How long can chicken stay in the fridge?

[Angelsfan]

Boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale so I bought a ton like usual but forgot to bag and freeze it right away. I have heard different lengths that chicken can stay good in the fridge. I bought it on Thursday evening. Can I bag and freeze it today (Monday morning)?

Thanks!

-Heather

[PAMMELA]

I'd smell them and if they smell fine, freeze them. But I live dangerously.

[Gumbeaux]

This is what the USDA says:

At home, immediately place chicken in a refrigerator that maintains 40 °F, and use within 1 or 2 days, or freeze at 0 °F. If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely.

[TieKitty]

Are your chicken breasts in store containers? If so, check the labels for a
"sell by" date. I would think they would be good for at least 1 or 2 days past that before freezing.

[Angelsfan]

Thanks guys! The label says August 23rd, so I think I am OK. I also like to live dangerously!

Have a great day!

-Heather

[Grace]

I'm always confused about people's concern about this. If the store can hold them until the 23rd in their meat case and they're still good and fine for sale, why wouldn't they still be good in your home refrigerator? Just because you brought them home somehow makes them spoil faster? I don't understand the thinking/logic behind the fear - maybe someone can enlighten me.

I always go by the date on the package, not how long it's been in my refrigerator.

[Smylietron]

Grace, at least this sort of concern is within the realm of reason--I have a friend who refuses to let uncooked chicken into her kitchen on the grounds it will be a spawning ground for disease.

"Karen, the recipe calls for chicken--"
"Go get some pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joe's!"
"That'd take longer than buying and cooking some chicken..."
"I don't care!"

It's maddening.

[Robyn1007]

Grace, at least this sort of concern is within the realm of reason--I have a friend who refuses to let uncooked chicken into her kitchen on the grounds it will be a spawning ground for disease.

"Karen, the recipe calls for chicken--"
"Go get some pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joe's!"
"That'd take longer than buying and cooking some chicken..."
"I don't care!"

It's maddening.

Oh, my! Personally I'd prefer knowing how it's cooked and that it was cooked to proper temperature in my own kitchen rather than trusting some employee at a grocery store *if* I was that concerned. I can see why that would be absolutely maddening!

[Gumbeaux]

Just because you brought them home somehow makes them [chicken] spoil faster? I don't understand the thinking/logic behind the fear - maybe someone can enlighten me.

One of the main reasons is that from the time that you put the chicken in your shopping cart to the time you put it in your refrigerator at home at least an hour has past in a lot of cases (a lot longer in other cases). During this time the chicken has been unrefrigerated giving bacteria a chance to multiply rapidly.

For this same reason, the USDA says that chicken should be the last thing you put in your shipping cart before you go to the checkout aisle.