URGENT HELP NEEDED!

[GoldenSunset]

Discovered at 10pm tonight that the chicken I had in the fridge for tomorrows dinner, had a use by date of today, so not wanting to take any chances with it, I roasted it.

Now I have a very hot chicken and I want to go to bed.

Its wrapped up in tinfoil, fridge or worktop overnight?

[AitchwonderswhoFruitCrumbleis]

you shouldn't put hot things into the fridge, iirc, because they raise the temp and jigger all the food. so worktop. or put it in a box and stick it out in the garage if that's cooler.

[noodlesoup]

Don't wrap it up. Do you have a garage or somewhere cool you could put it?

[muggglewump]

I'd leave it on the worktop, but I've no idea what the official advice is.
I've eaten leftovers many a time that've been left out and not suffered.

Just don't blame me if you get ill

[spicemonster]

Can you stay up another half an hour or so and then bung in the fridge? Or if you have a coolbox, you could bung it in there overnight. But you'd need to eat it asap.

I'd have left it until tomorrow personally!

[GoldenSunset]

If it was just dh and I eating it I probably wouldn't even have roasted it and took our chances with cooking it tomorrow. But dd, who is 22 months will also be eating it, so thought I had better be safe than sorry.

No bloody idea what to do with the thing now though. Haven't got a garage. Shall I unwrap it, cover loosley with a teatowel and leave on the side?

[GoldenSunset]

So I did the wrong thing by cooking it? Damm

Why do we have to eat it quickly? I always use the leftover chicken for the next day's dinner, is that wrong?

[kitkatqueen]

I've done this lots of times, I usually just stick my hot roasted chickens in the microwave until the morning ( otherwise the cats think its christmas ) and then fridge them in the morning, you're going to eat it tomorrow anyway, it really won't hurt.

What did people do before fridges?? My parents lived in london in the 60's and didn't have a fridge. Really, it will be fine to leave it out until the morning and fridge it then.

[GoldenSunset]

Do you cover/wrap it kitkat?

[kitkatqueen]

no - its not wrong to use the leftovers the next day. I get 3 meals out of a large roasted chicken - thats 3 days . Also, lets face it, the people who packed the chicken wouldn't put a best before date on the chicken that would have no margin for error at all, they always give themselves some leeway to cover their arses or they could get sued. It would have been ok to cook it the following morning imvho.

I think that the money saving expert website ran a piece on best before dates, consume by dates etc and what they really mean.

Oh and don't forget, once you cook chicken you can then freeze it for later anyway, I often do this with the carcus if I want to make stock but dont have time or if I have 2 chickens going out of date at the same time I cook both and freeze one whole, you just have to make sure it's properly defrosted before you eat it.

don't stress and enjoy your dinner tomorrow

[kitkatqueen]

I normally either leave it in the casserole dish with the lid on or cover it in tin foil.

[kitkatqueen]

xed posts

[GoldenSunset]

Thanks I left it on the side, covered by a tea towel and its now in the fridge