Sunday, May 5, 2013

No More Washing

Remember when they said you had to wash your raw chicken before using it?  I was sooooooo good about doing that.  So good that when I saw my mother not wash her raw chicken I lost my mind.

I would wash it, then it would be a slippery mess, then there'd be water everywhere and so on. I don't buy paper towels, so I never did the blotting thing, but that never made any sense to me.  I always envisioned little bits of paper towels stuck to the chicken.  But I did it because of all those salmonellas running around, uncaged, raising mayhem on the counters...

And then one day, I thought about it.  We all know we can't eat raw chicken, right?  Never eat it if it's pink, they say.  And who would want to?  It's so unappealing.

Ok, well most of the time it is.

So I decided one day that I was done washing chicken.  It had to be the dumbest use of my time.  I always cook it to death anyway, so what is a rinse going to do except make a huge mess?  My mother doesn't wash it and none of us have died.  We don't wash any other meats before using them.

It was so freeing, not having to wash the chicken anymore.

Now, washing my hands?  Of course.  Multiple times.  Or sometimes, I just wear gloves.

I also stopped worry about the separate cutting board.  Yes, if I am going to cut raw chicken and then make a salad, I use a different board, different knife, different kitchen if I can.  But once I put the board through the dishwasher, I have no issue using it on something like fruits.  It's as clean as it's going to get.

Also very freeing.  I know people who will not use a certain board for vegetables because it's the meat one.  I also ask if they wash the meat one, what difference does it make?

So today, in the newspaper, someone from the cooperative extension said the new regulations say no more washing of the chicken.  And their reason?  It makes so much mess that it contaminates the counters and sinks!  DUH.

So glad I won't even feel the least bit guilty that I'm not doing this anymore.


And I'm worried that the person who took this might not have washed his/her hands before using the camera and now the camera is contaminated....

Linking my contaminated hands here:
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/
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5 comments:

  1. First, those chicken photos are hilarious! Secondly, I never understood the chicken washing. I've never washed a chicken, live or otherwise.
    I'm glad this is catching on. No more dirty looks from pathological chicken washers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Too funny!! As for my chicken - it comes frozen in individualized breast from Costco - that is when I used to eat chicken. Now I'm chicken free because I did some research on the care and conditions of chicken farms and ya know, I'm very appalled. The hormones, the filth, and the in humane treatment of those poor chickens have left a bad taste in my mouth.

    The eggs I get come from a friend of mine who has chickens running around their farm.

    Sorry about the rampage.

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    Replies
    1. I have the chicken debate with myself a lot, but I don't eat beef because it bothers my stomach, so without chicken, I'd be so limited. I like to think the organic chicken I buy is treated nicely, though I've read about even the so called humane ways they raise chickens in the big factories and it's not better. Some day, I'll have my own!!

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  3. I don't think I've ever heard of this chicken washing rule before. I just chuck it in the oven or fry pan and assume that any nasties will be broiled alive.

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  4. I rinse all of my uncooked meat aside from ground (for obvious reasons, lol), & I always will for piece of mind. You do not know how your meat was handled before you brought it home. For me, it has never been about the "raw meat" contamination, but the unknown elements of what touches the meat along the way.

    ReplyDelete

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