Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I have a chicken carcass that has been in my refrigerator for about 10 days. Can I still use it to make stock, or should I just toss it? Thanks……

TOSS IT

Okay so this brings up a question I've always had. While 10 days would be pushing it for me, I will definitely make stock with a carcass that's been in the fridge for a week. As always, I'm at the back of the class when it comes to food science, but doesn't bacteria or whatever get killed when it's boiled/simmered for hours?

Emilie

Yes, that will kill bacteria, but if the meat has already started to get stinky, you'll still end up with disgusting broth. Nothing reverses rot.

Exactly, safe != yummy

I remember reading once that the carcass also loses flavour even over a day or 2 (this was admitedly about turkeys, but assuming same rule applies to chicken) - the article recommended freezing the carcass and just start it from frozen unless you are making stock the same day.

That's interesting, I hadn't thought about loss of flavor happening after just a few days. I'm glad to know that, Jean.

Of course if it smelled, I'd never use it. I always keep a bag in the freezer where I put carcasses and carrot/celery/onion scraps for when I make stock. But if we've had a rotisserie chicken or whatever in the fridge for several days and it's mostly eaten, that's sometimes what motivates me to pull the bag out of the freezer and use that stuff along with the refrigerated one to make a giant vat of stock. Actually, now that I think about it, making my own stock is probably one of the top 5 changes for the better I've made in my cooking over the past several years. Especially since it's so easy and is basically free.

Emilie

Surprisingly, it wasn't stinky at all, which gave me pause….but I tossed it!

Thanks for all your input.

Surprisingly, it wasn't stinky at all, which gave me pause….but I tossed it!

Your GI thanks you