It was warmer in my fridge last night than it was in the kitchen this morning.
Anyone who has intentionally left food out over night "for decades" without getting sick needs a wake up call.
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I was on one forum where we had an acronym for that: lolstc (laughing out loud, scared the cat).
Oh no. You do realize that isn't how it works on DC, right? ...insert hilarious comedy riff here...That's how we roll here at DC, so please play along!
Actually, no we don't. The fact that neither us nor our child who is now in her mid 30s or anyone else that ate our food has had a problem speaks for itself since it's been DECADES! However, if anyone in the house was immune suppressed or had any other kind of health issue, things would be different. We use A/C pretty much year round because of where we live, so overnight temps are in mid to low 70s. When it's cold here, it's usually colder in the house than in the fridge as our heating unit isn't up to par with you northerners. On the few occasions that we have been without power because of a hurricane, the food either got eaten immediately or went into a cooler or now the fridge/freezer since we have a generator. Like Craig wrote, leftover seafood goes in the fridge ASAP. Anything like a roast for instance that is getting used for another full meal, like shepherd's pie, chef salad, etc., goes into the fridge /freezer after cooling. If it's getting eaten the next morning, after spending less than 12 hours in an A/C'd home, then obviously there isn't a problem since it's been done for DECADES.
People survived for thousands of years w/o refrigeration. Yes, a lot of people also died from various causes, including bad sanitation, various germs, etc., and life expectancy has greatly increased over the years. However, we also have "super" bugs that we didn't have years ago because of over/mis-use of antibiotics. It's also been theorized that the over-use of cleaning products and children not playing as much outside and not being exposed to environmental bacteria has led to decreased immune system efficiency in children.
We all know how some things that were "good" for you, have turned out to be "bad" for you. Anybody remember margarine for instance? Who can say that in years to come attitudes about food storage won't change?
I'm sorry you ended up in the hospital with "food poisoning," but there's lots of ways to get that and I note you didn't go into detail.
Oh no. You do realize that isn't how it works on DC, right?
First, someone will answer your question. Then several others will come along and say more or less the same thing. Then there will be the dissenting opinion, followed by at least a page and a half of bickering. After some time, Addie will chime in with an off topic anecdotal story involving Pooh and a pirate (or some such), and how EVERYONE in New England leaves their chowder out overnight.
Things may or may not ever swing back to the original topic at this point. But never fear, because some eight or nine years in the future, it will all be dredged up again by a DC newcomer who didn't see the date on the thread and assumes you are still waiting for an answer.
That's how we roll here at DC, so please play along!
wow, i have been away a long time. this is funny?
so as to bring it back: i'm with gg and medtran. unless you have a weak stomach (as it used to be called), it's probably good.
there's lots of factors involved though. how clean and refrigerated everything was to start, how hot the kitchen was, etc..
Yup. Quite often I'll eat some without reheating it. Like I said, been doing it for decades.
In case you wanted an update to the OP here - I brought the stew to a quick boil, simmered it for a while and ate it. That was yesterday. Now it's the next morning and no untoward symptoms. Still standing!
(Of course, food poisoning can come on 1-2 days after consumption....)
I agree--I've seen what goes on in restaurant kitchens...I think I would feel safer with the practices of food safety in the home, than those in a restaurant that I am not familiar with.
Oh no. You do realize that isn't how it works on DC, right?
First, someone will answer your question. Then several others will come along and say more or less the same thing. Then there will be the dissenting opinion, followed by at least a page and a half of bickering. After some time, Addie will chime in with an off topic anecdotal story involving Pooh and a pirate (or some such), and how EVERYONE in New England leaves their chowder out overnight.
Things may or may not ever swing back to the original topic at this point. But never fear, because some eight or nine years in the future, it will all be dredged up again by a DC newcomer who didn't see the date on the thread and assumes you are still waiting for an answer.
That's how we roll here at DC, so please play along!
Yes, they did but they knew ways of storing foods and keeping them fresh and cool that modern housewives have forgotten. - the cold marble slab in the dark larder on the north side of the house, the cold cellars, the terracotta milk savers that you soaked in cold water and upturned over the milk bottle which kept the milk cold by evaporation, the stoneware container with a cavity in the base for holding vinegar which kept your cheese fresh, etc., etc.. When we had a caravan on the Welsh coast during the 1950s, before sites had electricity points, my grandmother used to keep food cool and fresh in a metal container with a sealable lid which was sunk in the ground under the caravan.People survived for thousands of years w/o refrigeration.
On occasions when the 'fridge has been full at Christmas and I've had to deal with a big bird I've put it in the boot of the car overnight prior to cooking it.During cooler weather (ie: low 40s F or colder outside at night) I've been known to frequently use the garage as a cooling zone, leaving fresh-made food out there all night until I have time to repackage and refrigerate/freeze for future use. Himself and I have never become sick from food we've prepared at home. However, we've both become sickly to varying degrees from food consumed at restaurants. If you felt confident that your raw materials were fresh, your produce was clean, and you had a sanitary work area, there shouldn't be any issue. BUT creative, be sure to check in here when you get up so we all know you are still "with us" ok?
Huh? I was just being reflective. Perhaps you missed my celebratory emoticon in my post?Quit worrying. You're good to go. No pun intended.
Oh, goody! A sub-thread-to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature! I always thaw meat in the basement fridge. My mom used to thaw turkeys in a cooler full of cold water that she'd put in the bathtub....On occasions when the 'fridge has been full at Christmas and I've had to deal with a big bird I've put it in the boot of the car overnight prior to cooking it.
Really, it's about commonsense. My kitchen is cold and a couple of winters ago I left a 3lb frozen chicken out to defrost overnight to cook the following morning. It took nearly two days - it would have defrosted quicker in the 'fridge! However, that was a one off it's not usually that cold here.
Normally I do thaw in the 'fridge but on that occasion I was expecting visitors the following day and had forgotten to take the bird out of the freezer. There's no radiator in the kitchen and, although the central heating boiler is in the kitchen, I don't run it overnight. That particular night was so cold that I had a hot water bottle and an extra blanket on the bed. It's rarely that cold over here!Oh, goody! A sub-thread-to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature! I always thaw meat in the basement fridge. My mom used to thaw turkeys in a cooler full of cold water that she'd put in the bathtub....