Hi, sometimes I use the chicken I have leftover from a sunday roast in my curries. After taking it off the bone and storing it in the fridge for the night it has a strange taste and smell. Any idea why and how to avoid it? I usually store it in an airtight container. Other times it's fine.

I've not encountered this problem...

Is there any chance some of your plastic containers are tainted with the smells and flavours of something you stored in them previously? If only one or two are tainted, this would explain why you only have this problem on some occasions.

can you describe the smell and taste in a little more detail?

chicken can have remnants of organs left in them after evisceration which can give rise to off flavours.

Off flavours from food in sealed containes is scary news, and may be due to anaerobic bacteria, the very worst kind, from a health point of view.

Protein can pick up some flavours from other sources, as the flavour chemicals aDsorb (stick to the outside).

My suggestion is to remove the chicken meat as soon as you can after cooking, place in an open container, and add lemon/lime juice. And cook the chicken thoroughly, not just warm through.

It's hard to describe the smell/taste. It isn't just with chicken, its also with other meats too. Sometimes I just put the chicken on a plate and put it in the fridge without covering it so I can rule out any smells or tastes coming from the containers. I think it could be the cold air that causes it. I've had frozen veg that's fallen out of its bag in the freezer and it's smelt the same.

ae you sure it wasn't fairy dust?

my better half doesn't ilke chicken thats been left in the fridge because you can tell its been "fridged"... I wrap in foil then cling film and its ok, but if I just put it in on a plate with a bit of foil over it, it takes up the "flavours" of the fridge.... ALL fridges have smells of some sort, be it the smell of the plastic of the fridge, the food in them, the air thats in there etc...

Steve

Smells/odors do mingle in the fridge. That is why it is important to keep foods with strong smells in airtight containers or properly cling-filmed.

I have stopped using plastic containers that have a long life, they do become somewhat tainted after a while. I buy 'disposable' ones, the type used by takeaway restaurants. You can use them quite a few times and they are dishwasher safe.