Few things are as yummy and easy to enjoy as chicken liver. It might not be the first thing you think to make when you are having a dinner party but chicken liver can be wonderful for a number of reasons.
The liver of a chicken is rich in protein, folate, and iron, which are great for your body and keeps it healthy. Beyond that, it’s also soft and succulent and tastes so good in a number of ways. There are multiple ways you can prepare chicken liver.
But how long does it last in a fridge or freezer? How long can you keep it before cooking? And does it change if it’s cooked or raw?
How To Store Chicken Livers in the Freezer Properly
Drain all excess fluids from the chicken livers. Then place them in a colander and pat them drying with paper towels for several minutes
Portion out the meat for use, especially if you plan to service multiple livers. Put them into smaller portions so that thawing is much easier.
Put the portioned meat into containers that don’t let air in or bags safe for freezers. Make sure that you squeeze out any excess air that is in any packages.
The chicken livers are now ready to be stored in your freezer.
Typically, chicken livers can be left in your freezer for a very long time. In fact, there is nothing wrong with storing them in your freezer for several months at a time. This is a great option for families and people who want to hold onto their meat products for a long time.
However you must remember that the longer the chicken livers stay in the freezer, the more that the quality of the meat will suffer. Therefore, it’s best to use the frozen chicken livers within three to four months of you putting them in the freezer.
It is smart to label the freezer-safe bags that you store the livers in. This will let you know how long they have been in the freezer and, therefore, when you need to pull them out, thaw and defrost, then prepare them.
As with any type of meat, it is also important that you store the chicken livers in a freezer that is not compromised and shows no signs of deterioration and failing. If you have a freezer that doesn’t properly freeze items or doesn’t work consistently then you should not store the chicken livers there.
Here is a handy chart to remind you of how long chicken livers may be stored.
Status
Raw Livers
Cooked Livers
Frozen
3-4 mos.
4 mos.
Refrigerated
1-2 days
3-4 days
Room Temp
2 hours
2 hours
Can You Refreeze Chicken Livers Once Cooked?
Technically, you can refreeze your chicken livers once you have cooked them but it is not a smart move because it could greatly impair the taste and quality of the meat.
Chicken livers are not able to stay in good shape if it is repeatedly frozen and cooked and then frozen again. This is why you should separate the chicken livers into small amounts before defrosting and thawing because you don’t have to freeze what you do not use in your meal.
The freshness of the meat will wane after multiple freezings.
6 Chicken Liver Storage Tips
If you are keeping your chicken livers in a fridge, make sure that the temperature is about 40 degrees F in order to keep them as fresh as possible.
Do not cook too much liver. Make sure you portion the amount you want before you prepare your meal because if you defrost and have too much then you will waste your livers and will either have to throw it out or refreeze, which will impair the quality of the food.
Make sure that you pat the livers as dry as possible. Excess moisture will lead to bad quality meat.
If you are putting your chicken liver in the freezer, you want to keep the temperature at 32 degrees F.
Label every bag that you store the chicken liver in. Put the date that you stored it and, if possible, the date that it would be too old to use.
When in doubt, throw the livers out if you’re not sure of how it will taste or how many times it’s been frozen or when it was initially frozen.
Conclusion
Freezing chicken liver in a freezer is not only possible but it’s actually quite easy. However, it is vital that you remember a few things when you are doing this.
You need to make sure that you are positioning out things well, not using too much at any one time, labelling all of the bags that you freeze the meat in, and do not freeze, thaw, cook, and then re-heat the meat repeatedly. This will lead to low quality meat as well as possible food poisoning.
Chicken livers will appear green when the gallbladder is removed and bursts. When the fluid from the gallbladder touches the liver, it turns it green.
It won’t be bad for you but it won’t be pleasant to eat this type of chicken liver. Chicken livers should be free of any green parts, as they will taste harsh and unpleasant
Can You Freeze Chopped Chicken Livers?
You absolutely can freeze chopped chicken liver just like you freeze a whole chicken liver. This is very handy if you know you want the livers chopped but don’t want to do it during the cooking process. Handle it ahead of time and then freeze them.
