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* Notice the sell by date. Most stores are good about removing chicken before the sell by date expires but they may miss one or two.

* Look at the ends of the bones. Are they pink or are they turning gray? As a good rule of thumb, the pinker the bone ends, the fresher the chicken.

* Never keep chicken refrigerated more than 3 days or frozen chicken more than 6 months. Cooked chicken should not be kept in the freezer more than 3 months.

* When freezing chicken, always seal it in an airtight container, heavy plastic bag, plastic wrap, aluminum foil or freezer wrap. You need to make sure that the wrapping is kept tight against the chicken because if you don’t, ice crystals will form on the meat and cause it to be tough.

* The best way to check to see if your chicken is done, is to use an instant read thermometer. Just make sure that the end of the thermometer isn’t touching the bone.

Chicken cooking temperatures (on an instant read thermometer)

Whole Chicken – Thigh 175° – 180°F

Whole Chicken – Breast 170° – 175°F

Chicken Breast and Wings 170° – 175°F

Chicken Parts – Dark Meat 180°F

Ground Chicken 170°F

Stuffing Inside Whole Chicken 165°F

** You can also check for doneness by pricking the chicken with a fork or the tip of a knife to see if the juices run clear. If the juices have any pinkish coloring at all, you’ll need to cook it some more.

**As far as the brand of chicken, I personally like
Perdue Chicken because it’s free from hormones and antibiotics and the skin is a nice yellow, healthy color.

*****REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS AND ALL UTENSILS ALONG WITH ALL OF YOUR WORK AREAS WITH HOT SOAPY WATER AFTER HANDLING ANY KIND OF POULTY!*****