If you’re like 90 per cent of people who love chicken and cook it regularly at home, you might rinse the poultry under the sink first. You know, to clean off the germs and get rid of any slime or smell before you stick the chicken in the oven or on the grill.
Right?
Umm, wrong.
If you’re in the habit of rinsing raw chicken, you’re dead wrong about the germ thing. Washing the poultry only helps spread the bacteria all over the sink and parts of your kitchen, increasing the chance of contamination, according to research from scientists at Drexel University.
Cooking guru Julia Child might be seen jauntily rinsing chickens in vintage videos from her beloved cooking show, but that’s one tip of hers you should never follow.
The USDA also advises against chicken-washing. If you want to get rid of any sliminess, it’s safer to just pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
And if the poultry smells bad?
Start buying your chickens somewhere else.
Check out this video from Drexel University for a scary (and totally convincing!) demo on why you should quit with the washing.
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