Do You Wash Your Chicken?

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I saw this article from NPR about how it is better to not wash your chicken before handling/cooking it. What's your take?

I must admit that I have questioned this step for years but still do it. I first clear everything out of the splatter path of the water and once done, I cleanse the whole area thoroughly. I always assumed that there was something related to the packaging that I was washing off that necessitated the ridiculous step of splattering raw chicken all over the place during food prep.

Anyhow, just wondering.

k.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/23/213578553/julia-child-was-wrong-don-t-wash-your-raw-chicken-folks
 
Great Article Drinky. I'm not sold on that premise however. To some extent, you could use that arguement against hand-washing? I'm not buying it and will continute to reduce the bioload of my poultry by rinsing or running through my Vacuum Tubmler.
 
I learned to wash chicken and most meats after rooming with a med student in college. She was a little germaphobic. I admit this industry has made me a little germaphobic too.
 
i dont wash it but i disinfect the board afterwards.
 
I always get a little disgusted when I see packaged chicken pieces sitting in some questionable liquid in their plastic thingie, so I always wash my chicken. However, more importantly, I have given up buying disgusting industrially packaged chicken... Not sure if the pieces at Wholefoods have been sitting in the same kind of stuff but they clearly look better. I wish I had a local provider who raises his own fowl, though.

Stefan
 
I always get a little disgusted when I see packaged chicken pieces sitting in some questionable liquid in their plastic thingie, so I always wash my chicken. However, more importantly, I have given up buying disgusting industrially packaged chicken... Not sure if the pieces at Wholefoods have been sitting in the same kind of stuff but they clearly look better. I wish I had a local provider who raises his own fowl, though.

Stefan

+1
 
I buy all my meat from a local organic farm. No concentrated feed lots, no animals confined to living in their own filth, no unskilled labor processing the meat. Problem solved.
 
Depends on the chicken. I'm not worried about germs on the chicken as proper cooking will kill them all anyway.
For me, it's about the level of slime and the presence of blood clots or bits of organ or other gunk. A really wet, slimey chicken is much harder to handle, not to mention break down or de-bone. I usually like to leave the skin on, and I find that the slime makes it want to bunch up or slide off more.
Also, if a chicken is packaged with those absorbent pads, the also seem to leak a kinda goopy gel.

So, if I'm getting pasti-wrapped chicken, I usually rinse and then dry.
When I get fresh whole, chickens out of the butcher case and wrapped in paper, they tend to be pretty dry / slime free on the outside and require just a quick pat-down with a paper towel.
 
I buy all my meat from a local organic farm. No concentrated feed lots, no animals confined to living in their own filth, no unskilled labor processing the meat. Problem solved.

...When I get fresh whole, chickens out of the butcher case and wrapped in paper, they tend to be pretty dry/slime free on the outside and require just a quick pat-down with a paper towel.

Ahh, to live in a place with those options ;) But I agree about getting the slime off, and I do like getting a 'feel' for the chicken and giving it a once over before patting it dry. If I had the option I would get the fresh stuff.

k.
 
Yeah I actually just open those little, wet, plastic chicken sacks right in the sink.
The wedge in uptown has the best price and quality whole fresh I've found so far.

You live in the country... it seems like there should be SOMEONE with fresh chickens, or at least some just running around that you could catch.


So when are you moving to The Cities again?
 
That article makes a good point, but they take it in the direction of hysteria, hype and controversy just for a story. Instead, they could have said something along the lines "when washing chicken, be careful not to... watch out for... clean adjacent affected areas thoroughly with... ".

I'm with you guys who only have access to plasti-wrapped chicken-in-a-bag. No matter how fresh it is, it's always got some of it's own liquid leaking out of it, basting in it, and that is not only gross but a great environment for non-friendly bacteria. I have deep single bowl sink, and open the bags in the bottom of the empty sink, rinse with plenty of cold running water, place on a 1/2 sheet pan lined w/ lots of paper towels, wipe dry with more paper towels, and then scrub down the empty sink with hot running water and soap, as well as adjacent counter surfaces if they have gotten wet. I'm usually pretty good and don't splatter.
 
While we're on the subject of chicken, are you guys familiar with air-chilled vs water-chilled?

The bottom line is after chickens are slaughtered, the carcasses have to be chilled as quickly as possible. There are two methods - water bath and a series of chill chambers. Water is easier as it's apparently easier to keep it at consistent temp through circulation, and it's quicker. But water poses the same problem we're talking about here - bacteria growth. So the water bath is treated with something to ward off The Nasties. And while we're at it, we're essentially bringing a freshly off'ed chickens, so let's add some salt and Natural Flavors to mix.

(btw - Natural Flavors are not natural - they're still chemically derived flavor compound that mimic naturally occurring flavors).

So if you buy organic chickens that are not air-chilled, you bird has been sitting in a bath of anti-biotics, salt, flavorings, and other leakages from other deceased birds.

Only air-chilled chickens will say as such on the labeling. Water-chilled birds won't say water-chilled, but say something like "up to 5% solution added" - that's where the "solution" comes from - water-chilling. all that said, it doesn't mean that there aren't good quality water-chilled chickens. I get air-chilled when I can, but sometimes I have to settle for water chilled. Air-chilled are ALWAYS far superior in my experiences.

This is what I've learned so far, and if anyone knows more/differently, please correct me. Thanks. mpp
 
I get the impression the article suggests the danger of spreading bacteria is from splashing while washing. If I wash chicken, I submerge it in a pot of cold water in an empty sink, gently swirl the water and carefully drain and dry. Less splashing. Pretty much the way I deal with brined birds too.
 
I've been getting the air chilled chicken for a while. Our store stopped carrying it for a while, but they've started again, and it's the only kind I buy. It's pricey, but the brand I've been using tastes a lot better than the "store brand". They whole birds are nicer looking with better skin, and the pieces have been good, too. They seem to do a better job of cleaning it, too, so there's less work getting rid of gnarly hunks left behind. I just need them to start carrying the ground chicken from the air-chilled company. No extra seasoning or liquids.

Haven't been washing it much lately since I saw a recommendation against it--with this chicken there hasn't seemed to be as much of a need. You don't end up with the pool of slime in the package.
 
I usually don't, unless the chicken is funky. After going to air-chilled chickens for roasting, I don't bother anymore.
 
I had a friend who worked at a chicken processing plant, he told me some scary stories. I wash my chicken, I don't know what has happened to that thing before it entered my posession. Also, when you wash and get it nice and dry, instead of just patting the slime/blood off, you can get a much better cook on it. Hell, we rinse all of the carcasses we use for stocks. I wash seafood, vegetables, fruit, grains, poultry, but I have never washed a piece of meat that wasn't chicken.
 
i also moved away from industrial store chickens and now dont wash them, but before when i was eating those ugly chickens i did wash them as packaging smelled weird :p
 
I do.... Her name is Henrietta :D

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I buy all my meat from a local organic farm. No concentrated feed lots, no animals confined to living in their own filth, no unskilled labor processing the meat. Problem solved.

+1. I eat less of it than I used to and do this. Never feel a need to wash unless it smells a little off. I also like to keep the skin as dry as possible anyway.
 
I raise my own Chickens when killing time comes around here on my farm they are killed (wring there necks) plucked cut up or whole and then put up for another day ,winter, or as needed let me tell you there is Not all that slime in mine . I have Not bought a store bought chicken or parts there of in many years or eggs either . as to washing they do get a dip on cold water patted dry and then prepaired for what ever to the menu is planned .

Sam
 
^^^so you choke the chicken first :D

sorry, i couldnt resist..

i rinse the bird first, and pat it dry. i typically wipe the entire place down afterwards anyways.
 
Look it up ;) is a type of killing of a Yard bird .

Good day

Sam
 
I am roasting a chicken right now, and the air-chilled "smart" chicken I used had no slime, and just a little bit of liquid released. Perfect pluck, too, as always.
 
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