Food left out overnight

[Catbert]

I somehow left a enchilada stack casserole out over night (12 hours).  The problematic ingredient is pulled pork. It was thoroughly cooked even before baking the enchilada stack.  Would you eat it?  Am I an idiot for considering eating?

[former player]

Thoroughly cooked should mean that you don't need to worry about anything that was in the meat before it was cooked.

I'd use the sniff test as to whether or not anything has gone wrong with it since and if it passed the sniff test I'd eat it.  If I wasn't eating it all immediately I might freeze it on the basis that it would be nuked to defrost and eaten immediately, I probably wouldn't shove it back in the fridge for more than half a day.  But I've no particular health vulnerabilities and that might change the equation.

ETA: I've read that there is research to show that spices have a protective effect against meat being spoilt, so if your enchiladas are good and spicy that's another reason for thinking that they are OK.

[achvfi]

Idiot? no you are not. I would eat it. If you have air conditioning your food is just fine.

Eat it. You will be just fine. May be it will have little more histamine than usual.

Let us know how it goes.

[darknight]

I've done this a few times. Such a gut punch the next morning, especially when it's nice dish of something like enchiladas! If I remember right, the safe acceptable standard is 4 hrs of room temp. If the dish came out piping hot at 7pm, it probably wasn't room temp until 8:30-9pm. Add 4 hours, then add whatever you're comfortable with.

I've thrown out leftovers that were left out, solely on the decision process of "how much would I pay to not get food poisoning/gut ache from this dish". If the dish cost $5-$10 to remake, I'll gladly "pay" that to not get sick.

[Zikoris]

I wouldn't. Been there, done that, had to take an (unpaid) day off work to stay home shitting and puking.

[Adventine]

If all of the below conditions were met:

- the house was cool overnight
- the food was covered (otherwise pests could have touched the food overnight too)
- I had no health issues

Then yes, I would try a bite, and if I didn't experience any bad reactions in an hour or two, I would eat a full serving.

[patchyfacialhair]

As someone who works full time, with two kids, and a wife that works full time, getting sick is a huge bummer, no matter who it is. We're in COVID quarantine this week, and the kids are going crazy while my wife and I try to work from home.

So all that to say, no I wouldn't risk it, as the disruption to life is not worth it.

Consider it a two figure lesson learned.

[Sibley]

The stuff that's made me sick generally hasn't been the meat. It's the gravy, or the mayo going off. So, what else is in that dish?

[ATtiny85]

I wouldn’t even hesitate to eat it (assuming it was good tasting to start with.)

I’ve left various meats out way longer than advised many times with no problems.

I carry lunch for about seven hours in fairly high temps in a cloth bag. Pork, chicken, beef, no problems.

[BlueHouse]

If there's mayo or any cream based anything, then I wouldn't.

But the question really comes down to:  is it worth it? 

Whenever I ask that question, then a few bucks down the drain is never worth it.  I've had food poisoning (bad case) and other mild cases that are just short-term unpleasant.  It's never worth a few dollars. 

[wenchsenior]

I wouldn't. Been there, done that, had to take an (unpaid) day off work to stay home shitting and puking.

Same. No way would I eat it.

[Catbert]

The stuff that's made me sick generally hasn't been the meat. It's the gravy, or the mayo going off. So, what else is in that dish?

Nothing dairy except cheese.  Flour tortillas, pulled pork, refried beans, cheese, enchilada sauce (tomatillos, garlic, onion). 

It wouldn't have been hot overnight (low of 63F) but not exactly cool either. 

I think I'll chance it.  I'll heat in the oven rather than microwave so no cold spots and toss whatever we don't eat tonight.  We both generally have cast iron stomachs which I realize is not a teflon shield against serious food poisoning.  I've never had food poisoning and I've eaten some dicey food over the years.

[iris lily]

I would eat it.

Recently I left a big container of pulled pork in my hot car, there for 28 hours. That I did NOT eat, but my dog had a feast.

[ATtiny85]

The stuff that's made me sick generally hasn't been the meat. It's the gravy, or the mayo going off. So, what else is in that dish?

Nothing dairy except cheese.  Flour tortillas, pulled pork, refried beans, cheese, enchilada sauce (tomatillos, garlic, onion). 

It wouldn't have been hot overnight (low of 63F) but not exactly cool either. 

I think I'll chance it.  I'll heat in the oven rather than microwave so no cold spots and toss whatever we don't eat tonight.  We both generally have cast iron stomachs which I realize is not a teflon shield against serious food poisoning.  I've never had food poisoning and I've eaten some dicey food over the years.

@Dicey may want to remonstrate with you about your implication

[Sibley]

The stuff that's made me sick generally hasn't been the meat. It's the gravy, or the mayo going off. So, what else is in that dish?

Nothing dairy except cheese.  Flour tortillas, pulled pork, refried beans, cheese, enchilada sauce (tomatillos, garlic, onion). 

It wouldn't have been hot overnight (low of 63F) but not exactly cool either. 

I think I'll chance it.  I'll heat in the oven rather than microwave so no cold spots and toss whatever we don't eat tonight.  We both generally have cast iron stomachs which I realize is not a teflon shield against serious food poisoning.  I've never had food poisoning and I've eaten some dicey food over the years.

You're probably fine.

[Dicey]

The stuff that's made me sick generally hasn't been the meat. It's the gravy, or the mayo going off. So, what else is in that dish?

Nothing dairy except cheese.  Flour tortillas, pulled pork, refried beans, cheese, enchilada sauce (tomatillos, garlic, onion). 

It wouldn't have been hot overnight (low of 63F) but not exactly cool either. 

I think I'll chance it.  I'll heat in the oven rather than microwave so no cold spots and toss whatever we don't eat tonight.  We both generally have cast iron stomachs which I realize is not a teflon shield against serious food poisoning.  I've never had food poisoning and I've eaten some dicey food over the years.

@Dicey may want to remonstrate with you about your implication

HAHAHA! Funny this topic should come up. I made the recipe below earlier in the week. It was left out on the counter overnight, along with three containers of plain brown rice, whomp, whomp. I have no qualms about the rice (we have consumed some of it since, to no ill effect), but the Chicken Curry has me worried. I immediately tossed it in the freezer until I could make a decision. The good news is my humans liked it a lot, so there was only one small serving left. I really like @Adventine's advice and I think I'll try that approach.

https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/thai-red-curry-chicken-sweet-potatoes/

[GuitarStv]

Does it smell/taste bad?  If no, I say eat it.  Your body is reasonably good at determining if something is edible.

[Samuel]

Yeah, I'm in the wuss camp too. I'm not rolling the dice on food poisoning to try and salvage a few dollars.

[Zikoris]

Also, a good way to avoid this is to portion everything out at the same time you're preparing your plates to eat. Normally when I cook, everything is already in the fridge when we're eating, because I bust out the plates and tupperwares at the same time.

[Catbert]

I'll let you all know in 24 hours or so how it turns out.

[EchoStache]

/popcorn

[SavinMaven]

No way would I even consider this.

Good luck.

[OzzieandHarriet]

The beauty of a vegetarian diet … very few foods would have this problem.

[geekette]

The beauty of a vegetarian diet … very few foods would have this problem.

Except vegetables, fruits, eggs, and rice.

[sonofsven]

Enchiladas left out over night? Yes, I've eaten that.
If it smells ok then I would not be concerned.

[Catbert]

DH and I ate dinner 16 hours ago.  No problems, not even a gurgle.  I'm pitching the remaining servings because I don't want to press my luck.

edited bc I can't spell

[GuitarStv]

DH and I ate dinner 16 hours ago.  No problems, not even a gurgle.  I'm pitching the remaining servings because I don't want to press my luck.

edited bc I can't spell

If it smells and tastes OK - it probably is.  :P

[eyesonthehorizon]

DH and I ate dinner 16 hours ago.  No problems, not even a gurgle.  I'm pitching the remaining servings because I don't want to press my luck.

edited bc I can't spell

If it smells and tastes OK - it probably is.  :P

This. If it's questionable I'll take a couple bites' worth to heat up thoroughly, let cool, eat those, wait & see. Heat kills bacteria, so what you're testing at that point is if there's a buildup of anything toxic from their metabolism that might make you ill.

I wouldn't have pitched any of it once recooked/ committing to eating any of it, since it's clear that any bacteria already in the food didn't create sufficient toxins to disrupt your digestion, & if you re-cooked it thoroughly you've reset the clock on their buildup.

I have had some horrible, rather serious food poisoning before, but always from a restaurant.

[ATtiny85]

Catbert should have gone radio silent for a few days, just to watch us squirm.

[Cassie]

I never take the chance with food poisoning. It’s just too nasty and not worth it.

[kay02]

I've had food poisoning.  Once.  Most people I talked to about it said the same thing.  It changes your habits.

Throw it out.

[Zamboni]

I've thrown out leftovers that were left out, solely on the decision process of "how much would I pay to not get food poisoning/gut ache from this dish". If the dish cost $5-$10 to remake, I'll gladly "pay" that to not get sick.

I grew up in a house where leftovers were routinely left out on the stove and then reheated for the next meal. Sometimes there were a couple of cycles of that before something was all eaten. In addition, my Mom's "too spoiled to eat" threshold for tossing things from the fridge was very, very high. I think it had to be unrecognizable. She also would bring home expired yogurt that she got for free from her work and tell it was fine to eat . . . just made me think I hate yogurt, which I now know if not true.

And, looking back, I had food poisoning quite a bit as a child. To the point where I thought regular cycles of it was the normal state of being until I was an adult living on my own.

I also spent a few terrible days thinking I was going to die in a third world country once, and I'm pretty sure that was food poisoning since I was so very careful about the water.  It's not a fun way to die, let me assure you, but I kind of resigned myself to it while it was happening, making a bizarre peace with the idea. I did the only thing I could do: drink all of the sealed bottled water available over time to avoid dehydration, and take all the pepto in my bag a few at a time. Thank God there was a huge stockpile of the bottled water readily available. Okay, this is all TMI.

Top that off with the fact that bacterial diseases are THE leading cause of death worldwide, and I'd rather just toss something like that at this point in my life.

Glad it was delicious, though, and that you are fine.

[FIRE Artist]

Being mustachian means I don’t have to make a decision between potential food poisoning and going hungry.

[GuitarStv]

Being mustachian means I don’t waste perfectly good food.  :P

[Sandi_k]

Toss it. Even if you heat it up, the bacteria and toxins can lodge and multiply in your intestinal tract.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodborne_illness

[former player]

Toss it. Even if you heat it up, the bacteria and toxins can lodge and multiply in your intestinal tract.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodborne_illness

But if you follow good hygiene practices (wash your hands, wash vegetables and fruit, don't allow cross-contamination from meat) and then cook everything thoroughly then for practical purposes none of that is relevant.  Cooking properly effectively sterilises the food and makes it safe to eat.  So if food is properly prepared and cooked the clock on contamination starts from zero and it can be kept and eaten later, either cold or reheated.  The sorts of problems that arise with food that is being kept after being cooked are the ones which your eyes and nose and tastebuds are going to disclose to you - if the food is spoiled in storage you will know before even trying to eat it.

Overnight (10 hours) in 63 degree temperatures followed by thorough reheating and immediately eating doesn't sound at all dangerous to me.  Honestly, I'm not sure how any of you think your ancestors survived the age before refrigerators and freezers and that is only one or two generations ago - hundreds of generations of your ancestors have survived doing exactly this on a regular basis and would quite probably have starved to death if they hadn't.

There are some minor cases where care is necessary (uncooked eggs that might have salmonella, and not reheating rice more than once).  But other than that, good gods people.

[vand]

That what doesn't kill you...

[stoaX]

I never take the chance with food poisoning. It’s just too nasty and not worth it.

This is the smart answer, but I accidentally leave food out overnight 2 or 3 times per year and always eat it with no ill effects.  I guess I don't follow my own advice. 

[rocketpj]

The Food Safe course I had to take for work a gazillion years ago would say toss it, no question.  That said, I'd probably just recook it to kill any new germs.  Food Safe also says never to defrost frozen meats on the counter, but I am never, ever prepared enough to defrost meats in the fridge.

[Zamboni]

Honestly, I'm not sure how any of you think your ancestors survived the age before refrigerators and freezers and that is only one or two generations ago - hundreds of generations of your ancestors have survived doing exactly this on a regular basis and would quite probably have starved to death if they hadn't.

There are some minor cases where care is necessary (uncooked eggs that might have salmonella, and not reheating rice more than once).  But other than that, good gods people.

"From the 1500s onward, till around the year 1800, life expectancy throughout Europe hovered between 30 and 40 years of age."

People used to start cranking out offspring as teens and more often than not didn't make it to 50. Several religions developed strict rules about what you are allowed to eat entirely because of the prevalence of food borne illnesses. So food safety is a thing that we take fairly for granted now, but don't be fooled into thinking bad food can't take you out . . . it absolutely still can.

I'm obviously scarred from my childhood, lol.

Improvements in sanitation and food safety are at least one part of the fact that we now take for granted most of us will make it to 50.

[Josiecat22222]

I would totally eat it.

[SinnahSaint]

Normally when I cook, everything is already in the fridge when we're eating, because I bust out the plates and tupperwares at the same time.

I tidy leftovers when the plates go back to the kitchen but this here makes sense.

[Josiecat22222]

Normally when I cook, everything is already in the fridge when we're eating, because I bust out the plates and tupperwares at the same time.

I tidy leftovers when the plates go back to the kitchen but this here makes sense.

Agree this is best practice....but in the event of food left out overnight (and not including mayo or eggs...) I would still eat it the next day without a second thought

[jrhampt]

I don't mess with guessing about anything containing meat because it's not worth it - until recently I would have probably eaten it if it didn't contain meat, but I guess rice and other stuff can also be problematic.  If it was all vegetable-based I'd think it would be safe, but I could be wrong.

[iris lily]

I've had food poisoning.  Once.  Most people I talked to about it said the same thing.  It changes your habits.

Throw it out.

I had food poisoning once a few years ago and I never figured out what caused it. It was food poisoning because it was violent vomiting for 24 hours and then it cleared. So odd. I went over and over in my mind what could possibly have caused it, and I have no clue.

[Sandi_k]

I don't mess with guessing about anything containing meat because it's not worth it - until recently I would have probably eaten it if it didn't contain meat, but I guess rice and other stuff can also be problematic.  If it was all vegetable-based I'd think it would be safe, but I could be wrong.

Anything with tomato sauce would also be bad to eat after overnight non-refrigeration.

[GuitarStv]

I don't mess with guessing about anything containing meat because it's not worth it - until recently I would have probably eaten it if it didn't contain meat, but I guess rice and other stuff can also be problematic.  If it was all vegetable-based I'd think it would be safe, but I could be wrong.

Anything with tomato sauce would also be bad to eat after overnight non-refrigeration.

I dunno.  In university I ate a lot of pizza that was left out overnight without any problems.

[lutorm]

Freshly cooked left out ~8h? No concerns whatsoever, assuming it doesn't smell or taste bad. (And if it smells or tastes bad, I wouldn't eat it regardless of how it's been stored. Trust your senses.)

My family has practiced this for 50 years and it's never caused a problem.

[big_owl]

I've eaten meat that was 2-3 days warm.  It didn't taste good but I never got sick from it.  And we're talking chicken and no problems for me.  Considering how we evolved, eating warm meat shouldn't be too big an issue. I did get serious food poisoning from some undercooked shellfish in Indonesia once tho. 

And I've had ER level C diff four separate times from antibiotics so frankly eating some mildly stale meat doesn't sound all that bad. 

[Sandi_k]

I don't mess with guessing about anything containing meat because it's not worth it - until recently I would have probably eaten it if it didn't contain meat, but I guess rice and other stuff can also be problematic.  If it was all vegetable-based I'd think it would be safe, but I could be wrong.

Anything with tomato sauce would also be bad to eat after overnight non-refrigeration.

I dunno.  In university I ate a lot of pizza that was left out overnight without any problems.

https://www.businessinsider.com/student-died-in-his-sleep-after-eating-5-day-old-pasta-that-had-been-left-out-2019-1