Let's play "Eat It Or Toss It?"!

[Anonymous]

Good morning kitchen scientists, and welcome to another exciting game of Eat It Or Toss It?! I'm your host, the Idiot Who Forgot To Put The Chicken In The Fridge.

Here are the facts:
A 1 pound package of organic chicken legs was left, frozen solid, on the kitchen counter, at 7pm. It was re-discovered 12 hours later. House is at 62 degrees overnight. Package was shrinkwrapped, never opened.

What do you think? Eat it or Toss it? I'm thinking a nice marinade, and then oven baked, if that matters...

(This round is not for amateur eaters, btw. If you throw away yogurt the day before its expiration date "just to be safe", please wait for the next round. To qualify for this round, you must have at least once in the last year sniffed something 10+ days past expiration and said "Smells fine", and eaten it.)

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty brave. But room-temp raw chicken for that length of time -- figure it was probably defrosted by 1 AM, so I'm gonna sound the buzzer and say "toss!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty brave. But room-temp raw chicken for that length of time -- figure it was probably defrosted by 1 AM, so I'm gonna sound the buzzer and say "toss!"

BUZZ

Wrong answer. But thank you for playing.

The chicken was frozen solid, and was thawing for most of the night.
I have defrosted overnight, and my house temp is normally higher than 62.

You are fine. Open, sniff test, and marinade.
Enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty brave. But room-temp raw chicken for that length of time -- figure it was probably defrosted by 1 AM, so I'm gonna sound the buzzer and say "toss!"

BUZZ

Wrong answer. But thank you for playing.

The chicken was frozen solid, and was thawing for most of the night.
I have defrosted overnight, and my house temp is normally higher than 62.

You are fine. Open, sniff test, and marinade.
Enjoy.

You're nuts

[Anonymous]

I am going to say it's okay too. I typically defrost overnight, which would entail me taking it out of freezer at about 7 pm and DH putting it back into the fridge the next morning when he comes down into the kitchen, at approx. 7 am. We are fine.

I would sniff first, but I think you will be okay. You said it is 1 lb., and legs, which are smaller (and thus would thaw more quickly than, say, a 1 lb. pkg. of hamburg meat, b/c that's all solid and packed together), but sniff it and, if it's okay, just make sure to cook them thoroughly.

Signed,

Not an Amateur Eater and Not One to Throw Away Yogurt The Day Before its Expiration Date "Just to be Safe"

[Anonymous]

I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

I'm the 11:10 poster and I have eaten meat that thawed to room temp before I put it into the fridge.

[Anonymous]

I think since it was frozen solid at 7:00pm, I would be fine cooking and eating.

[Anonymous]

Cook it ASAP to 170 internal temp.

[Anonymous]

I would probably eat, depending on how cold it seemed when I found it.

here's an interesting, if old, chow thread on the topic

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/282689

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

I'm the 11:10 poster and I have eaten meat that thawed to room temp before I put it into the fridge.

I'm pp, and I have too. My only concern would be how early it thawed. If the legs are small and spread out, then it may have thawed several hours previously. If they are all packed together, then you are probably fine. If it were warm when I awoke, I personally wouldn't eat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

I'm the 11:10 poster and I have eaten meat that thawed to room temp before I put it into the fridge.

I'm pp, and I have too. My only concern would be how early it thawed. If the legs are small and spread out, then it may have thawed several hours previously. If they are all packed together, then you are probably fine. If it were warm when I awoke, I personally wouldn't eat it.

I answered the question assuming they were frozen together in one clump (mmmmmm chicken clump).

[Anonymous]

They cost probably $6 give or take. Is your whole family being sick worth $6?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

I'm the 11:10 poster and I have eaten meat that thawed to room temp before I put it into the fridge.

I'm pp, and I have too. My only concern would be how early it thawed. If the legs are small and spread out, then it may have thawed several hours previously. If they are all packed together, then you are probably fine. If it were warm when I awoke, I personally wouldn't eat it.

I answered the question assuming they were frozen together in one clump (mmmmmm chicken clump).

Yes, 11:10 poster back. I think this may be the crux of the issue. Crux = how clumpy was the frozen chicken clump? Clumped together? Or clumped not at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left chicken on my counter, with me checking on it, from 7 am to 5 pm. It was still partially frozen when I put it back in the fridge. Then I cooked it in the morning. Personally, I think your chicken is probably fine, but if it was room temp when you woke up, I would toss. All depends on the cut.

I'm the 11:10 poster and I have eaten meat that thawed to room temp before I put it into the fridge.

I'm pp, and I have too. My only concern would be how early it thawed. If the legs are small and spread out, then it may have thawed several hours previously. If they are all packed together, then you are probably fine. If it were warm when I awoke, I personally wouldn't eat it.

I answered the question assuming they were frozen together in one clump (mmmmmm chicken clump).

Yes, 11:10 poster back. I think this may be the crux of the issue. Crux = how clumpy was the frozen chicken clump? Clumped together? Or clumped not at all?

(If vacuum-packed separately, like they do at Wegman's, I would have more serious concerns. I would sniff more closely. If smells ok, would probably eat.)