# Is it safe, slow cooker chicken broth?



## chessplayer (Nov 1, 2017)

Hi everyone,
I made chicken broth in my slow cooker . I put the rinsed  raw chicken backs, onion, chopped carrots, celery, whole black pepper, water. 
The concern I have is that it took close to 3 hours for the water/broth to come to a simmer. 
Is it safe to eat or is it bacteria infested? 
I cooked for 9 hours. Quickly cooled and refrigerated. Next day pulled the fat from the top, put in freezer.    
Any feed back is appreciated.


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## GotGarlic (Nov 1, 2017)

No one here can tell you for sure whether it's safe or not, but it sounds like it was in the "danger zone" (between 40 and 140 degrees F) for longer than two hours. That range is where bacteria grow the fastest. The FDA guidelines say that food should not be left at those temperatures for more than two hours.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Nov 1, 2017)

I make chicken stock in my slow cooker all the time, and nobody's died yet. Of course I always use the SHIFT setting which starts odd in high and then switches to low.


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## GotGarlic (Nov 1, 2017)

"Nobody's died yet" isn't a great standard, imo.


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## caseydog (Nov 1, 2017)

I'm not sure about whether the time in the danger zone is offset by the extended time at a simmer, which would be well above the 160-degree mark. It seems to me that any bacteria that could form in the "danger zone" would be thoroughly killed with 9 hours of simmering. I would definitely worry about food sitting in the danger zone waiting to be served, but tend to think that broth brought to a boil/simmer for nine hours after slowly heating up would be okay.

I think that would be the real question to answer. 

CD


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## RPCookin (Nov 1, 2017)

After simmering for that long, I wouldn't be too worried about nasties in the broth, but I'm not a food safety expert either.  I make stock in a 16 quart stock pot on the stove.

I would recommend next time giving those chicken parts a good roast before they go in the stock pot.  You will develop more flavor that way, and even if it's only partly precooked, it's still safer than raw.  A bouquet garni in the pot also helps to make a more flavorful stock/broth.


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## taxlady (Nov 1, 2017)

I wouldn't be concerned that any microorganisms might have survived the 9 hour simmer. I would be wondering if the microorganisms that grew during the 3 hours before the simmer had left behind any toxins.


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## tenspeed (Nov 1, 2017)

Water starts to simmer around 185 F, so you most likely topped 140 F in less than 2 hours.

  If you think this through, there isn't much difference between making stock and filling up the crock with meat, veggies, and water, as meat and veggies are mostly water.  If you are comfortable cooking chicken in a slow cooker, then you shouldn't worry about making chicken stock.

  I looked up a few recipes in Beth Hensperger's slow cooker cookbook.  The recommendation for meat stock is to cook on high for one hour to bring the temperature up, then reduce to low.  Of course, she also has a recipe for poaching a whole chicken at low temperature only.


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## CharlieD (Nov 1, 2017)

There is product sold in Russian stores, called Riazhenka, it’s like yogurt, but made from baked milk. Product itself is great but pancakes made with it is out of this world. Had some this morning. Yummy.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Nov 2, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> "Nobody's died yet" isn't a great standard, imo.



I've been cooking for over 50 years, so it is a great standard.


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## GotGarlic (Nov 2, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> I've been cooking for over 50 years, so it is a great standard.


Dying isn't always the result of food poisoning. More often, people just get sick, sometimes several days after they ate the food, so they don't connect the two. So, no, it's not a great standard.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Nov 2, 2017)

You take yourself WAY too seriously. I bet you throw out all the food in your refrigerator, freezer and cupboard on it's expiration date, too, dont you?


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## GotGarlic (Nov 2, 2017)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> You take yourself WAY too seriously. I bet you throw out all the food in your refrigerator, freezer and cupboard on it's expiration date, too, dont you?


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## chessplayer (Nov 2, 2017)

Thanks go to  everybody that voiced their opinion. 

I decided to keep and use the broth. This is the link that convinced me that the 
broth I made should be safe to eat. After all broth simmered long before the 4 hour mark for high setting. I did not mention I started on high and once simmer was achieved  I switched to low.

]http://www.crock-pot.com/service-and-support/product-support/product-faqs/food-safety/food-safety-faq.html[/URL]http://www.crock-pot.com/service-and-support/product-support/product-faqs/food-safety/food-safety-faq.html

With that said next time I make broth in the crock pot I will just roast the bones prior to placing in the crock.

I did save the fat too, it is in the freezer too. Can it be used?


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## caseydog (Nov 2, 2017)

chessplayer said:


> Thanks go to  everybody that voiced their opinion.
> 
> I decided to keep and use the broth. This is the link that convinced me that the
> broth I made should be safe to eat. After all broth simmered long before the 4 hour mark for high setting. I did not mention I started on high and once simmer was achieved  I switched to low.
> ...



Starting with roasted bones does add nice flavor. It is kinda' like browning meat before braising -- the brown bits are full of flavor. 

As for saving the fat, I have never done that with chicken fat, so I don't honestly know what can be done with it. I do it with pork fats. Of course, bacon fat is pure artery-clogging gold. Bacon fat can make kale taste good, and make it unhealthy at the same time. 

CD


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## GotGarlic (Nov 2, 2017)

chessplayer said:


> I did save the fat too, it is in the freezer too. Can it be used?



Rendered chicken fat is known in Jewish cooking as schmaltz. Off the top of my head, it can be used to roast potatoes or as the fat in a savory pie crust.


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## caseydog (Nov 3, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> Rendered chicken fat is known in Jewish cooking as schmaltz. Off the top of my head, it can be used to roast potatoes or as the fat in a savory pie crust.



That reminds me... I like to put cut up and par-cooked red potatoes in a drip pan under my rotisserie chicken. Yeah, chicken fat and roasted potatoes are good together. 

CD


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## RPCookin (Nov 3, 2017)

caseydog said:


> Starting with roasted bones does add nice flavor. It is kinda' like browning meat before braising -- the brown bits are full of flavor.
> 
> As for saving the fat, I have never done that with chicken fat, so I don't honestly know what can be done with it. I do it with pork fats. Of course, bacon fat is pure artery-clogging gold. *Bacon fat can make kale taste good, and make it unhealthy at the same time.*
> 
> CD



Thank you for that last comment... it gave me a good chuckle this morning.


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## CharlieD (Nov 4, 2017)

Not sure how I managed to put my comment here. It was meant to be for breakfast thread. Sorry.


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## jennyema (Nov 6, 2017)

taxlady said:


> I wouldn't be concerned that any microorganisms might have survived the 9 hour simmer. I would be wondering if the microorganisms that grew during the 3 hours before the simmer had left behind any toxins.



This.  The bacteria that was rapidly multiplying while in the danger zone might have thrown off spores.

You need to start stock or broth on high and switch to low


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## GotGarlic (Nov 6, 2017)

jennyema said:


> This.  The bacteria that was rapidly multiplying while in the danger zone might have thrown off spores.
> 
> You need to start stock or broth on high and switch to low


+1.. Or 2?


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## RPCookin (Nov 6, 2017)

jennyema said:


> This.  The bacteria that was rapidly multiplying while in the danger zone might have thrown off spores.
> 
> You need to start stock or broth on high and switch to low



Why would stock be any different from any other meats you put in the crock pot?  While we were still working, we made a lot of dinners in the slow cooker, some started mostly covered with water to make a broth while they cooked.  

I ask out curiosity if you know something in particular, because I'm no expert.  As mentioned above, I make stock on the stove in my stock pot.


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## jennyema (Nov 8, 2017)

RPCookin said:


> Why would stock be any different from any other meats you put in the crock pot?  While we were still working, we made a lot of dinners in the slow cooker, some started mostly covered with water to make a broth while they cooked.
> 
> I ask out curiosity if you know something in particular, because I'm no expert.  As mentioned above, I make stock on the stove in my stock pot.




It’s not.  No protein should be sitting around in the danger zone while the pot comes to temp.  That’s. Why you start on high and switch to low.


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## tenspeed (Nov 8, 2017)

jennyema said:


> It’s not.  No protein should be sitting around in the danger zone while the pot comes to temp.  That’s. Why you start on high and switch to low.


I don't disagree with this, but there are a lot of meals made every day on low.


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## buckytom (Nov 9, 2017)

chessplayer said:


> Thanks go to  everybody that voiced their opinion.
> 
> I decided to keep and use the broth. This is the link that convinced me that the
> broth I made should be safe to eat. After all broth simmered long before the 4 hour mark for high setting. I did not mention I started on high and once simmer was achieved  I switched to low.
> ...



THIS!^^^

While guidelines are good, you need to know yourself and yours. It doesn't have to be so scientific and scary.


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## RPCookin (Nov 9, 2017)

jennyema said:


> It’s not.  No protein should be sitting around in the danger zone while the pot comes to temp.  That’s. Why you start on high and switch to low.



That wasn't an option.  We started the crock pot as we left for work, and it only had High, Low, and Off.  Set it high and the food is overdone long before we get home to turn it off, so it was done on low all the way and never caused any issues.  

Not just me either.  My mother did it like that - just about anyone I ever knew in that situation set the slow cooker on low if it was going to cook unattended, and nobody I knew was ever harmed because of it.  Liability alone would have put Rival (the original Crock Pot) out of business if they made an appliance that commonly led to food spoilage and/or poisoning when used per instructions.


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## Just Cooking (Nov 9, 2017)

+ 1...
Too many years ago to recall our first slow cooker.. I've never used one any other way than put in ingredients set to low and walk away..
That was and remains the purpose of a slow cooker..

But then, I was also raised without seat belts, child car seats, etc., etc., etc.. Don't know how I've made it this far..  

Ross


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## letscook (Nov 12, 2017)

*good idea*



RPCookin said:


> After simmering for that long, I wouldn't be too worried about nasties in the broth, but I'm not a food safety expert either. I make stock in a 16 quart stock pot on the stove.
> 
> I would recommend next time giving those chicken parts a good roast before they go in the stock pot. You will develop more flavor that way, and even if it's only partly precooked, it's still safer than raw. A bouquet garni in the pot also helps to make a more flavorful stock/broth.


 
I brown beef for beef stock, never thought of doing the chicken, it would give it a richer taste. Why I never thought that ?????  Thanks RPCookin


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