Defrosting chicken

I’ve personally never heard of defrosting in water. I just put the frozen chicken on a plate and leave out overnight and then put in the fridge in the morning. Raw chicken in general has a bit of a smell, but I’ve never had smelly chicken from this x

I do the same but add white vinegar in cold water and let defrost in fridge overnight

@Amelia hey love it is actually not « safe » to leave the chicken to defrost out because it can lead to bactéries to install such as salmonella Best practice is to defrost in water

Maybe try a different butcher maybe the problem is the chixken ? I do the same as you notice a smell but it’s regular chicken smell I also clean my chicken with vinegar + water

Thank you all for replying. So the smell I can describe is quite smelly. Like a stinky/funky fart (sorry for that description) rather than the usual chicken/meaty smell. I’m wondering if I’m missing a trick. Is there a maximum time you sisters would leave it in water to defrost? I could leave it however long (of course less than 24 hours) and never had a smell until these last couple of years on and off. I’ve tried different butchers but it’s been worse! Plus it doesnt smell when i’ve bought it and put it away?

@hannah quite possible which is such a shame as meat isnt cheap and getting more expensive but the quality is getting poorer

My understanding is the pongy smell you are describing sounds like it has gone off..... bacteria breeds faster in most conditions.... since it is now warmer, maybe you should immerse the chicken in water in the morning rather than overnight. Overnight seems way too long and very high potential of the chicken going off. I use both methods.... usually, the water immersion is a last resort.

When we defrost chicken in water we only do it a few hours before we need it. I think overnight in water may be too much. Worth a try!

As My understanding: leaving overnight is a lot of time. What I do if I have to cook at 12 pm for lunch I would defrost at 8 in morning and leave for a few hours at room temp and in the last hour before cooking put the chicken but with a bag in hot water. It easily defrost in an hour or half with hot water. Then you can wash it properly. dont forget to not put chicken directly in hot water but in a plastic bag

I meant moist*

Also.... the only time I take chicken out to defrost the night before is in winter. It takes too long to defrost in my kitchen. As soon as it's defrosted, I put it in the fridge if not using it right away

Also it's worth asking the butchers if they freeze their meats.... because if they are freezing and defrosting and you are refreezing and defrosting, again, it can go off. Meat should never be frozen twice 😒 so this can add to the smelly chicken Usually, the butchers sell their meats cheaply, tend to bulk buy and freeze it.

@Safeena that’s a really good query, i’ll ask next time. I just defrosted another batch so wasnt in water for long. And it absolutely stank again so I think it must be the chicken itself. So disappointed as now I have a full freezer draw to get rid of. Not best pleased… Thank you all for your tips and suggestions

So appears the chicken was off when you bought it then. So sad. But thankfully you found out in advance and no one will consume it now

I defrost in water, never had an issue maybe it wasn’t fresh when u bought it consider changing ur butcher Did u freeze it the same day u got it

Also I agree with the others overnight does seem a long time I only do it in water around 2 hours before I need it, it defrosts very quickly x

Despite it being Halal, a lot of people don't consider non-organic chicken to be Tayyib (clean) because of the way it is reared, from growth hormones & antibiotics, to the feed it consumes. Look into organic / free range chicken options. I tend to find it doesn't smell like regular chicken does. It does however have a higher price point but i definitely think it's worth paying for.

@Taahirah thank you for this. I dont know where I can get organic chicken from in my area. Is this something readily available where you live or do you buy online?

If you're from the UK there are a few websites that sell online. I tend to use PureGourmet or Mullaco Online. I've heard of Saffron Alley but never used them. They have different options to choose from

I've heard Saffron Alley post it out frozen. The other two post out fresh, packed with ice packs. It's always stayed good x

@Taahirah thank you for this information, I’ll look into it ☺️ x

I wish I could find an organic and halal chicken where I live... it seems really hard to find

I defrost my chicken in the microwave..