Frozen Chicken Frenzy

I have just thawed (safely) 2 pkgs. of chicken wings I purchased in July/02.  They have always been thoroughly frozen and they appear okay, no odor, etc.  It is my intention to cook them in Louisiana Hot Sauce in the oven.  Am I going to poison my guests?  Please help!

Cynthia Kearns

Hi Cynthia,

Your chicken should be just fine.  The only thing you might notice is freezer burn.  However, I just cooked a whole chicken that had been in my freezer for 18 months.  I hadn't even wrapped it properly . . . just left it in its original package, and I didn't taste any freezer burn.  The only problem with this long of storage, is that some of the nutritional quality may diminish.  In the future, I'm going to try to rotate my meat faster to prevent loss of nutrients.

Microbes can't prosper or grow in freezer temperatures.  As long as you bake the wings up to 180-degrees F., you can be assured of perfect food safety.  This high temp ensures that all salmonella and other germs are dead.  However, where you thawed your chicken safely, I'm sure none of the critters would have had the opportunity to prosper, if the wings are contaminated.

Enjoy your party,

Desi @ DVO

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