h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

'dispatched'?

That can also mean put down...

I've never bought a single bit of food with a best before, use by, eat by, whatever date on it... Well I guess I might have but since I can't read the labels, I eat it if it looks/smells/feels edible, or, if I'm particularly hungry, and not eat it if it smells wrong, feels wrong, or I'm slightly dubious about it and not particularly hungry... but basically If I'm hungry I'll eat it just about whatever state its in. never had a stomach upset in over twenty years.. and I tend to cook stuff rare side of done too Only time I've remoately had any stomach upset problems from food was from takeaway/resturant food

Stomach acid, gin, or vodka just seems quite good at killing any nastys on raw meat I guess... and now I want a roast chicken!

>>Just a yes or no is fine.

I would eat it if it was a whole chicken and I bought it from a butcher or similar small place that I trusted. If it was chicken pieces that had been packed in a supermarket I wouldn't be eating it anyway (one of the biggest sources of food poisoning here is packaged chicken)

A neighbour once gave me a tip on what to do if a chicken looks OK, but has a very slightly "off" smell. I would be loathe to throw this out, as the smell does evaporate with the cooking.

She said to wash it well under hot running water. I've done it a couple of times, although I try to avoid leaving chickens for too long anyway.

So:
1. Wash raw chicken well under hot water
2. Use plenty of herbs and spices to cover any taste
3. Eat quickly once cooked

Should do it. The rest is common sense.

Raw, whole chicken should always* be washed well under cold running water before cooking, including getting the cavity well rinsed out. During cooking, you can prolong cooking time (without drying it out, if roasting), by putting tin foil over the top; removing it near the end of cookign time to allow the skin to chrisp up Simularly, if its a large chicken, or any bird really your roasting, its sometimes a good idea to seperate the thighs/legs if they're really large, from the main part of the body, part way through/near the end, so to allow heat and more cooking to occur in those bits, which, well in a larger chicken/turkey are basically the 'deepest' and so furthest away from the heat source... Apparently liquids are meant to run clear but I've no idea about that sort of thing... once it smells cooked its done as far as I'm concerned (do people really faff about using thermometers to check stuff is warm inside?) Chicken salad for me tonight mmm... or maybe bacon actually, now there's an idea...

Late to the discussion, and a vegetarian.

But I'm in the "if it looks fine, eat it" camp here. I do hate to see any food wasted.

As for the "proof", see this article. http://www.slate.com/id/2244249/ (Other articles available, your results may vary. )

It was only one day after its 'use by' date. I'd sillily not checked when I bought it; forgot reading glasses and hoped for the best.

I think one day over wouldn't bother me again. But I couldn't do more than one day for 'turn stomach' feelings..whatever the reality.

But then again if I was half starved..I'd happily just cook it to a cinder.

Right, Re the Chicken issue.

Having worked as a Chef, I can confirm that it depends entirely on how it has been stored. I have taken chicken breasts home, and had them fine to eat almost a week out of 'use by' date. I've also had some come in Friday, when we couldn't serve a chicken Sunday Roast, because the birds had turned green on Saturday. This is scarily, MUCH, more common than you'd think.

Well I cooked an out of date chicken once, and it went green. I decided this did not look particularly appetising, so I gave it to my children to eat instead. I then went out for dinner. Children lived, I got a chinese for dinner, so it worked out nicely.

Sometimes wish hootoo had a 'like' button, for that last comment Always knew there had to be a use for children