How Long Can Chicken Sit Out? The Answer Might Surprise You!

How long can chicken sit out without getting spoiled or perished?

Poultry products are among the staple ingredients in various kitchens in the world today. Regardless of where you live right now, it is undeniable that there are various chicken recipes that can satisfy your taste palettes.

But at the same time, we have this problem with chicken and poultry meat getting spoiled quickly when they are not in the fridge. We are not so sure if the chicken that we are preparing is still safe to eat or not, especially when they are at room temperature already.

Of course, it is essential that you know the answer to this question so that you can protect yourself and your family from food-related diseases. Read on to know more about this.

How Long Can Chicken Sit Out?

According to some food experts, the chicken should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours. After this given period, bacteria will start to seep into the meat of the chicken and will eventually cause spoilage.

There is a rule that states that all meat products that have been left out at room temperature for more than two hours should not be used or consumed. Even if you say the meat is already cooked, there's still a risk of foodborne diseases once it has been exposed in the open air without any proper storage.

If the temperature of the environment has reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, then your chicken should stay outside for only an hour. Any longer than this and you can expect spoils to come through.

Keep in mind that meat products are perishable. Therefore, they have a specific time limit before they lose their edibility. Once you are handling a perishable good, it is essential that you practice proper storage. Otherwise, you will end up with a spoiled ingredient and wasted money. Contamination is always a present factor when it comes to these sensitive products. Whether it is a raw chicken or raw pork, this particular risk is still applicable.

Can You Store A Meat Again After It Has Been Outside For More Than Two Hours?

The simple answer to this question is no. Sure. It is a waste to throw food. I know the bitter and guilty feeling when I chuck out leftovers and uneaten delicacies. But then again, it is something that you have to do, especially if the food is already in a bad state.

You should always remember that your markets are following standard procedures when it comes to handling perishable goods. They are always kept frozen or temperatures where bacteria cannot thrive in. When they see that some of the perishable products have been exposed to the unwanted elements, they immediately put it out of their shelves.

In the same manner, you need to treat your food with such a kind of rigidity. In this way, you can keep them fresh and free from any possible dangers.

What Causes Food Spoilage?

There are some specific factors that influence food spoilage. But if you can handle these factors well, it would be possible that you can take advantage of them so that you can keep your food longer.

Temperature

One of the most prevailing factors that can cause food spoilage is temperature. Just like what I've mentioned earlier, placing a perishable good like chicken meat in an environment with unfavorable room temperature will make it lose its viability as a clean cooking ingredient.

If you are planning to use the chicken meat in the next few days, it is recommended that you keep it in the refrigerator within the temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If you persist on letting it sit out on temperatures higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you are exposing the meat it to various kinds of bacteria. Inevitably, they will settle on the food, and it will eventually perish--making it not safe for consumption anymore.

In fact, any raw ingredient that has been exposed to unfavorable temperatures for extended periods should be thrown already. Even if there are no signs of deterioration in the food (such as in smell or appearance), you should consider ditching it out. You would not want to use an ingredient that has been exposed to the elements already. There's a high probability of contamination here.

Extremely hot conditions can cause quick food spoilage. It will not even take two hours before the food gets bad. In some cases, the chicken meat will not smell foul after being placed in hot temperatures for several hours. Of course, you will doubt if you can still cook the meat or not. But if you have qualms already, follow your gut and dispose of the meat.

Time

Another factor that you have to keep in mind when handling sensitive and perishable goods is time. Have you ever seen delivery trucks full of chicken meat and other meat products? These vehicles are always on the rush. They have a specific time allowance in which they should get to their destination. If they fail to do so, there's a risk that the ingredients they are carrying will get bad.

Technically, all chicken meat can only stay inside your refrigerator for one to three days only. Any longer than this and you can experience the protrusion of foul odor coming from them. During this period, you should have been able to cook them.

Aside from spoilage, time also ruins the freshness. Keep in mind that the fresher the food, the tastier it is. It is one of the reasons why I always recommend my readers to only use ingredients that are ripe from harvest or taken directly from their farms of production centers.

Conclusion

It is important that you can keep the chicken fresh so that you can cook it without having no worries. At this point, you should have already realized that leaving the chicken out in the refrigerator is not an ideal thing to do, especially if you let it stay there for too long. If you are going to use the meat yet, just keep it in storage. In this way, you can prevent the elements from ruining it.

That's it for now. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.