After cooking a chicken stew is it safe to freeze the chicken with the bone still on?

November 21, 2009 7:00 AM

After cooking a chicken stew is it safe to freeze the chicken with the bone still on?
posted by citybuddha to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Sure. There's nothing especially toxic about chicken bones.
posted by jon1270 at 7:04 AM on November 21, 2009

Sure. Why wouldn't it be?
posted by ottereroticist at 7:11 AM on November 21, 2009

Yes. I have also frozen a turkey carcass from time to time when I don't have the time to make stock right away. No problems.
posted by snowjoe at 8:18 AM on November 21, 2009

Would the bone take longer to defrost, perhaps?
posted by Solomon at 8:20 AM on November 21, 2009

Sure. I freeze chicken bones for making stock all the time.

If you have some specific concern about frozen chicken bones, you might want to post it so we can respond appropriately.
posted by Quietgal at 9:02 AM on November 21, 2009

Of course.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:24 AM on November 21, 2009

Might take longer to defrost, but that's not a food safety issue on its own. Just make sure that you're doing the defrosting in a safe way — either overnight in the fridge, or with a microwave or a hot stove, none of this "here lemme just leave this out on the counter all afternoon" — and you'll be fine, bones or no bones.
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:19 PM on November 21, 2009

Yes, as long as the stew hasn't been sitting too long beforehand.
posted by foulowl at 5:40 PM on November 21, 2009