The eighth annual 2012 Spring Chicken Festival/Chicken Cooking Contest in late April, and the more recent fourth annual Brenau Barbecue Championship mark the official start of grilling season. The former event sponsored by Keep Hall Beautiful was created to promote the leading agricultural money maker in Hall County — chicken.

Hall County is not bashful about claiming to be the "Chicken Capital of the World." In truth, the poultry industry has made Hall County what it is today. The poultry industry, which includes production of broilers, pullets, layers, eggs and all supporting industries, made up 87 percent of the 2010 Hall County Farm Gate, valued at $237,305,960.

Chicken is low in fat and easily lends itself to home cooking as well as five-star restaurant menus, and is a major player in many international cuisines. The National Chicken Council’s web site www.eatchicken.com is a wonderful go-to place to find recipes, cooking and safety tips, and even how-to videos that cooking mavens and novices alike will enjoy and learn from.

Like all fresh meats, chicken is perishable and should be handled with care. Proper handling and cooking of chicken completely eliminates the risk of bacterial infection.

Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product, follow these tips to determine how long to store chicken and still use it at top quality.

Purchase the product before the date expires. Follow handling recommendations on product. Refrigerate raw chicken promptly. Never leave it on a countertop at room temperature. Packaged fresh chicken may be refrigerated in original wrappings in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not to be used within two days. Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If freezing chicken longer than two months, overwrap the porous store plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag. Properly packaged, frozen chicken will maintain top quality in a home freezer for up to one year.

Thaw chicken in the refrigerator — not on the countertop — or in cold water. It takes about 24 hours to thaw a 4-pound chicken in the refrigerator; cut-up parts, three to nine hours.

For quick thawing of raw or cooked chicken use, the microwave using 30 percent power in short time increments. Thawing time will vary.

Always wash hands, countertops, cutting boards, knives and other utensils used in preparing raw chicken with soapy water before they come in contact with other raw or cooked foods.

When purchasing fully cooked rotisserie or fast food chicken, be sure it is hot at the time of purchase. Use it within two hours or cut it into several pieces and refrigerate in shallow, covered containers. Eat within three to four days, either cold or reheated to 165 degrees. It is safe to freeze ready-prepared chicken. For best quality, flavor and texture, use it within four months.

Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator up to two days. Boil used marinade before brushing on cooked chicken. Discard any uncooked leftover marinade.

The USDA recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured using a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures.

Never brown or partially cook chicken to refrigerate and finish cooking later because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed. It is safe to partially precook or microwave chicken immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking.

Ginger Bennett is a Program Specialist II-Radon Educator with the UGA Cooperative Extension in Hall County. Contact: 770-535-8290; bennettg@uga.edu; www.hallcounty.org/extension.

Radon-proof your home

New homes can be built with radon-resistant features that includes installing a ventilation system that diverts air from beneath the home and vents it above the roof allows radon and other dangerous air-borne substances to bypass the home. If the home tests high for radon after completion, an exhaust fan can be added to fix the problem.