# Washing Chicken



## whywhy (Oct 16, 2006)

I'm a new cook and I love to eat chicken.  A friend told me that I should pour lemon juice over my chicken before adding any spices.  Does help killing bacteria or anything else?  Or is this just for taste?


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## VeraBlue (Oct 16, 2006)

It's just a precaution to remove any residual blood, bone fragments, etc.   Lemon juice isn't necessary, just cool, clear water.  

If you do this in the sink, don't forget to sanitize it before using the sink again for any other purpose.


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## jennyema (Oct 16, 2006)

There really is no need to wash chicken unless it has visable debris on it. The USDA recommends against it, as the cross contamination Vera cautions about can be dangerous.

Bacteria is killed through proper cooking.

I can't imagine simply pouring lemon juice over chicken really improves its taste much.


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## Gretchen (Oct 16, 2006)

I wash chickens and chicken parts with water in the sink. I would not think of not doing it. If you have ever seen the bath that these come through in the processing plants you might want to do it also.
To the original poster, I think your friend was just trying to suggest a flavoring agent with the lemon juice. It might be quite good to help some herbs stick to the skin also. I haven't done it.
I prefer to just liberally salt a whole chicken and roast it at 400* for about an hour.
Chicken is such a versatile food.


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## jkath (Oct 16, 2006)

Also, it's best to wash chicken in water and then thoroughly pat dry with paper towels before you bread them for recipes, so the crumbs/buttermilk/egg wash/or whatever will stick to them.


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## Caine (Oct 17, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> I can't imagine simply pouring lemon juice over chicken really improves its taste much.


 
But, I bet it sells a whole lot of lemons.


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## Constance (Oct 17, 2006)

I think a little lemon juice improves the flavor of most anything. You can't really detect the lemon, but it adds a fresh taste and enhances the flavor of whatever food you put it on.


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## Katie H (Oct 17, 2006)

I think the issue of washing and chicken is more a cross-contamination thing, as VeraBlue mentioned. If you've seen any of Emeril Lagasse's programs, he routinely pokes fun at the "food" police. "Wash your hands, wash your utensils, wash your counter, wash your car..."

But, all craziness aside, the key really _is_ simply keeping your tools and food preparation area clean.

I also agree with Gretchen. I purchase my chicken leg quarters in 10-pound bags and the bloody sludge that settles to the bottom of the bag is, in my opinion, nasty. Because of that goop, I always wash my chicken before preparing it to eat or for packaging it to freeze.

What it all really boils down to is basic cleanliness. IMO.


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## ChefJune (Oct 17, 2006)

I've always washed off all my meat before preparing for cooking.  Rinse with cool running water, and dry thoroughly with paper towels, then season, etc.

With chicken, there's almost always either some blood or pink water in the package, and I want it out of there!


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

I don't wash off cut up chicken anymore unless I see an exhorbitant amount of debris as anything will be killed when cooked - I will, however, wash out a whole chicken.  Whatever I wash I thouroughly dry and then wash my sink handle/s, faucet, behind sink, around sink, and sink with a bleach solutuion or Tilex that I let sit for 10 minutes.

I wash my hands using a fingernail brush and I wash pretty much my arms up to my elbows while I sing "Happy Birthday To Me" twice.   Somewhere in between I rinse and use fresh soap again.

Call me over-reacting but it's a small price to pay to keep that food I prepared IN my stomach.

Side note - DH and I had chicken wings at one of our favorite places one night - we were drinking, talking to friends, not paying attention, really - I said, LOOK, the chicken's not quite cooked.  So what does he do?  He takes some bites out of the other pieces and says YEP, it's not cooked thoroughly.

On the way HOME I started getting severe stomach pains and about an hour later I got sick and he got sick shortly thereafter.  So........the time it takes me to clean everything thoroughly is well worth it.


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## Gretchen (Oct 17, 2006)

_don't wash off cut up chicken anymore unless I see an exhorbitant amount of debris as anything will be killed when cooked -_

Nope, not necessarily. Bacteria can produce an exotoxin that is not inactivated by heat. I think Salmonella may be one of them. Shigella is definitely one that is not inactivated.
Could have been what caused your discomfort.


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## Andy M. (Oct 17, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> _don't wash off cut up chicken anymore unless I see an exhorbitant amount of debris as anything will be killed when cooked -_
> 
> Nope, not necessarily. Bacteria can produce an exotoxin that is not inactivated by heat. I think Salmonella may be one of them. Shigella is definitely one that is not inactivated.
> Could have been what caused your discomfort.


 
Salmonella is killed instantly at 160F.  I don't know about shigella.  Washing chicken is no guarantee of eliminating bacteria present on the chicken.  You may be simply spreading it all over the meat.  I believe that's why the USDA recommends against it.


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## GB (Oct 17, 2006)

Yes that is exactly why the USDA recommends against it.

Also, washing the chicken with just water will not get rid of bacteria. It will just make it wet. Soap can kill bacteria, but I doubt anyone wants to lather up their chicken.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

If salmonella weren't killed by heat we'd all be   I believe!  What I've just read on the shigella is it's more of a "handler" transported illness but so far nothing about the cooking process.  I'll have to look later.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> Yes that is exactly why the USDA recommends against it.
> 
> Also, washing the chicken with just water will not get rid of bacteria. It will just make it wet. Soap can kill bacteria, but I doubt anyone wants to lather up their chicken.



GB - should be invent edible soap like the edible body paint???  

What about a 10% chlorax solution - I use that on my cutting board - if rinsed thoroughly wouldn't that help?


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## Andy M. (Oct 17, 2006)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> GB - should be invent edible soap like the edible body paint???
> 
> What about a 10% chlorax solution - I use that on my cutting board - if rinsed thoroughly wouldn't that help?


 
...or you could just cook it.   

Just say, "No!" to chicken seviche.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> Just say, "No!" to chicken seviche.



Wait - now we're back to the lemon thing!  Full circle we've come!!!  

I will no longer wash my chicken (spreading can be worse); I will cook thoroughly; I will never make chicken seviche again - THANKS Andy M - now I have to re-think dinner tonight!


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## GB (Oct 17, 2006)

Andy you take the fun out of everything


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## pdswife (Oct 17, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> Yes that is exactly why the USDA recommends against it.
> 
> Also, washing the chicken with just water will not get rid of bacteria. It will just make it wet. Soap can kill bacteria, but I doubt anyone wants to lather up their chicken.


 
no..but my MIL uses soap
on her veggies and gets a little upset
when I won't.  I do all my food prep before she
gets here now..sigh.


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## Gretchen (Oct 17, 2006)

I misspoke--and was mistaken about the Salmonella. It is staphylococcus toxin that is heat stable.

However, for me, I will continue to wash my chicken and cook it well. The basically fecal pools that suffice for washing chicken in processing plants should make me give it up, but I can't. I like it too much.


_*Staphylococcus aureus*_ 
Man's respiratory passages, skin and superficial wounds are common sources of _S. aureus_. When _S. aureus_ is allowed to grow in foods, it can produce a toxin that causes illness. Although cooking destroys the bacteria, the toxin produced is heat stable and may not be destroyed. Staphylococcal food poisoning occurs most often in foods that require hand preparation, such as potato salad, ham salad and sandwich spreads. Sometimes these types of foods are left at room temperature for long periods of time, allowing the bacteria to grow and produce toxin. Good personal hygiene while handling foods will help keep _S. aureus_ out of foods, and refrigeration of raw and cooked foods will prevent the growth of these bacteria if any are present. 
_*Salmonella*_ The gastrointestinal tracts of animals and man are common sources of _Salmonella_. High protein foods such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs are most commonly associated with _Salmonella_. However, any food that becomes contaminated and is then held at improper temperatures can cause salmonellosis. _Salmonella_ are destroyed at cooking temperatures above 150 degrees F. The major causes of salmonellosis are contamination of cooked foods and insufficient cooking. contamination of cooked foods occurs from contact with surfaces or utensils that were not properly washed after use with raw products. If _Salmonella_ is present on raw or cooked foods, its growth can be controlled by refrigeration below 40 degrees F.


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## Seven S (Oct 17, 2006)

How about chicken tartare?  Chicken carpaccio?  Anyone?


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## jennyema (Oct 17, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> However, for me, I will continue to wash my chicken and cook it well. The basically fecal pools that suffice for washing chicken in processing plants should make me give it up, but I can't. I like it too much..


 
"Washing" which is generally just rinsing under running water won't do much other than spread the germs from the chicken around your kitchen.  It certainly won't make your chicken any safer to eat, unless there is debris on the chicken.  Then by all means wash it.  And choose a different brand, next time.


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## sparrowgrass (Oct 17, 2006)

Ya know, I have heard lots of people talk about the dirty water that chicken is washed in.  I *actually* worked in a Tyson chicken processing plant, I watched the whole process, and I have NO qualms about eating commercial chicken from a USDA inspected plant.

After they are killed, plucked and gutted, the chickens are rinsed thoroughly with running water and then chilled in ice water. The whole place is cold, about 45 degrees, so the chicken is kept chilled thru the entire cutting up and packing process.   Everything in the plant is sanitized with steam and chemicals each shift.

I wish my kitchen (or the kitchen at my favorite restaurant) was as clean as as a chicken processing plant.

"Washing" chicken, as some of the other posters said, is just spreading bacteria around.  Unless you are washing with soap in hot water, you are NOT killing germs, you are just getting them on everything in your kitchen.

There are, of course, bacteria on chicken--whether that chicken comes from a big plant or from my backyard.  Chicken that is "mistreated"--kept too warm or kept too long or undercooked--can make you sick.


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## Gretchen (Oct 17, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> "Washing" which is generally just rinsing under running water won't do much other than spread the germs from the chicken around your kitchen. It certainly won't make your chicken any safer to eat, unless there is debris on the chicken. Then by all means wash it. And choose a different brand, next time.


 
Thank you. As I said, I answered _only_ for myself. I guess it just makes me feel better. You may certainly answer for yourself .


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## Ellen (Oct 17, 2006)

I will still wash my chickens. I don't like pink water either.  It isn't as if you are rubbing the bird all over your benches and sinks and cupboards.  I think it can be a very neat operation.  Nobody is going to wash the lettuce in the water used.  If chicken was so unspeakably dangerous none of use would eat it.   I just wish people knew how to use gloves correctly, and the principles and practice of avoiding cross contamination.


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## Ellen (Oct 17, 2006)

Come to think of it, I wouldn't use the lettuce washing water to wash chicken either. LOL


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

Ellen said:
			
		

> Come to think of it, I wouldn't use the lettuce washing water to wash chicken either. LOL


........................


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## Caine (Oct 17, 2006)

Have you considered running your chicken through the dishwasher?


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## kitchenelf (Oct 18, 2006)

Caine said:
			
		

> Have you considered running your chicken through the dishwasher?



I'd say that's not a very good idea!  Water heaters are set at different temperatures.  Yes, people have cooked fish tightly wrapped in foil in a dishwasher but chicken is not as delicate.  Common sense tells me that's not a good idea.  Do you have any literature that tells you to do this?


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## TATTRAT (Oct 18, 2006)

That is why I LOVE fried chicken...anything that can survive the oily deep, at 350, deserves the right to give me havoc....wait, chest pain! ARGH!....


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## kitchenelf (Oct 18, 2006)

TATTRAT said:
			
		

> That is why I LOVE fried chicken...anything that can survive the oily deep, at 350, deserves the right to give me havoc....wait, chest pain! ARGH!....



I'm calling 911 - hang on!!!!!!   

ok, I've got 911 on the phone - they said take the egg off your face - chest pain is from tripping and falling onto your computer!


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## TATTRAT (Oct 18, 2006)

LOL! Poor computer!


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## bethzaring (Oct 18, 2006)

Caine said:
			
		

> Have you considered running your chicken through the dishwasher?


 
No, can't think of one reason to try this


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## Jikoni (Oct 18, 2006)

Oh play nice! So guys wash ur chicken! I never even imagined it, in my my mum's homestead we chased the 'chicken of the day' until we caught it and those who had the heart, slit it's throat(never me ever ) plucked it (dipped it in hot water ) and then it was ready to be cooked.


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## Caine (Oct 18, 2006)

bethzaring said:
			
		

> No, can't think of one reason to try this


 
Okay, then, how about an autoclave?


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## ChefJune (Oct 18, 2006)

Jikoni said:
			
		

> Oh play nice! So guys wash ur chicken! I never even imagined it, in my my mum's homestead we chased the 'chicken of the day' until we caught it and those who had the heart, slit it's throat(never me ever ) plucked it (dipped it in hot water ) and then it was ready to be cooked.


But Jikoni, _that_ chicken didn't sit in a refrigerated case on a styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic.....  for who-knows-how long!


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## kitchenelf (Oct 18, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> Yes that is exactly why the USDA recommends against it.
> 
> Also, washing the chicken with just water will not get rid of bacteria. It will just make it wet. Soap can kill bacteria, but I doubt anyone wants to lather up their chicken.



Know someone that will lather up a piece of broccoli!!  Thought I knew her but I don't apparenntly, so technically we just met today    She might be willing to give it a wee sponge bath! hehehe

Do the veggie and fruit wash products they sell work?  I'd be more inclinded to spray those than worry about getting out all the dishwashing detergent from the little crannies of the broccoli or cauliflower


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## Alix (Oct 19, 2006)

Don't think I don't know who you are talking about elfie girl! Yes folks, I wash ALL produce with soap and water. I do NOT however carry that to poultry. Blech!


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