Chicken livers are both challenging to get hold of and hard to get people to eat. If you’re a fan (but no one else you live with is), here are the best ways to store them for the longer term.
Can You Freeze Chicken Livers?
Yes, you can freeze chicken livers for up to 3 months. Portion out the livers, and then wrap each portion first in a loose layer of baking paper and then in a tighter layer of cling film. Once the cling film is sealed, place the package into the freezer.
Do Do Chicken Livers freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chicken Livers? No
How to Freeze Chicken Livers
Freezing chicken livers is relatively straightforward – if youāve frozen other meat products before, then youāll know just what to do:
- Portion Out: Portion out the livers according to how many youāll use at any time. Once thawed, meat cannot be frozen, so portioning it out is essential to ensure you avoid wastage.
- Wrap in Baking Paper: Wrap each portion of chicken livers in a loose layer of baking paper. The wrapping needs to be pretty loose and not directly touching the meat while also forming a total layer.
- Wrap in Cling Film: Wrap the parcel in cling film tightly, ensuring that the cling film is pressed to the baking paper. The small air gap that forms in the curves and corners of the parcel is where the frost will form rather than on the food itself.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken livers in the centre of the freezer for up to 3 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Chicken Livers
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chicken livers to have the best results:
Check That Seal
Ensuring that each parcel forms a good seal will ensure that the chicken livers donāt release their aroma into the freezer, which would spell disaster for some of the other items youāve frozen.
Place Deep in the Freezer
Place the chicken livers deep into the freezer to be sure that they freeze quite quickly. That will ensure they do not expand and bind together in the freezer, which could occur if they freeze slowly and expand.
Freeze In Portions
If you have a lot of livers, then ensure you freeze them in portion sizes you will consume. If you thaw them then you cannot refreeze them so you’ll have to eat them. Ā
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken Livers?
You can freeze chicken livers for around 3 months.
They freeze for around that length as theyāre high-protein items, and most high-protein items tend to freeze for around that length of time.
To ensure you get all that time, make sure that the packages you create are totally sealed and, ideally, that theyāre not placed against any ice in the freezer.
Fresh chicken livers will last for around 2 days in the fridge. Once cooked, you can keep them in the fridge for a further 2 days.
How Do You Defrost Chicken Livers?
The best way to defrost chicken livers, as with all forms of meat, is to place them in the fridge.
Once there, they will thaw slowly, and, once thawed, will be stored at a safe temperature.
We would not advise cooking chicken livers from frozen, as that could lead to a very poor texture and cold, undercooked spots.
Can You Refreeze Chicken Livers?
No, you canāt.
No meat product can be refrozen once itās been thawed because it can develop bacteria that cross-contaminate other items in your freezer. Once thawed, a meat product must be either eaten or thrown away.
Do Chicken Livers Freeze Well?
Yes, they do freeze quite well.
The main reason is that chicken livers are pretty dense, as with most meat products.
In turn, this means that little water within them might expand and cause freezer burn. This is the primary source of freezer burn, so if it isnāt allowed, the food freezes quite well.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing chicken livers or livers in general, then these may help:
Yes, if you want to make a delicious chicken gravy in future then freezing livers and gizzards together is fine. Pop them all into a freezer bag, seal them tightly and freezer.
