General
Poultry Guidelines
How to Get
the Most out of Your Empire Product
Gluten Free Product List
Fresh Rotisserie Chicken
Fresh Chill Pack Chicken & Turkey
Frozen Whole Turkey & Turkey Breasts
Frozen Chicken
Individually Quick Frozen Chicken Parts
Fresh and Frozen Ground Turkey
Fully Cooked Barbecue Chicken (Fresh or Frozen)
Fully Cooked Barbecue Turkey (Fresh or Frozen)
Premier-Signature Edition All Natural Turkey Breast with Skin
Premier-Signature Edition All Natural Turkey Breast Skinless
Preferred-Signature Edition Smoked Turkey Breast, Skinless
Preferred-Signature Edition Turkey Breast Pastrami, Skinless
Preferred-Signature Edition Turkey Pastrami, Skinless
Signature Edition-Oven Prepared Turkey Breast
Signature Edition-Smoked Turkey Breast
Honey Smoked Turkey Breast-Skinless
Turkey Salami Roll
Turkey Bologna Roll
White Turkey Roll
Smoked Turkey Breast-Slices
Turkey Salami-Slices
Turkey Bologna-Slices
Turkey Pastrami-Slices
Turkey Breast-Slices
Chicken Bologna-Slices
Turkey Franks
Rendered Chicken Fat
Kosher for Passover List
Fresh Rotisserie Chicken
Fresh Chill Pack Chicken & Turkey
Frozen Whole Turkey & Turkey Breasts
Frozen Chicken
Individually Quick Frozen Chicken Parts
Fresh & Frozen Ground Turkey
Fully Cooked Barbecue Chicken (Fresh or Frozen)
Fully Cooked Barbecue Turkey (Fresh or Frozen)
Premiere – Signature Edition All Natural Turkey Breast with Skin
Premiere – Signature Edition All Natural Turkey Breast Skinless
Preferred- Signature Edition Smoked Turkey Breast, Skinless
Preferred- Signature Edition Turkey Breast Pastrami, Skinless
Preferred- Signature Edition Turkey Pastrami, Skinless
Signature Edition- Oven Prepared Turkey Breast
Signature Edition- Smoked Turkey Breast
Honey Smoked Turkey Breast-Skinless
Turkey Salami Roll
Turkey Bologna Roll
White Turkey Roll
Smoked Turkey Breast- Slices
Turkey Salami- Slices
Turkey Bologna- Slices
Turkey Pastrami- Slices
Turkey Breast- Slices
Chicken Bologna- Slices
Chicken Franks
Turkey Franks
Rendered Chicken Fat
Buying Chicken and Turkey
Rule-of-thumb, plan on 4 to 8 ounces of raw, bone-in, skin-on chicken
for each adult. For raw boneless, skinless meat, plan on using about
4-6 ounces per adult. For turkey, purchase at least one pound of uncooked
meat per person. There will be leftovers.
Remember to check the "Sell By Date" on the package. We do not recommend
that you buy it with less than 2-3 days left. This date indicates the
last day the product should be offered for sale. Chicken/turkey will
maintain its quality if properly refrigerated or cooked by the posted
"Sell By Date". We do not guarantee past the "Sell By Date". If purchased
on the last date of "Sell By", use the product that day or freeze it
immediately for future use.
Handling Raw Product
Each package of fresh product carries a USDA-mandated safe food handling
and cooking message. This message states:
This product was prepared from inspected and passed poultry. Some food
products may contain bacteria that would cause illness if the product
is mis-handled or cooked improperly. For your protection, follow these
safe-handling instructions. Keep refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in refrigerator
or microwave. Keep raw meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash
working surfaces (including cutting boards), utensils and hands after
touching raw meat or poultry. Never touch cooked meat or poultry with
utensils that have not been washed after touching raw product. Cook
thoroughly. Keep hot foods hot. Refrigerate leftovers immediately (within
two hours) or discard.
Chicken and turkey, like all fresh meats, are perishable and should
be handled with care to maintain top quality. To maximize food quality
and safety, shop the meat and dairy case last before you go directly
home. Never leave the product in a hot car. Refrigerate immediately
upon returning home to help maintain the highest quality. Never thaw
the product on a countertop at room temperature. Packaged fresh chicken
can be refrigerated in original wrappings in the coldest part of the
refrigerator for one or two days. If rinsing whole product or parts
in cold running water is a personal preference, re-wrap it for storage
before cooking and always remember to clean sink and counter tops thoroughly
afterwards.
Thawing Chicken and Turkey
Chicken/turkey can be thawed in the refrigerator or in cold water.
We do NOT recommend thawing on the countertop. It takes approximately
24 hours to thaw a 4-pound chicken. If chicken/turkey is to be thawed
in cold water, place the chicken/turkey in its original wrap or in a
watertight plastic bag and immerse in cold water; the water should be
changed often. It takes at least 2 hours to thaw a whole chicken. To
thaw product in microwave, follow direction in manual.
Whole Turkey Thawing
Turkey can be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.
Whole turkey takes approximately 24 hours per five pounds to thaw in
the refrigerator. In cold water, allow ½ hour for each pound. When thawing
a turkey in a microwave, follow the manufacturer's instructions for
the size turkey that will fit your oven, the minutes per pound and the
power level to use. Never defrost turkey on countertop. Once thawed,
keep turkey refrigerated at 40°F or below until it is ready to be cooked.
Turkey thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
Quick Thawing Chicken and Turkey
For quick thawing of the chicken or turkey parts (raw or cooked), use
the microwave. Thawing time varies according to the form in which the
chicken/turkey is frozen (i.e. whole or parts, number of parts frozen
together). Use defrost setting. Microwave 2 minutes; let stand 2 minutes.
Repeat as needed. Turn chicken/turkey and separate parts as it thaws,
taking care that it does not begin to cook. Be sure chicken/turkey is
covered to reduce splattering.
More Guidelines |