• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

How do I tell if whole chicken is spoiled?

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
I just marinated a whole chicken that has a sell by or freeze by date of November 2. I bought it around Halloween and left it in the refrigerator this whole time. When I first opened the package the smell was pretty icky and overwhelming, a bit stronger than the normal raw chicken smell, but I think it mainly comes from the blood. After washing it the smell was reduced, and when I stick my nose close to the chicken skin I don't smell anything unusual. Of course now that I've spent all the time washing, cleaning and adding the dry rub I am having second thoughts. I have never used any raw refrigerated meat more than a few days beyond the sell by or freeze by date and I'm nervous about this 6 days beyond the sell by date. Is this okay?
 

Icarus

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
4,095
Reaction score
0
Points
271
No. Throw it out. If it's questionable, do not eat it. It's not worth the risk.

-David
 

Jbart74

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
328
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Springfield, MA
... I am having second thoughts. I have never used any raw refrigerated meat more than a few days beyond the sell by or freeze by date and I'm nervous about this 6 days beyond the sell by date. Is this okay?

Go with your gut or your gut might go without you.... or something like that.

Is the chance worth the $8 chicken?
 

26weeker

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Points
1
i agree. when in doubt, throw it out.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Food poisoning can be very serious - throw it away!
 

BevL

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2004
Messages
5,170
Reaction score
7
Points
573
Location
BC Canada
I wouldn't eat it if it's been thawed for a week, personally.
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
Thank you all for the replies! I should go with my gut. I just didn't want to waste the chicken if I was being paranoid! I'm throwing it away now.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Amy - I would also sanitize anything that came in contact with the chicken with a weak bleach solution or a cleaner that contains bleach - counter, sink, knife, bowls, etc., wash your hands really well, and throw the kitchen towel/washcloth into the laundry.

(Approx. 1/4 teaspoon of bleach to a quart of water.)
 
Last edited:

Liz Wolf-Spada

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,094
Reaction score
2
Points
423
Location
Wrightwood, CA
This is why I love Tug, it takes the place of the extended family network that no longer exists for most of us.
Liz
 

pammex

TUG Review Crew: ELITE
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
1,019
Reaction score
31
Points
408
Location
Chapala Mexico & USA
This is why I love Tug, it takes the place of the extended family network that no longer exists for most of us.
Liz

If in doubt, throw it out. The bad smell was the first clue......

As another poster said clean everything the chicken came in touch with, that should be done whether good or bad anyway as well.

We smell everything in our house and if it is even slightly off..out it goes....not worth the risk....

Glad to see in above posts you threw it out! Food poisoning is bad...been there, done that.....
 

pjrose

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
8,739
Reaction score
15
Points
473
Location
Central PA USA
I once opened a package of chicken that literally burst open (the package not the chicken) the instant I started to open it. Apparently the pressure had been forming inside the package as the bacteria grew. A horrid odor immediately permeated the house.

In this particular case the store had gotten a bad batch; I reported it as did others, and the store followed through by removing it from the shelves, refunding money, and, I think, changing suppliers.
 

pjrose

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
8,739
Reaction score
15
Points
473
Location
Central PA USA
Amy - I would also sanitize anything that came in contact with the chicken with a weak bleach solution or a cleaner that contains bleach - counter, sink, knife, bowls, etc., wash your hands really well, and throw the kitchen towel/washcloth into the laundry.

(Approx. 1/4 teaspoon of bleach to a quart of water.)

Is regular laundry sufficient for this? Shouldn't anything that came in contact with it be laundered in hot water with bleach? And microwave the sponge?
 

T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
16,117
Reaction score
8,064
Points
1,048
Location
Belly-View, WA
I agree. Throw it out. In addition to what everyone else said. you have no idea how the chicken was raised. If as a chick it didn't receive loving discipline and was instead indulged and not held accountable, it certainly could now be spoiled.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Is regular laundry sufficient for this? Shouldn't anything that came in contact with it be laundered in hot water with bleach? And microwave the sponge?

That's what I do - microwave the sponge for 2 min. in a microwave safe measuring cup after rinsing thoroughly and squeezing out excess water. I bleach my kitchen linens.
 

Amy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Pacific NW
Thanks, everyone.

I've never really bleached (via soak) the sponge before, and I didn't know you can microwave a sponge! Now I feel bad since I've handwashed a bunch of other dishes since this afternoon (when I posted) using the same sponge that I had just scrubbed with soap, hot water, and a bit of the leftover bleach solution (but not totally soaked in the bleach solution).

:eek:
 

pjrose

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
8,739
Reaction score
15
Points
473
Location
Central PA USA
Thanks, everyone.

I've never really bleached (via soak) the sponge before, and I didn't know you can microwave a sponge! Now I feel bad since I've handwashed a bunch of other dishes since this afternoon (when I posted) using the same sponge that I had just scrubbed with soap, hot water, and a bit of the leftover bleach solution (but not totally soaked in the bleach solution).

:eek:

Every week or so I fill my sink with water and dump in some bleach (probably a half cup or so - perhaps more than necessary), then put in all my cutting boards (wood as well as plastic), sponges, plastic scrubbies, scrub brushes, even the sink stopper for the bowl I haven't filled, and leave it all to soak for awhile - maybe a half hour. When I take each thing out I put it on the counter (wiped down with either a bleach-spray and paper towels, or maybe the sponge that's been soaking in bleach) and let it all air dry. The sink is also nice and clean and bright after this routine.

I microwave my sponge every few days, and also often pop it in the dishwasher.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
I microwave my sponge every night after cleaning up the kitchen. The water in the sponge boils, killing most germs - it's so easy to do! But I don't use a sponge to wash dishes - it's too much of a germ catcher. I use a plastic brush, and a fresh wash cloth every time. I think that microwaving a sponge is more effective than putting it in the dishwasher, because the water throughout the sponge boils vigorously in the microwave. I also think it's better than bleaching the sponge, because the bleach eats up the rubber and may not penetrate to the center of the sponge.
 

SDKath

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2007
Messages
3,076
Reaction score
16
Points
273
Do you have to do the bleaching thing if you just have a nice warm dishwasher? I thought dishwashers these days reach sanitizing levels of heat and that should be plenty. I dishwash everything (including my knives). Never bleached out anything in my life. :confused:

I do need knife sets yearly (xmas present from DD's parents by routine) because my knives rust and wear after dishwashing all year. But I feel safer doing it this way than just rinsing it with soap and water like many expensive knife sets limit you to.

Katherine
 

Jbart74

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
328
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Springfield, MA
I thought dishwashers these days reach sanitizing levels of heat and that should be plenty.
Katherine

Not sure about ALL dishwashers. Mine has a 'Sanitize' setting that I can hit in order to accomplish this. It's an extremely high heat drying process that supposedly sanitizes everything in the washer. I remember to do it about half of the time that I run it.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
It depends on how hot your dishwasher gets. The recommended temp for home water heaters is 120º and that isn't hot to enough to sterilize dishes - but some dishwashers heat the water to a higher temp. I don't use bleach every day, but in a case like this where contamination seems likely, I'd sure use it to clean anything that didn't go into a hot dishwasher, like the counter, knives, and sink and anything washed by hand. Tonight DH BBQ's some Elk that a friend gave to him, and I used bleach, because it was wild game. Overkill - maybe, but food poisoning isn't fun.
 
Top