How long can chicken be kept frozen

Chicken is tender, nutritious and tastes good, and is popular with many people. However, chicken is different from other meats. Generally, people buy it whole. This means that the chicken cannot be eaten in one go and needs to be frozen in the refrigerator. Although freezing in the refrigerator has a good preservation effect, long-term storage is definitely not reassuring. So, how long can you keep frozen chicken? Let’s take a look below.

How long is the shelf life of frozen chicken

The shelf life of frozen chicken is generally about one year. Frozen chicken has the advantages of a long shelf life and easy preservation. This method of processing poultry is currently widely used in food processing.

In terms of taste and nutrition, generally speaking, the taste of frozen chicken is slightly worse than that of fresh chicken. There are also some tips for thawing frozen chicken. It is best to thaw it quickly, which can minimize the loss of juice in the chicken tissue cells and make the taste better.

Should you refrigerate or freeze your chicken?

The chicken can be refrigerated or frozen, depending on your personal preference. If placed in the freezer, it can generally be stored for several months and generally will not deteriorate, but long freezing time will cause the loss of water and nutrients. If the meat is placed in the fresh-keeping room, it can generally be stored for three to five days. Without the intake of nutrients and energy from the ingredients, it will increase the burden on the body's digestive system.

The difference between refrigeration and freezing

First, let’s talk about the frozen chicken and duck cold storage and fresh-keeping storage, which is also called fresh-keeping cold storage. Fresh-keeping warehouse, as the name implies, is to keep the freshness of products. It is generally used in food preservation. For example, vegetables, fruits, meat and other foods that are easy to spoil need to be kept at a certain temperature and then disposed of in a short time. Due to its characteristics, the temperature of the fresh-keeping cold storage will be adjusted during the installation and design of the cold storage. Generally, the temperature of the fresh-keeping cold storage is higher, above 0 degrees, so it is also called a high-temperature cold storage.

The second is the frozen chicken and duck cold storage. Compared with the fresh-keeping cold storage, the temperature requirement of the cold storage is relatively low, generally between minus 15 and minus 18 degrees. The purpose of installing the cold storage is generally to store meat, aquatic products and other foods. During storage, the microorganisms will stop growing and moving, so the food can be stored for a longer time.

Finally, there is the cold storage and freezer for frozen chicken and duck. The temperature of the freezer is generally controlled at below minus 25 degrees to maintain the taste and freshness of the food. It is generally used more in meat products.

Precautions for storing chicken in the refrigerator

Refrigerators can breed a lot of bacteria because they store food for a long time and are not cleaned frequently. Although the food in the refrigerator looks fresh on the outside, it has actually gone bad. Cooked meats should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than 4 days.

The commonly used refrigeration temperature for storing food in the refrigerator is 4℃ to 8℃. In this environment, the growth rate of most bacteria will slow down. However, some bacteria are cold-loving. For example, Yersinia and Listeria can grow and multiply rapidly at this temperature. If you eat food infected with these bacteria, it will cause intestinal diseases. The temperature in the freezer of a refrigerator is generally around -18 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, most bacteria will be inhibited or killed, so storing food in it has a better preservation effect. However, freezing does not mean complete sterilization, as some bacteria with strong antifreeze ability will still survive. So, from another perspective, if the refrigerator is not disinfected regularly, it will become a "breeding ground" for some bacteria.

In addition, do not store too much food in the refrigerator, as this will cause the external temperature of the food to be low while the internal temperature to be high, causing it to spoil.