Eek! It does more harm than good.
| | Rinsing chicken prior to cooking wasn't something I heard about until I was well into adulthood. Despite raw chicken's sliminess and stickiness, this well-intentioned practice is actually unnecessary and potentially unsafe. Plus, who needs an extra step of prep, right?
Raw chicken is teeming with bacteria, such as campylobacter or salmonella. (This is why we can't eat it!) Surprisingly, though, washing raw chicken doesn't eliminate these germs. In fact, it just spreads them around because the running and splashing water gets bacteria on surrounding sinks, countertops and even clothing.
The only sure way to eliminate bacteria is to cook chicken to the proper temperature—a minimum of 165°. If it's sliminess, rather than germs, you're concerned about, try patting the raw chicken down with a paper towel. And no matter what, wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat or anything that has come in contact with it. | | |
Give a Gift
No comments:
Post a Comment