# Freezing whole chickens **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538 "2006-02-14T21:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/1 "2006-02-14T21:57:01Z")
I just bought two large oven-roaster chickens, and want to freeze them. Since their store package seems to be inadequate for freezing, I plan to simply put them, packaging and all, inside freezer bags. Does this pose any health risks, as opposed to removing the packaging, cleaning them, then puting them in the freezer bags? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/2 "2006-02-14T21:59:25Z")
no ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/3 "2006-02-14T22:00:42Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/4 "2006-02-14T22:01:53Z")
Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/5 "2006-02-14T22:03:47Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/6 "2006-02-14T22:08:09Z")
Welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/7 "2006-02-14T22:45:04Z")
Unwrap those suckers, er, cluckers, and remove the little pantiliner that the Chicken Industry puts in to soak up all the water they inject into the chicken. You might also want to remove the innards, such as the liver, heart, gizzard, and the neck. Those suckers are hard to remove from a partially defrosted bird. You can freeze them separately, or cook them up now for any cat or dog you might have around the house. Chicken necks make excellent stock, by the way. My husband loves the giblets, so generally I’ll fry them up for him and let him fight the cats over them. Alternately, you can roast or poach both birds now, and make stock from the bones and skin. Freeze the meat in individual servings, labelling it as light or dark, and freeze the stock separately. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/8 "2006-02-14T23:42:27Z")
While you opened your question in the correct forum, I think I’ll move it to Cafe Society. That way I don’t have to feel guilty if you come down with something in the future. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/9 "2006-02-14T23:45:53Z")
I’m with **Lynn**. It is also better to unwrap and rewrap tighly to avoid freezer burn. My wife looks at me like I’m crazy, but I unwrap and rewrap all my supermarket-bought meat before freezing. My butcher, however, if told I’m freezing, wraps properly. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezing-whole-chickens/344538/10 "2006-02-15T13:56:37Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I’m with **Lynn**. It is also better to unwrap and rewrap tighly to avoid freezer burn. My wife looks at me like I’m crazy, but I unwrap and rewrap all my supermarket-bought meat before freezing. My butcher, however, if told I’m freezing, wraps properly. I do this too, but it’s for food preservation issues, not health concerns. If the chickens are fine when they get frozen and they are properly thawed they should be just fine still. It’s not the optimal way of conducting the affair, but it’s not because of health concerns.