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Handling rabbit meat


Handling rabbit meat



Take rabbit home immediately and refrigerate at 40 degrees F or below. 
Use it within 2 days or freeze at 0 degrees F. 
If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely; however, quality will diminish over time.
It is safe to freeze rabbit in its original packaging. 
For prolonged storage, overwrap as you would any food for long-term storage. 
For best quality, use frozen whole rabbit within a year, pieces within 9 months 



Safe thawing

There are three ways to safely defrost rabbit: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven.

Never defrost at room temperature.

Refrigerator: It is best to plan for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. 
Bone-in parts or whole rabbits may take a day or longer to thaw. Once thawed, rabbit may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days before cooking.
During this time, if you decide not to use the rabbit, you can safely refreeze it without cooking it.
Cold Water: To defrost rabbit in cold water, do not remove the packaging. 
Be sure the package is airtight or put it into a leak-proof bag. 
Submerge the rabbit in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw.

Small packages may defrost in an hour or less; larger packages may take 2 to 3 hours.
 Plan to cook the rabbit immediately after thawing.
Microwave oven: When defrosting rabbit in the microwave oven, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some of the areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook.

Safe cooking

     When roasting rabbit parts, set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F. 
A 2-pound, cut-up rabbit should take about one hour to cook.
    A whole, 2-to 2 ½-pound rabbit should take about one to one and a half hours to roast. 
Stuffing it will add about half an hour to the cooking time.
   Braising rabbit (cooking it in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan on the range or in the oven) also takes about an hour.
Rabbit can be broiled about 15 minutes on each side.
   For safety, USDA recommends cooking rabbit to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F.
The use of a food thermometer is recommended to make sure your rabbit is safe to eat.
   It is safe to cook frozen rabbit in the oven or on the range or grill without defrosting it first, though the cooking time may be about 50 percent longer.
   Do not cook frozen rabbit in a slow cooker; thaw first.
Cut whole rabbits into smaller pieces so heat can penetrate the meat more quickly.
Safe handling of leftovers Refrigerate leftovers within two hours after cooking. 
Use within three to four days or freeze.
Use frozen, cooked rabbit within four to six months for best quality. 
Reheat leftovers to 165 °F.