Nutritional Value
Duck is rich
in iron and vitamin B complex. It also contains a lot of fat, mostly in the skin. To reduce the fat content, remove the skin before cooking, or roast the meat and make small incisions into the skin to allow the fat to seep out during cooking.
Storage life
Fresh duck can be kept for up to three days if left in its original wrapping in the refrigerator, away from other meats.
Frozen, whole duck can be kept ten to twelve months in the freezer, and cuts can be kept six to eight months. To freeze duck, ensure that it is wrapped in a hermetically-sealed freezer bag. Never freeze previously thawed uncooked duck.
Duck can be thawed in several ways. The safest is to thaw in the refrigerator because it limits juice seepage and the formation of harmful bacteria. Allow 10 to 11 hours per kilo (5-6 hours per pound). Leave the bird in its freezer wrapping, but pierce the wrap in a few places on the bottom to allow some of the juices to escape.
A thawed bird should be cooked within 48 hours.
Storage Life Chart
|
Cut
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
|
Fresh whole duck
|
1 to 3 days
|
10 to 12 months
|
|
Frozen whole duck
|
n/a
|
12 months
|
|
Cuts of duck
|
1 to 3 days
|
6 to 8 months
|
|
Cooked leftovers with sauce
|
1 to 3 days
|
3 to 6 months
|
|
Cooked leftovers without sauce
|
3 to 4 days
|
1 to 3 months
|