Sloppy Joes Sitting On The Stove: To Eat Or Not To Eat

[sydfan]

My lovely wife made some delicious homemade sloppy joes but if sat on the stove, in the original cooking vessel for 12 hours. It was covered and it was boiling when she covered it. Our inclination is to pitch it because it seems like an awful long time at that perfect temperature for bacteria. Can you offer an educated answer as to pitching this food or reheating it and eating it.

I'd appreciate your honest opinion.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I don't know how "educated" it is, but I would toss it!

 

[Katie H]

When in doubt, throw it out. I'd toss it, syd. Better to be safe than sorry. Buy some more ingredients and have her make another batch.

 

[kadesma]

I'd toss it as well..You do NOT want to be sick..Better safe than sorry.
kadesma

 

[GB]

12 hours is way too long to sit in the danger zone (40-140F). I think the rule 4 hours or more in the danger zone is unsafe.

 

[Barb L.]

I am the trader - I would eat it, my chili usually always sit out over night - too hot to but in fridge. But that is just me, you should be safe- I am not so good about that. But I am still kickin' pretty good ! This is NOT an educated answer, just mine !

 

[sydfan]

I'll bet it's still good, but we threw it our anyway. Like many of you said, better safe than sorry. I appreciate all your advice and so quickly too!


*tells wife to make new batch of sloppy joe WOMAN!*





*gets whacked in head with frying pan*

 

[GB]

LOL

Like you said sydfan, chances are it was still good, but you certainly do not want to be on the loosing end of that bet. You made the right choice!

 

[Rom]

PMSL @

*tells wife to make new batch of sloppy joe WOMAN!*

*gets whacked in head with frying pan*

 

[GrillingFool]

Reheat to boiling again for 10 minutes and enjoy.

 

[jennyema]

Reheat to boiling again for 10 minutes and enjoy.

That doesn't make it safe.

I am glad you threw it out.

 

[GrillingFool]

safe enough for me.

 

[kitchenelf]

Maybe if the lid had been off it MIGHT have been a bit safer if your kitchen was on the cooler side too. With the lid on there was no way for the heat to escape. My kitchen stays very cool and if that happened to me, lid OFF, it MAY have been ok. However, I've had food poisening (from eating out, not at home) about 7 times and I wouldn't hesitate in throwing it out!!!!!

This is for your wife ONLY - next time have him eat a bowl or two - put your feet up but don't have an adult beverage as you will have to drive

 

[kitchenelf]

The main thing - use common sense here. Some people can handle questionable foods in their systems. Others cannot. Plain and simple. If you have to think about it why take the chance. Good enough for one may not be good enough for another. And politics has no business in this thread.

 

[GrillingFool]

I am curious.. what beasties that grew in the stew overnight
would not be killed by a good long boil?

Assuming there was no visible mold or other fungi colonies, of
course.

That would pretty much put the lie to "boil your water for 10 minutes
and it is safe to drink", wouldn't it?

 

[GotGarlic]

That doesn't make it safe.

I think it does. My uncle and his (now) wife sailed around the world in a 40-foot sailboat with no refrigeration. She often made a huge pot of soup or stew and left it on the stove for 24 hours. She would then boil it for a while (I don't remember specifically how long) and they would eat it for lunch for a week, no problem.

 

[Smylietron]

I feel your pain. I had some delicious pesto chicken pasta last night which got left out in the car...now I have no lunch today!

 

[GotGarlic]

Maybe if the lid had been off it MIGHT have been a bit safer if your kitchen was on the cooler side too. With the lid on there was no way for the heat to escape.

Hi. The heat can escape through the sides of the pot. It will take longer than it would if the lid was off, but according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, heat will transfer from hot metal to cooler surrounding air.

From http://www.entropysite.com/students_approach.html :

<quote>
The iron atoms in a hot frying pan are vibrating very rapidly (like ‘dancing in place’ fast) and therefore the motional energy in the hot pan is localized. That motional energy will spread out — if it can. Whenever the less rapidly moving molecules in the cooler air of the room hit the hot pan, the fast-vibrating iron atoms transfer some of their energy to the air molecules. The pan’s localized energy thus becomes dispersed, spread out more widely to molecules in the room air. [System: pan. Surroundings: room air.]
<end quote>

 

[keltin]

Hi. The heat can escape through the sides of the pot. It will take longer than it would if the lid was off, but according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, heat will transfer from hot metal to cooler surrounding air.

From http://www.entropysite.com/students_approach.html :

<quote>
The iron atoms in a hot frying pan are vibrating very rapidly (like ‘dancing in place’ fast) and therefore the motional energy in the hot pan is localized. That motional energy will spread out — if it can. Whenever the less rapidly moving molecules in the cooler air of the room hit the hot pan, the fast-vibrating iron atoms transfer some of their energy to the air molecules. The pan’s localized energy thus becomes dispersed, spread out more widely to molecules in the room air. [System: pan. Surroundings: room air.]
<end quote>

Yep, that’s called conduction. I think what kitchenelf meant was that the heat will not evacuate as quickly thus the dish stays in the critical danger zone far longer than had the lid been off.

 

[kitchenelf]

Yep, that’s called conduction. I think what kitchenelf meant was that the heat will not evacuate as quickly thus the dish stays in the critical danger zone far longer than had the lid been off.

That is exactly what I meant keltin. Anything will cool off eventually.