I think I'm gonna have to throw it out....

fabric

fabric

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I made some curry with chicken and spinach and coconut milk last night around midnight. I meant to put it away but usually wait for the pot to cool a little before putting it in the fridge. Well, I started reading a book, did some breathing exercises and fell asleep! I woke up this morning around 8am (had some strange dreams but I can't remember much) and realized as soon as I got up that I forgot to put it away~ :cry: The chicken was well covered in sauce and smelt fine but was sitting in the bacteria zone (room temp) for at least 6 hours after it cooled down... I really hate wasting food.... it was really good too...
 
are you sure it has gone bad already? perhaps if reheated it can still be good?
 
Maybe take a very small sample and freeze the rest. Boil the small sample and eat it. If you're O. K. then maybe the food is good.
 
I don't know if it has gone bad, but I'm rather paranoid about food poisoning. I'd rather not take the risk knowingly. I've had food before that I've suspected to be out more than 2 hours and not gotten sick but I could have just been lucky. Got lots to do this weekend though so I'm gonna hold on for a bit. It's sitting in the fridge now and I'm trying to find some info that says otherwise but it looks like its gotta go...
 
I hate wasting food too, but you're better safe than sorry. Food poisoning is just not worth the risk, especially with chicken. :cool:

Also, if you're detoxing, you'd want to avoid the curry due to the chilli it contains. They are very inflammatory.
 
It would likely be a fine feast for your 2d friends, Fabric. Then it wouldn't be a waste. ;)

I recall reading about ethnic groups living in the Caucus' who lived to a very ripe old age(many over 100) and were considered to be extremely healthy. Of course they smoked, drank red wine etc., but what caught my eye is that they almost always ate fresh food. Apparently leftovers went to the dogs, pigs, chickens etc.



FWIW.
 
The thing to do when that happens is to re-heat the food to simmer temperature for about 10 minutes, then cool slightly and put away. If anything has begun to proliferate, that should kill it. In general, food can sit at room temperature safely for several hours after being cooked.
 
It might help, as well, if it was covered throughout that time it was sitting, since it actually would have been a relatively sterile environment, provided it was at or above boiling temperature long enough.

However, I've worked in food safety in government and am now paranoid of bacteria in food, so I can certainly understand the fear.
Gonzo
 
I think it should be safe as long as it was thoroughly cooked in the first place, and you re-simmer it as Laura suggested.
 
I hope you haven't thrown it away, if you read Laura's advice.

Have you already made sure that curry and coconut are good for you? Some people can't tolerate them very well. I hope you can, because it's delicious! :P But I thought of warning you in case you haven't really tested these types of food.
 
Gonzo said:
However, I've worked in food safety in government and am now paranoid of bacteria in food, so I can certainly understand the fear.
Gonzo
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Well I think the fear of germs in western culture has been blown out of proportions and taken to ridiculous level. It all just serves to alienates us further from our environment.
The kids these days don't stand any chance in developing properly functional immune system with all the bacteriological wipes, disinfectants and abuse of antibiotics.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone - I did end up throwing it out though :/


Laura said:
The thing to do when that happens is to re-heat the food to simmer temperature for about 10 minutes, then cool slightly and put away. If anything has begun to proliferate, that should kill it. In general, food can sit at room temperature safely for several hours after being cooked.
Click to expand...


I think so too, and that was my initial impression but I started thinking too much about it then. Today I was buying groceries and noticed there was bento (Japanese style lunch set - usually some rice and veggies with chicken or fish) on the counter sitting at room temp. I see this all the time and they generally sell them as they are throughout the day (so they sit out for several hours). No one I know has gotten sick (including myself) so I know those aren't a problem. I worry when it comes to my own homemade stuff but then again it should be okay. I wish I saw this post and that bento box before I threw it out!

Ailén said:
I hope you haven't thrown it away, if you read Laura's advice.

Have you already made sure that curry and coconut are good for you? Some people can't tolerate them very well. I hope you can, because it's delicious! :P But I thought of warning you in case you haven't really tested these types of food.
Click to expand...

I haven't got around to testing them yet but I think I am the type that gets silently attacked as I don't generally feel too bad after eating (even wheat). I've pretty much eliminated wheat (haven't had bread or pasta in a while - although there's still the hidden stuff and I check as much as I can), dairy, sugar, fast food. There's still occasions when I'll slip due to situation or just really hungry and there's only ramen shops or sushi (there's wheat in the vinegar they use for the rice) so I'll end up eating something I shouldn't. I'm trying to get to the point where it's just veggies/broth and chicken/fish (ultra simple diet stuff) but it's been a slow process.

Stormy Knight said:
Well I think the fear of germs in western culture has been blown out of proportions and taken to ridiculous level. It all just serves to alienates us further from our environment.
The kids these days don't stand any chance in developing properly functional immune system with all the bacteriological wipes, disinfectants and abuse of antibiotics.
Click to expand...

Yea totally. I've seen some really questionable stuff being sold here and no one seems to care so much. They actually eat it! But then again Japanese people almost everything :O
 
Smelling and tasting is a good method to determine if a food is still edible. It surely was an important skill in past times, before humans started relying on expiration dates.
 
Data said:
Smelling and tasting is a good method to determine if a food is still edible. It surely was an important skill in past times, before humans started relying on expiration dates.
Click to expand...

I also think so, it is how I test my food. If it smells and tastes ok, than it is ok. So far it hasn't failed.
If I am not sure of the smell I heat it up, and afterwords if it has gone bad I usually notice that any underlying bad smell will be intensified and easier for me to identify.

~Fabric~ said:
Yea totally. I've seen some really questionable stuff being sold here and no one seems to care so much. They actually eat it! But then again Japanese people almost everything :O
Click to expand...

Yes, if there is one thing I remember from a Japanese friend of mine was a type of rotten beans that she loved to eat!
 
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