Eighty degree refrigerator

[jennyema]

Your cheeses -- especially the parmesan -- would be fine. So would most of your condiments.

The chili needed to be tossed. As did other meat and dairy foods.

Pico will be fine.

Heating food to boiling will not kill off all heat-resistant spores. So you can still get very sick even if you do this. If this were not the case, we wouldn't need to refrigerate food in the fitrst place. We would just leave it out and reheat it.

 

[PanchoHambre]

So..... did you eat your chili...are you still alive Pac?

If it was really good Chili I would have eaten it.... I am sure I have done worse. I would not serve it to anyone else though... anyone I like anyway

 

[mozart]

I am curious how a refrigerator that is constantly running because the door is slightly open reaches 80 degrees on the top shelf, yet other foods are cold to the touch. Mine would never top 60 or so in that situation if that.

Anyway, I should add Bacillus cereus to the potential organisms. This won't be an issue with canned beans and canned tomatoes, but could possibly be with fresh tomatoes although it is not real common to begin with and I've never heard of it in chili, just rice dishes.

By the way, reheating should be done on the stove top not the microwave, as microwave ovens often leave cold spots in reheated foods.

 

[pacanis]

It was excellent chili. No beans, smoked pulled pork, my new Penzeys chili powder, peppers, onions, garlic, jalapenos..... awesome chili (sniff). And I still have it, but have decided not to eat it. I'm going to dump it way out back when it isn't raining and let the critters have it. I will probably say a couple words over it.


I'd like to know, too, Mozart. Joe's lighbulb theory is the only thing I can think of. And I was also thinking that even though the cooling was running non-stop, trying to catch up to the thermostat setting, with the door cracked maybe hot hair generated by the compressor was entering. This refrigerator has always sucked though, fluctuating temps, 10 degree difference between the top and bottom shelf, almost at the coldest setting to maintain 38F, four fan motors in the seven years I've had it. I need to shoot it someday and put me out of its misery

 

[elaine l]

Whew! Pacanis, I was starting to worry about you!

 

[pacanis]

Whew! Pacanis, I was starting to worry about you!

Just cuz I'm not eating the chili, isn't reason enough to stop.

 

[fireweaver]

poor pacanis! with all the work, i probably would have risked it, too...except that i just had a wicked case of clostridium a couple of months ago, which put me back on the straight & narrow FOR SURE. and no, i acquired it from a restaurant, not my house, but i do NOT want another round with food poisoning. fun thing about plenty of bacteria (like my clostridial nightmare) is that even if you boil the crap out of that food & kill the buggies, their toxins are still in there, ready to wreak havoc.

the kind of havoc that keeps you home from work for a few days, and makes you not eat anything for a week. waaaaaaay unpleasant.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks fireweaver.
I've never had the food poisoning that I read about here. I've eaten stuff that has made me sick for a day, but nothing like the wretched one week variety that a lot of folks here have had. I guess I've been lucky. My final decision was based on that I can't afford to be sick right now. Now, maybe if it was after the holiday weekend....

 

[expatgirl]

poor pacanis! with all the work, i probably would have risked it, too...except that i just had a wicked case of clostridium a couple of months ago, which put me back on the straight & narrow FOR SURE. and no, i acquired it from a restaurant, not my house, but i do NOT want another round with food poisoning. fun thing about plenty of bacteria (like my clostridial nightmare) is that even if you boil the crap out of that food & kill the buggies, their toxins are still in there, ready to wreak havoc.

the kind of havoc that keeps you home from work for a few days, and makes you not eat anything for a week. waaaaaaay unpleasant.

yep, a good dance with Ms. clostridium botulism is enough for most........sorry you had to go thru that bout, fireweaver...........yeah, some of these beasties like Clostridium will produce spores that can withstand high temps and therefore are not killed with even boiling......not worth dancing with the stars

 

[Claire]

Hmmm, I always wear my seatbelt, but would take a taste of the chili. Of course my pantry area gets pretty cold at night. If I lived after eating the chili, I'd serve it to friends.

 

[QSis]

Quote:
Originally Posted by elaine l
Whew! Pacanis, I was starting to worry about you!

Just cuz I'm not eating the chili, isn't reason enough to stop.



elaine, tell him to WEAR HIS SEATBELT!!!

Lee

 

[VeraBlue]

I am curious how a refrigerator that is constantly running because the door is slightly open reaches 80 degrees on the top shelf, yet other foods are cold to the touch. Mine would never top 60 or so in that situation if that.

Anyway, I should add Bacillus cereus to the potential organisms. This won't be an issue with canned beans and canned tomatoes, but could possibly be with fresh tomatoes although it is not real common to begin with and I've never heard of it in chili, just rice dishes.

By the way, reheating should be done on the stove top not the microwave, as microwave ovens often leave cold spots in reheated foods.

An open door introduces ambient temperature. Average room temp is 70, so that is being introduced into the confined space. Additionally, the chili was hot when it went into the fridge (never a good idea to put it in in a solid mass, but that's another thread), hot air rises, making the top of the box the hottest spot. Even with the door closed, the appliance would have been hard pressed to maintain 40 degrees and properly cool the chili within two hours.

 

[pacanis]

It wasn't hot, Vera. I'm one of those folks who let things cool down a bit before putting them in the fridge. More to reduce condensation on the food than anything.

 

[VeraBlue]

hmmm, then....the only reason it would heat up to 80, then is just the introduction of the ambient temperature. With the door not completely open, and simply ajar I wouldn't thing it would get as high as 80. It's possible you need the compressor checked.

 

[pacanis]

The next person to touch the back of this refrigerator will be wheeling it out and the new one in :^)

 

[GB]

It wasn't hot, Vera. I'm one of those folks who let things cool down a bit before putting them in the fridge. More to reduce condensation on the food than anything.

How long did you let it cool before it went into the fridge. It it was within a safe time period then chances are it was still hot in the center.

 

[GB]

If I lived after eating the chili, I'd serve it to friends.

That is still very dangerous. What if your chili did have nasties in it, but your immune system was strong enough to deal with it, but your friends system was not? What if you just had not seen any symptoms yet. It can take days before you notice anything, if you even notice it.

 

[pacanis]

How long did you let it cool before it went into the fridge. It it was within a safe time period then chances are it was still hot in the center.

Good question. I didn't time it. 1-1/2 hours maybe? The football game was over.... The cast iron DO wasn't hot anymore, maybe just warm. And yes, the center could have still been hot enough to eat, but I'd like to think that the coldness of the refrigerator started by cooling the CI, then the lukewarm outer chili, then the center, rather than the other way around with the center of the chili radiating heat outward.
If the door had been shut that is

 

[GB]

Good question. I didn't time it. 1-1/2 hours maybe? The football game was over.... The cast iron DO wasn't hot anymore, maybe just warm. And yes, the center could have still been hot enough to eat, but I'd like to think that the coldness of the refrigerator started by cooling the CI, then the lukewarm outer chili, then the center, rather than the other way around with the center of the chili radiating heat outward.
If the door had been shut that is

1.5 hours is a safe amount of time to let it cool. the center was still most likely very hot though, which means parts of the chili most likely never got into the safe zone.

Next time, dish the chili into smaller containers as you let it cool. This will enable it to cool much quicker and will be safer.

 

[pacanis]

Yeah, I should get in the habit of doing that, especially with something thick, but like a lot of people, after the food is cooked and dinner is finished, I look for the easy way out.