Refrigerator door was open for 9 hours

[Debbie]

I can not believe I did this... I went shopping at Costco, bought 143 dollars worth of food.. hurried out the door, and some reason the refrigerator door was left open about 5 inches.. the lights ( 2 bulbs) were on the entire time, and they heated up the refrigerator.. so everything 2 shelves down was just warm.. very warm.. the temperature was about 40 to 45 degrees.... so I ended up throwing brand new steaks, hamburger and stuff out into the garbage.. But I wonder about this brand new block of butter I bought, it was still in the foil, and not melted, it felt cool.. but not cold.. should I toss that also? I am just sick about this.

 

[ironchef]

The butter should be ok. The meats might've been ok depending on how long they were in the 40-45 degree range. I'll bet though that they were probably even warmer than that. If it was less than four hours they probably were safe to save provided you threw them in the freezer right away. But then you had no way of knowing that so better safe than sorry.

 

[expatgirl]

Debbie,

Believe it or not, when we lived in Egypt, the cook in the staff house where we stayed for the first month, NEVER refrigerated the butter (I guess he used it up so quickly that he didn't need to)-----I didn't discover this until we were left by ourselves for the weekend and found it in a cupboard covered by a bowl. So I don't think 4 hours is anything to worry about.

 

[pdswife]

We take butter with us backpacking all the time... it lasts for three or four days with no cooling.

 

[jpmcgrew]

The butter is fine the meat was probably ok to.I would have just cooked the meat right away.A good way to check the meat is hold it against your cheek if it still feels really cool it's ok but go ahead and cook it ,freeze and use it in something else later

 

[auntdot]

Many people used to leave butter out in a covered dish on the counter, with no adverse effects.

Believe that the meat was probably fine and we would have just cooked it.

But you have to do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[Debbie]

ok.. I won't worry about the butter, its just this couldn't have happened at the most worse time.. getting Married next Wednesday... and I sure didn't want to be sick for the wedding, so I threw most everything in the refrigerator out. * sigh* Thanks guys!!!!

 

[jpmcgrew]

http://www.butterbell.com/
Check it out I have one something like this.

 

[Banana Brain]

I always keep my butter at room tempurature under a little glass rectangular lid. Its perfectly fine.

 

[expatgirl]

CONGRATULATIONS, Debbie on your impending marriage. Best of luck and do take a DEEEEEEEEEEEEP breath----if it's any comfort, you are going to have many culinary mishaps along the way and I'm going to give you my mother-in-law's best advice ever-just don't tell anyone and throw the disasters in the garbage. Ha!

 

[amber]

Congrats Debbie on your up and coming marriage I think the butter is just fine, and I think you made the right choice with discarding your meats, better safe than sorry.

 

[licia]

We lost 2 freezers full of food when my gd was living here. She had got ice cream once and didn't close the door and another time she turned off the switch to everything in the garage. After that I told her to eat only from the freezer in the house and leave the switches alone that she didn't know about. Both times we were gone and didn't discover it until we saw a mess in the front.

 

[buckytom]

.A good way to check the meat is hold it against your cheeks. if it still feels really cool it's ok but go ahead and cook it ,freeze and use it in something else later

i'm not sure what kind of weird food yous eat in new mexico, but i ain't eating anything that i have to use my butt as a test...

 

[Debbie]

i'm not sure what kind of weird food yous eat in new mexico, but i ain't eating anything that i have to use my butt as a test...

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my goodness you made me laugh out loud on that one.

 

[vagriller]

i'm not sure what kind of weird food yous eat in new mexico, but i ain't eating anything that i have to use my butt as a test...

:in my best Deniro voice:

You...you're good you!

 

[jpmcgrew]

Just checked my karma Bucky what was that comment! I meant my face cheeks.You are a smarty pants and you are well deserved for a good spanking Im sure you are due for more than one so the question is.Do you want one at a time or all the accrued at once. Your choice

 

[Robo410]

btw, those butterbells are great! butter is fresh, spreadable, and keeps without going rancid for a month!

 

[thecactuswill]

That really sucks... But seems to me since the food was freshly purchased and in package, you could have maybe just cooked it all at once and avoided wasting it?

 

[buckytom]

lurker surfing again.

during the hurricane last fall, i stayed over a friend's house to help clean up and cook things when they had no power. i noticed that the butter was just fine after 5 or 6 days left out on the counter in a butter dish.

more recently, when i visited them again, they still had a butter dish (presumably with newer butter, lol) on the counter. i asked them if they do that often, and they replied that they store butter in the fridge, but always leave a stick out in the dish for immediate use.

it certainly makes it easier to spread. and sort of tastier, much like room temp chocolate tastes better than cold chocolate. (although, there is no bad chocolate)

 

[Hoot]

LOl @ lurker surfing...I thought I was the only one that reads stuff from the basement.. errrr... i mean the archives.
BTW...you ever hear from Harry these days? Last I heard he was recovering from surgery.