Influence of Thawing and Cooking Procedures on Selected Characteristics of Broilers

Abstract

Fresh broilers purchased from a local supermarket were halved, frozen at −29°C., and held in the freezer for 6 weeks. Broiler halves were cooked either from the frozen state or after they had been thawed 48 hours at 4°C. They were deep-fat fried, cooked by microwave, pan fried, or oven roasted.Weight losses were significantly greater for meat thawed before cooking than for that cooked from the frozen state. Microwave cooking and oven roasting resulted in lower weight loss than did deep-fat or pan frying. Taste panel members could not distinguish between broilers cooked from the frozen state and broilers thawed before cooking. Shear press values did not differ significantly as a result of preparation or cooking method.Total heme pigment in flesh surrounding the femur of cooked broilers was determined. No significant difference was found between meat thawed and that nonthawed before cooking or among cooking methods. Parts cooked from the frozen state had less bone darkening than did the parts cooked after thawing. Deep-fat frying and microwave cooking resulted in severer bone darkening than did the other cooking methods.