Will my half cooked chickens come home to roost?

August 7, 2019 5:17 PM

I cooked some chicken soup by putting frozen chicken breasts in water this morning, boiling til approximately half way done.... and then, was suddenly called away! I put the "soup" in the fridge! Now, at the end of the work day, I have finished boiling these chicken breasts. They are fully cooked, the water has boiled away mostly, and the chicken is shredded and smells delicious. Are they safe after being in the fridge for a full work day? Again, for about eight hours they were only half cooked, submerged in water, and refrigerated.

The plan to complete a soup has been nixed, obviously.

posted by karmachameleon to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

You’re fine; eat and enjoy!

Your parboiling and refrigeration technique is well within the safe side of the USDA Danger Zone.

I’d go ahead and complete the soup if that’s what I wanted to eat, sounds tasty!
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:50 PM on August 7, 2019 [1 favorite]

I would eat this!
posted by quince at 5:51 PM on August 7, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you! Not to be a shill but Trader Joe's taco mix has kicked it up a notch. I am emboldened to do the soup!
posted by karmachameleon at 5:57 PM on August 7, 2019

So, depending on how you stored them yes or no by official food safety standards. If they were in a big ass vat of liquid and cooling in the fridge perhaps no. Large volumes of liquid with low surface area to mass ratios cool very poorly and can stay in the dangers zone for food longer than is recommended. However if it was stored in a way that allowed it to cool more quickly (in a shallow but wide pan); you're much better off.

I can't make 100% judgments because a lot of food safety standards work on a worst case scenario framework but it honestly does depend on the shape of the container your stored them in and the temp at which it entered the fridge.

Your sense of smell isn't going to necessarily detect food borne pathogens that arise from improper storage.
posted by Ferreous at 6:30 PM on August 7, 2019 [7 favorites]

That's pretty much exactly how my brother once gave himself a serious case of food poisoning. I'm usually in the "eat it!" camp but I would pass on this one.
posted by bricoleur at 7:53 PM on August 7, 2019

I'm reasonably risk taking with food, and I'd probably pass on this one. That sounds like the chicken spent a lot of time warm but never got hot.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:14 PM on August 7, 2019

If you are uncertain, eat a small portion, see how you feel after 12 hours. I never used to get food poisoning, have had some bouts in the last few years, 1 bad, 1 Very Bad. I have become more cautious.
posted by theora55 at 8:36 PM on August 7, 2019

Was the chicken itself cooked through when you put it in the fridge? If it was, I’d have no qualms about this soup whatsoever. If it was still raw at that point, however, I would be concerned about the time it spent in the danger zone and would probably give it a miss.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 11:18 AM on August 8, 2019

Response by poster: I did not get food poisoning (just had my second serving last night) but I will throw the rest of it away! Good thing I came back!!
posted by karmachameleon at 8:12 AM on August 9, 2019