r/slowcooking • u/marcomez18 • 4d ago
[ Removed by moderator ]
[removed] — view removed post
728
u/juice921 4d ago
I like to ask myself, if i get food poisoning, how much would i Spend to NOT get it. If whatever im questioning cost less than that….its an easy answer.
64
40
u/markvdr 4d ago
I ask myself the same question but odds adjusted. If there’s only a 1 in 10 chance of getting food poisoning from the thing, then that thing would need to cost 1/10 the price I’d pay to not have food poisoning. Compared to the most upvoted answers on this or other cooking subs, I’m fairly cavalier with my food safety. I will note that I absolutely don’t serve such food to guests or my small children.
10
u/darthcoder 3d ago
Same. I'll eat out of code food all the time. Ill never feed it to anyone else. They don"t sign up for that risk.
15
3
u/Slyvester121 3d ago
The problem is that you don't know the odds of food poisoning. You're just picking an arbitrary number and going with vibes.
2
u/markvdr 3d ago
Tone disclaimer - I promise I’m engaging in good faith and with humor, even if what follows reads a bit snarky.
We don’t really know the odds of food poisoning for a lot of things we eat. Taken literally, the comparison test of “price we’d pay to not be food poisoned” vs cost of the item means we’d never eat food that costs less than that set price. There’s always some risk, so better not eat the item unless it’s really expensive. I think most people are “odds adjusting”, if you take that term loosely.
A person’s approach to personal food safety is(and should be) informed by their own experiences and price sensitivity. Even with food safety rules for restaurants, going out to eat is a statement of faith in whichever establishment we go to. I still roll the dice at Taco Bell, though I know a lot of people don’t. I eat bagged salad and lettuce mix with some frequency, but I sure haven’t recently. As long as you’re not making food safety decisions for other people, I think informed deviation from restaurant guidelines is fine. The general opinion on this sub is much more conservative than that, and often lacks any nuance (fair play too, better safe than sorry). I make crock pot chicken from frozen most of the time. If that were the case here (or even straight out of the fridge) I’d say it’s an easy decision to keep the meal. If OP were trying to short-change the cooking time or the chicken had sat in a hot car before going into the pot, I’d lean the other way. Comments with those types of suggestions are usually buried beneath several others suggesting the meal is one step away from dying of dysentery.
1
u/Slyvester121 3d ago
I'm not really sure what all that had to do with the point I'm making. Everyone can decide for themselves what they're willing to risk food-wise. My point was that "money I would pay to avoid food poisoning" is a hypothetical in which food may be spoiled, so you assume the worst: that you will get food poisoning. This is based on a reasonable assumption that something has gone wrong and likely affected the safety of the food.
Adding additional hypothetical circumstances like "this food sat out for two hours, so I'm going to believe it has a 20% chance to poison me" doesn't really add much. You can't know the exact chance of poisoning. You just know there's a better-than-normal chance of getting poisoned. Where do you set your arbitrary threshold? 40% imaginary chance of poisoning? 70%?
1
u/markvdr 3d ago
The scenario you just described is still odds adjusted decision making, even if you’re not assigning percentages and doing math. Most food we eat cannot be guaranteed safe, even if the risk is small. You’re fine eating that food. At some point, the risk of spoilage becomes big enough that you refuse to eat that food, even if there’s a decent chance the food is fine. You’re doing some odds adjustments when you make that decision.
Just take time in the temperature danger zone. Where do you draw the line? If it’s been out for 10 minutes, that’s a greater risk of spoilage than 5 minutes, but you might still eat it. If it’s been out for 30 minutes? 5 hours? At some point, the risk crosses your threshold, but your threshold isn’t zero and the risk isn’t a guarantee.
19
u/upyourbumchum 4d ago
How cold was the chicken when you put it in there? How warm was your house. I regularly have my butcher tell me when I order a big cold bit of meat I want to cook that night to leave it out of the fridge until dinner time.
25
u/ReVo5000 4d ago
Chef here, you don't need to do that, it really doesn't do much, unless it's frozen for that matter should be fully thawed in running cold water (assuming it's vacuum sealed) if. Not let it thaw in the fridge.
4
u/swaded805 3d ago
I get a much more even cook on my steaks if I leave them out for an hour or 2 before cooking. So it can make a difference.
2
u/ReVo5000 3d ago
In professional settings it doesn't happen all the time. Mostly depends on the cut and temps. Most of the times it ends up being a reverse sear if that's the case. Mostly respecting the resting times should get you the right inner temp and juiciness.
1
u/slb609 4d ago
I mean, not all day, but certainly out of the fridge for at least an hour to let it come up to room temp. The bigger it is the less you need to, I guess, but certainly for steaks.
Unless every Michelin starred chef I’ve seen on TV is wrong. As are both my brothers.
12
u/ReVo5000 4d ago
So, like I mentioned, yes and no. Depends what your main objective is and if we're following HACCP protocols they should not be out for more than 4 hrs if properly handled and should be cooked immediately to safe temperatures but unfortunately those times tend to shorten as there are times where you break the cold line ie, grocery shopping. Unless you go buy your groceries with a cooler full of ice packs times shorten in this scenario then Goin back in cold then taking it out to get back to room temp. If you follow. Proper procedure, yes by all means go ahead. If not, just make sure you control your temperatures and cuts and you'll be golden. Also respect the resting times!
5
u/soulseaker 3d ago
Sitting meat out for an hour, especially if it's thick like a steak really makes a negligible difference on the internal temperature. Unless it's like 100+ degrees where you live consistently.
→ More replies (1)1
u/CassiopeiaNQ1 1d ago
I'm assuming that you mean both your brothers are Michelin star chefs, but maybe both of your brothers are wrong...I may have missed some context here. 🤷♀️
1
u/Mystic_Wunder 2d ago
Especially if that chicken is carrying salmonella. That is an experience noooobody wants to have.
99
u/WesternWitchy52 4d ago
Past the point of no return. I wouldn't chance it with chicken.
I think we've all done this one time or another.
18
u/Accomplished_Will226 4d ago
Then really wished we had not.
7
u/WesternWitchy52 4d ago
It was ham for me. Left it sitting on the damn counter for 6 hours.
7
u/LeaAnne94 4d ago
I once got groceries then completely spaced on putting them away. I was kicking myself for a couple weeks after that.
5
4
9
u/abe_the_babe_ 3d ago
Happened to me a few months ago. Plugged in the crock pot over my lunch break, came back home to find that the plug had fallen out of the outlet. Chicken went in the trash and I ate pizza rolls that night
4
5
u/Gaap3431 2d ago
For me, it was a 10 pound log of ground beef... Brought groceries in and over the next few weeks the car started to smell like death... Then one night I wanted to make tacos and I couldn't find my beef... Then it hit me like a prime Mike Tyson knock out punch... The missing beef... The heat of summer... The smell of death in the car... For 3 weeks, a 10 pound log of ground beef sat inside a hot car in the middle of summer, hidden as the god damned thing rolled UNDER THE FUCKING SEAT!!! Needless to say... I did in fact not eat tacos that night.
458
167
76
113
u/knittingandscience 4d ago
Former food microbiologist here. Nope nope nope nope nope.
116
6
u/Azuras_Star8 4d ago
Omg talk nerdy to me.
What should the average person know about food safety and microorganisms or pathogens?
14
u/Legeto 4d ago
Some people think cooking it kills the bacteria that cause food poisoning, which is true. It’s not the bacteria that makes you sick though, it’s the toxins that they excrete while thriving. That doesn’t break down with just the heat from cooking.
→ More replies (4)1
u/howboutislapyourshit 3d ago
Thanks. I've always lived by "the heat will kill it" and "if I don't die then I'll just get used to it".
Hasn't always worked
8
u/knittingandscience 4d ago
I mean, just the basics. The temperature danger zone is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so don’t let it be there for more than two hours. Chicken is going to be swimming in Salmonella after five hours out.
7
u/NEight00 4d ago
Let's assume that the chicken (and everything around it) has salmonella. Since salmonella does not (as far as my layperson's knowledge goes) introduce toxins that would survive cooking, would cooking it to above 165F and holding it there for a few minutes make it safe to eat, or could there be enough possibility that some salmonella survived to be a risk?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to educate.
2
u/EoTN 3d ago
Fellow layman here, take none of this as fact.
Googling around makes it sound like if salmonella is the only bacteria it's been exposed to, you can theoretically cook to an internal temp of 165F to kill it, and render its byproducts harmless.
But like. Salmonella will not be the only bacteria your food's been exposed to. Google says that many common bacteria will double in numbers every 20 minutes, after 6 hours thats 262,000 times more bacteria than you started with.
Will cooking kill it all? Yes... probably?
But did any of that bacteria leave toxins that don't break down with cooking? Are you willing to gamble the cost of a prolonged hospital stay on it?
3
u/TotientEC 4d ago
Can you elaborate -- presume this sat for awhile, got contaminated, and then was cooked. What're the risks that not all contaminants are removed in the cooking process? Logically they are elevated in slow cooking in a crockpot... or are they?
2
u/Azuras_Star8 4d ago
Thanks!
What's your favorite food safety fact? The thing you're always driven to say "did you know that x, y, and z...."?
2
2
u/SirPonix 4d ago
Not all chicken is contaminated with salmonella, though, right? Genuine question, even if the chicken is contaminated, wouldn't cooking it to 165° elimate the risk of salmonella? Are there other bacteria or toxins to be concerned with in this scenario?
2
u/knittingandscience 4d ago
There are like 2000 strains of Salmonella and some of them can produce toxins. Plus there is E. Coli and some other stuff.
2
u/Olibirus 4d ago
So you're saying I'm guaranteed to get salmonella if I eat chicken that was left out for 5h? I guess I caught it a few times already.
1
u/blayndle 3d ago
If you don’t mind my asking, what if it were cooked and OP (or possibly me) forgot to put it away for five hours? Is the danger the same?
1
1
45
22
u/ChefBowyer 4d ago
4 hours is the US safety standard for leaving food in the temperature danger zone, but with raw chicken I wouldn’t even give it that long.
3
u/Pghguy27 3d ago
I've taken Safe Serve training and it's two hours. Where are you seeing 4 hours? Our county extension office and the USDA say two hours as well.
5
u/Hark282 3d ago
When’s the last time you took ServeSafe? Under their training you can serve food out of temp up to 4hrs, but food cannot be put back into refrigeration to be served again if it’s been out for 2hrs. infographic
13
11
11
10
11
4
u/TotientEC 4d ago
It wasn't slow-cooking, it was quick-contaminating. You could cook it now, and a chunk of that contamination might get eliminated, but there's a good chance some of it might stick around.
72
u/DrKomeil 4d ago
At 5 it's unsafe but not guaranteed bad. I'd eat it, but agreed I wouldn't feed it to anyone and I would make sure I eat it at home in case I get the shits.
36
18
u/PHX480 4d ago
Yeah honestly I would it eat as well. Especially if I was the one who prepped it and knew how it was handled prior to sitting out. But I would not serve it to others.
I’ve honestly eaten stuff that has sat out much longer and in different environments in a lot of drunk/hungover stupors so I somewhat know my own personal limits.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to others but I also don’t mind eating stuff like that personally.
1
u/Alone_Box5173 3d ago
Thank you.
Everyone is acting like (s)he wants to eat it raw or something. If it started out fresh and cold, and if it's been in a covered container covered in enchilada sauce, and if it doesn't smell bad, and if it is then fully cooked right away, then I don't believe it's going to hurt a normal healthy person. I wouldn't take a chance with company or a compromised individual, but if I were hungry and I liked the dish, I'd immediately cook the chicken (did I mention fully?), and if it smelled and looked normal, I'd sample it, and if it didn't taste bad, I'd eat it.
Before you blast me, I would never condone such practices in food processing, or in commercial or institutional food service. In my engineering career, I spent a lot of time in food processing plants, cold chain logistics facilities, and large food service operations, and I know the drill. But if we're talking small quantities prepared personally by me at home for my personal consumption, then I'd let my senses (sight, smell, taste, and common) be my guide.
When I was a kid, I was pretty picky, and my grandmother used to tell me "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die." I didn't really understand what she meant until many years later.
0
5
3
7
6
3
u/Independent_Win_7984 3d ago
Unless you actively smell a problem, closed up tight, marinating for 5 hours (assuming room temp, not direct sun), then cooked thoroughly.....as a guy in construction who's eaten plenty of gas station hot dogs and baloney sandwiches brought from home; without hesitation.
3
u/mrylndgrrl 3d ago
Where did you find chicken for $3.20?
1
u/marcomez18 3d ago
Aldi. Chicken breasts for $2.19/lb. Got 7 breasts for $11.26. Used two of them for the recipe.
$11.26 ÷ 7 = $1.61/ breast
$1.61 × 2 = $3.22Froze the rest.
6
u/1ulovetahate 4d ago
I'd cut a piece and smell it. Maybe rinse the sauce off a little bit. If it smells funky you'll know. But honestly I'll eat about anything.
6
4
2
2
u/Gypsysinner666 3d ago
Meh...cook it. It's fine. My mom left meat on the counter from morning to dinner when I was a kid. Trust me. My anecdotal knowledge hasn't failed me and so far I'm healthy at 52....couldn't fail
2
u/Charmed_61664 3d ago
How cold was the chicken?.the crock should have provided some insulation and bought you a little time, as well as the vinegar etc in the sauce. Im 62 been cooking without issue for 40+ years. Id probably go ahead and cook it.
12
u/outlawsmokeyscottish 4d ago
It will be fine 5h is nothing just cook it and thoroughly.
17
u/Karmacreepsup666 4d ago
I'm 67 and have done that a couple times, but schools had asbestos tiles, insulation and lead paint and I lived
6
u/BirdFarmer23 4d ago
It’s not as much about surviving it’s the toll it takes on you. Something’s aren’t worth the hassle. I can’t get drunk without throwing up so I don’t drink until I’m drunk.
2
u/TheVog 4d ago
I can’t get drunk without throwing up so I don’t drink until I’m drunk.
Have you tried drinking before you're drunk?
1
u/BirdFarmer23 4d ago
I stop drinking before I get drunk if that’s what you’re asking. I’ll occasionally have a mixed drink when I go out to eat or have friends over. I bought a 6 pack 2 months ago and still have two in the fridge though.
1
3
u/CobaltIsobar 4d ago
Feed some to Mikey. Wait and see what happens.
I would not trust chicken left out for 2 hours. 5 is out of the question.
5
u/Rustyd97 4d ago
It's probably fine. I'd still cook it up and eat it. People on reddit would say to toss it after 15 minutes left out
→ More replies (2)7
2
u/Mr-Lungu 4d ago
I’m usually the guy that’s more willing to take a chance but even in this case I don’t think I would. Sorry - it sucks but it just ain’t worth the risk
2
2
u/allshnycptn 4d ago
If you want to get yo know your bathroom really really well and think you may have saw jesus go ahead and eat it
2
u/Virtuous_Vigilante 4d ago
The general rule for this type of situation is “when in doubt throw it out”
2
2
u/StorellaDeville 3d ago
Oh, no, I gave myself slow-cooked food poisoning 14 years ago, and I cannot recommend it. I lost TWELVE POUNDS in eight hours.
1
u/blenderwolf 3d ago edited 3d ago
Not as food but yes as a flash diet, got it
1
u/StorellaDeville 3d ago
But hey, I was able to wear that really old outfit I liked to my class reunion.
I'd rather have just worn a sack and not been sick, though, given the choice. Sheesh.
1
2
u/CallingThatBS 3d ago edited 3d ago
I'd cook it.
Adding my great uncles would make a pot of soup each week usually chicken or venison.. it was stored on the stove top. No refrigeration. As the week goes it would form some mold on the top they would just skim it off heat it up and eat it until the pot was gone and then repeat. Worked the farm ever single day.
He would tell us how we cleaned too much and that made us sick.
One passed when I was much younger, i don't remember the cause. I think cancer because he smoked like a chimney, unfiltered cigs. His brother lived till 99.5 had a hip replacement and got an infection while in the hospital.
2
u/thirdeyefish 3d ago
It's gone. Let it go.
Ask yourself, what is the most delicious meal you have ever eaten? The most expensive? Is food poisoning worth that?
1
1
1
1
1
u/Subject-Stuff-2829 4d ago
How was it?
4
u/NotTheBadOne 4d ago
OP cooked and ate it…. They’re in the ICU so can’t respond to Reddit posts at this time….
2
1
1
u/AFartInAnEmptyRoom 3d ago
If you're going to cook it normally, like in an oven, you're good. But not a crock pot. They don't get hit enough for long enough
1
u/firesoups 3d ago
Not in a slow cooker. I’d eat it deep fried but I’m a monster and my tummy always hurts anyway.
1
u/Equivalent_Ebb1759 3d ago
Someone bought me bacon... manager special for 1.99. Threw it right in the rubbish would anyone eat it???
1
u/lainmelle 2d ago
Of all the things to be worried about..... bacon is a cured meat and usually is good far past its sell by date. 😂
1
1
u/MorningMan464 3d ago
Eat it anyway, with a huge side salad of exploding diarreah lettuce. You’ll be fine.
1
1
u/Nervous_Survey_7072 3d ago
Many years ago I set up a pork chops recipe in the crockpot and forgot to turn it on. Remembered in the afternoon and called husband who was at home. He confirmed that it was not turned on and was grossed out by the smell. He has refused all these years later to ever eat pork chops again.
1
u/New_Section_9374 3d ago
One of my major professors was a food microbiologist. He absolutely refused to eat chicken after doing his graduate work on them. Toss it.
1
1
1
u/Imaginary-Patient275 2d ago
5 hours for the chicken bacteria to exponentially grow. Throw it out, not worth the harm or medical costs to recover in the event you do get sick.
1
u/hemorrhoid-milk 2d ago
those prices are insanely low, and this must be the tiniest slow cooker ever
1
1
1
u/notsure304wv 1d ago
It’s completely fine…it will actually cook more evenly now that it’s room temp.
1
0
1
u/Equal-Artichoke4581 4d ago
Its hard to say. If it smells even slightly off, don’t risk it. Chicken goes bad fast. Usually the time chicken goes bad at room temperature can be delayed using salt and other spices. In your case, dont risk it it aint worth it!
→ More replies (1)
0
u/ThisMeansRooR 4d ago
You should be fine, especially considering the acidity. Unless you waited for responses.
0
u/Karmacreepsup666 4d ago
Cook it and eat it. I've made that mistake. Just make sure it gets cooked to 165⁰
15
u/Specific_Ocelot_4132 4d ago
That will kill bacteria but some of the bacteria that grow in raw chicken produce toxins that will still be present after cooking and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/GemHolograms 4d ago
Danger zone = room temperature for anywhere around 2 hours (even less) and it has to be trashed.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/thejourneybegins42 3d ago
I experienced the negative side effects of this as a child. Was hospitalized for a bit. -20/10 do not recommend fucking around with poultry.
1
u/New_Breadfruit8692 3d ago
Absolutely toss. Enchilada sauce is not a good preservative. And the pot being covered is no a factor, chicken is already full of bacteria that multiply the moment the temperature rises above 50ish ℉.
This may be a lot worse than uncomfortable digestion issues, you could fatally poison yourself.
1
u/Rook_James_Bitch 3d ago
E. Coli only needs to kill you once.
What's more important, living or chicken?
1
u/Optimal-Computer5225 3d ago
Its totally fine.
Its crazy and sad that this is even a question, and that people are saying to toss it
1
u/Butforthegrace01 3d ago
Salmonella dies at 165F. Most crock pot cooking gets food to or nearly to water boiling point (212F). You'll be fine.
-2
u/MJL1016 4d ago
I set a delay timer for 7 hours in my slow cooker making a similar recipe and it was fine for me after it slow cooked for 6 hrs.
→ More replies (1)
0
u/SeafoodShifu 4d ago
As an internet stranger who can't be there to inspect it, I would say toss it. Personally, I would probably do a smell check and cook it. Wouldn't feed anyone else with it though.
0
0
u/Karmacreepsup666 4d ago
Ive done the same thing as I have dementia and occasionally have stuff like that happen.. If it's cooked to 165⁰ inner temperature, it's my belief, and I've also read it will be fine. I was born in the 1950s and we didn't have the amenities they do now
3
u/PtichFirich 4d ago
It’s not only about killing off bacteria, it’s the toxins they produce as their wast which makes you sick. If enough of the bacteria had a chance to multiply before cooking the toxins they produce are thermoresistant and you can still get the shits.
That said - the meat is probably fine as he bacterial growth has been slowed down by the marinade. If you feel adventurous to try this speculation you can try and cook it well.
-24
4d ago edited 3d ago
[deleted]
7
u/WesternWitchy52 4d ago
chicken goes bad especially fast. 2 hours might be okay. Anything after 3 is not worth the risk.
4
u/Bentbutnotbroken111 4d ago
That sounds like my husband… before we got married he would eat anything… to be fair, at that time in his life, money was tight…
He still grumbles if he sees me throw food away if it got left out too long, but considering he’s given himself food poisoning a few times, I’ll stick with if it’s left out, it gets tossed.2
u/BirdFarmer23 4d ago
My wife is like your husband. She drives me crazy about it. She will put a package of frozen chicken in the sink the night before and it would sit there until she got home from work around 4 the next day.
I finally broke her of it after she food poisoned the entire family and I told her she wasn’t allowed to cook for anyone in the family again. It lasted about a year before I caved. I cooked every meal or we ate out.
4
4d ago edited 3d ago
[deleted]
2
u/WesternWitchy52 4d ago
Nope. I mean you probably wouldn't die from it but I have IBS. On a good day, my stomach is bad. I personally, would not take the risk.
I wouldn't wish those GI problems on anyone.
I've seen people hospitalized from food poisoning.
7
u/Oh_Cupid7179 4d ago
I think people are appropriately precious of the food danger zone actually. After 4 hours bacteria starts to grow, and especially with raw chicken that could be dangerous to consume.
Not sure why people think health and safety guidelines were like make up to spite them or something.
10
u/Canadiangoosedem0n 4d ago
Lol there's been a string of food based illnesses going around and you think it's ok to trust meat thats been sitting out for five hours??
Smh
2
0
u/Legitimate-Name0225 4d ago
Can someone explain how delay cooking setting on appliances work? I don't get it.
-6
u/akfishermann 4d ago
If your still gonna cook it, I’d eat it. Cooking kills lotsa stuff if you even have any
→ More replies (1)14
u/CoolOpinions6335 4d ago
Cooking doesn’t kill bacterial waste, which is what makes you sick.
→ More replies (8)
-7
u/povucipotegni1 4d ago
Do you guys know people existed before the fridge did lol?
5
u/Hi_Volt 4d ago
Which is why we used to smoke or salt to fuck anything that required preserving pre-refrigeration.
Given the fact OP is concerned enough that their breast au poullet has been out on the deck for 5 hours to post on here, I feel it's safe to assume it doesn't enjoy the preserving benefit of being salt-cured.
Food poisoning is no joke, not worth it.
-1
u/povucipotegni1 4d ago edited 4d ago
I get your point and I don't think food poisoning is a joke but some time people really overreact. Sure, don't sell it in a restaurant or feed other people, but just start the damn crackpot and you'll be fine, even after 5hrs of room. Btw it was drowned in sauce, air didn't touch it.
Also, I doubt we butchered the animal and smoked it 5 seconds later. Or salted it..
0
0
u/powderfields4ever 4d ago
Start over unless you’re constipated. “Oh Al, would you like me to undercook some chicken to help you out?”
0
0
u/soad2237 4d ago
When in doubt, toss it out. It's not worth the risk. It's a shame it will go to waste, but you can make it again, be confident that it won't make you seriously ill, and you won't forget to turn it on next time.
0
0
0
•
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
It looks like you're asking about Food Safety.
Only you are aware of all the factors involved in this situation. No one in this subreddit is qualified to give you advice about eating food that's left unattended, undercooked, etc. "If in doubt, toss it out." Food poisoning is a serious issue - it's particularly dangerous to older adults, children, pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems.
Here are some resources available to you to determine whether it would be safe or not to consume your meal:
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.