Purchasing, Storing
and Cooking Poultry

Cooking poultry is relatively easy - anyone can roast a great chicken. But there is more to it than that . . .

This web page is one of the more serious in my website. I love poultry, prepared in many different ways. It is a virtual staple in my kitchen. Because of this, I knew I needed to learn everything I could to ensure that my methods of handling and cooking chickens, turkeys, ducks, etc. was doing a sufficient job of protecting the health of my family.

Below is the essence of what you need to know if you are going to be a gourmet cook and not threaten the well-being of your table guests.

Free Range

Poultry can be purchased in many forms: fresh or frozen, whole or cut up, bone-in or boneless. Chicken, particularly, has become increasingly popular, mainly because it is inexpensive and considered healthier than meat . . . and it tastes darn good.

More than 100 million chickens are processed weekly in this country. To meet the demand, chickens are raised indoors in huge chicken houses that may contain as many as 20,000 birds. They are fed a mixture composed primarily of corn and soybean meal.

Animal protein, vitamins, minerals and small amounts of antibiotics are added to produce quick-growing, healthy birds. I feel that chickens raised this way do not have the flavor of chickens that are allowed to move freely.

That is why I prefer free-range chickens. They are allowed unlimited access to the area outside the chicken house. They are fed a vegetarian diet (no animal fat or by-products), without antibiotics. This is a more humane growing method. Although they are more expensive, I believe they taste much better.

Hazards

Poultry is a potentially hazardous food. It is highly perishable and particularly susceptible to contamination by salmonella bacteria.

Before cooking poultry, it is critical that it be stored at the correct temperatures. Fresh chickens can be stored on ice or at 32 – 34 degrees F. for up to two days; larger birds can be stored up to four days at these temperatures. Frozen poultry should be kept at 0 degrees F or below (the colder the better) and can be held for up to six months. It should be thawed gradually under refrigeration, allowing two days for chickens and as long as four days for larger birds.

Never attempt cooking poultry that is still partially frozen; it will be impossible to cook the product evenly, and the areas that were still frozen may not reach the temperatures necessary to destroy harmful bacteria.

Partially cooking poultry one day and finishing it later is out of the question; bacteria are more likely to grow under such conditions. Don't do it.

Always wash your hands, cutting boards, knives, (and anything else that comes in contact with chicken) with soap and water immediately to prevent contamination.

Temperature, looseness of joints, and the color of the juices determine when a chicken or turkey is done. Use an instant-read thermometer to determine the internal temperature. Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the item away from any bones. It should read 165 - 170 degrees F. When bone-in poultry is done, the leg will begin to move freely in its socket. When cooking poultry, it is done when its juices run clear or show just a trace of pink.

Elsewhere in this website you will find many recipes for preparing poultry in many different and delicious ways. But I strongly suggest that before you move on to cooking poultry following any of my recipes you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the few simple, yet crucial, concepts outlined above.

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