let’s check out why! When you leave raw chicken outside, there is a high chance of the bacteria increasing in the chicken. And this multiplies the chances of your chicken getting rotten way faster.
2. High Temperature
This has a close link with the previous point! When the temperature outside is high, then you increase the chances of microorganisms such as bacteria, to grow. And this multiplies much faster, which can leave your raw chicken rotten.
How Can You Find Out Your Chicken Is Rotten?
Now that you’ve got your answer, how long can you leave the raw chicken out? Let’s take a look at how you must check out the chicken has turned rotten. Here’s what you need to check:
1. Smell
Raw meat itself has a different smell. But you can definitely make out that it’s not edible anymore the moment you get the foul odor. Some people define this as the ‘sulfur’ smell, but I’d like to say it’s just terrible.
If the meat is fresh enough, you’ll realize that the meat will be slight or have no odor at all! And that’s the sign that tells you you’ve got fresh meat with you.
2. Texture
The texture of the meat absolutely changes when the chicken goes bad. And that you can simply make out by the look of it.
How long can you leave raw chicken out to thaw?
Now that you’ve got this idea, you must be scared even thinking about thawing the chicken! But with the quick tip, we give you, thawing your chicken wouldn’t be a problem at all.
When you refrigerate your chicken in the freezer properly, in the right way, you can eat it within two days of purchasing it. Having your chicken any later would completely spoil it.
So, if you want to thaw the chicken, you can keep it out of the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour prior to cooking, and it’ll be ready for use. However, we would want to highlight the fact that temperature plays a vital role in this regard.
If you happen to live in an extremely cold place, thawing will take longer than one hour. And that applies to your chicken from getting rotten as well. Suppose the outside temperature at the place you live in is below 40 degrees F.
In this case, your chicken wouldn’t get spoilt so early, even if it’s kept out for 6 hours. However, if the temperature goes up, you increase the chances of bacteria growing. And that makes you inedible. Got it, right?
What’s the Best Way to Keep Chicken Fresh?
Well, the only way you can consume fresh chicken is by eating it as soon as you buy it. But with the work pressure we have and so much to do at home, we need to plan ahead. Thanks to refrigerators!
When you get raw chicken from the supermarket, generally, it is clean and washed. At times, if you want, the butcher also cuts it for you. But that’s always not the case in the West. When you are visiting a supermarket in the United States, the chicken is sold whole. Consequently, you would have to cut it when you bring it home.
So, if you’ve got the chicken cut or whole, remember to clean it. Then get a nice airtight container. If you’re short of that, go for the zip lock bags. The lower you expose the chicken to air, the better it is!
Once done, keep it at the bottom of the fridge! The lowest temperatures can keep your chicken fresh.
Is it the same with Cooked Chicken?
Well, not at all! Raw chicken must be consumed within two days of purchase. But if you cook the chicken, you can actually consume it after three to four days. However, we wouldn’t suggest you have the meat any later than four days.
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of our blog today, we hope you know everything about how long can you keep raw chicken out and other ways too. So, go ahead and use these ways to consume the freshest meat at all times.
