Am I going to be sorry?

[SheenaGreena]

In my household I grew up eating cold pizza the next day for breakfast. The pizza stayed out on the counter all night (unrefridgerated) and we ate it the next day without heating it up. We also did and my parents (and I) still leave our rotisserie chicken out all night and pick at it the next day.

I have horrible horrible food safety habits. Sometimes I won't even bother washing my fruit (I rarely buy organic). Yesterday I grabbed a nectarine out of the fridge and just ate it as is.

i have only had food poisoning twice in my life and both times were in korea. One of the times was from eating fresh off the rotisserie chicken 3 years ago. Do I not get sick out of pure luck or because I have an iron stomach and because it's used to eating "bad'' food?

however i won't leave out raw meat for long periods of time, so I am good about that.

how do you guys take care of the food you eat? Are you batshit crazy like me? or are you incredibly anal like my boyfriend. He won't even use the same plate twice, even if he only ate a slice of plain toast off of it. Apparently toast has a lot of germs.

[SheenaGreena]

you know what's going to happen? I'm going to eat a piece of lettuce later and fall terribly ill, because I exposed my bad habits to the world

[zoe b]

I leave food out, too.

It drives my hub crazy--because his mother had a fridge full of scary old food--he's convinced all women are trying to poison him!

I probably wouldn't leave a chicken out all night, but i have forgotten to refrigerate soup overnight--I just give it a good boil real quick before the hub sees it.

I would pick crispy bits off off a pan the next morning and eat them while i'm finishing cleaning up the kitchen.

Zoe

[Simon_S]

We leave stuff overnight a lot (roasted meats, leftover chilli, curries etc.) and I'm not too worried about it. Bear in mind, plenty of other countries in the world don't have the same rigid approach to refrigeration that seems the norm in the US. Having said that, I don't live in an especially hot climate, and I imagine I'd think differently if I did.

I do certainly think there's merit in the "iron stomach through conditioning" argument, but I'm no doctor...

Si

[GlorifiedRice]

I throw out anything thats sat out accidentally. I immediately put stuff in the fridge, and nowadays Im washing my produce more.

I toss out cold cuts and pizza after 3 days. I disinfect EVERYTHING.

I rarely eat out, cause I worked at a hole in the wall seafood place and I know how things get in the kitchens and I quit over bad hygiene.

Ive never had food poisoning.

Ive had a tummy flu though due to my son bringing it home from school.

I say, "Just put it in the fridge or you will be praying at the porcelain altar, cursing yourself for NOT doing it"

[viva]

I'm in this camp too <knocking on wood>. I let pizza sit out overnight and eat it happily the next day, leave pots on the stove overnight, etc.

Only been sick (well, non-alcoholic-related sick) twice in my life - once in Peru (in Aguas Calientes which had been without power for 3 days) and once in Cambodia (which I think was more of a water-based illness vs. a food-based illness, which cleared up overnight).

That which does not kill you makes you stronger

Edited June 25, 2007 by viva (log)

[SheenaGreena]

I like raw meat and when I cook my own steaks I do like them raw/lukewarm/slightly chilled all throughout and blackened on the outside.

why not raw chicken or pork? I heard it tastes good...at least torakris thinks so

[phaelon56]

I once had a Chinese roommate who would make chicken soup and leave it on the back burner (turned off) of the stove for three or four days - returning home after work each evening to heat up the room temperature pot and eat another bowl or two.

Granted - room temperature in that house was pretty cool in the winter (about 60 F or just below) but still..... I'm amazed he didn't get ill.

I'm fairly cavalier about food safety in general but stringent about things like raw chicken or any other meat/fish that has an off smell. If there's the least bit of doubt I'll toss it rather than take a chance.

Only time I ever had food poisoning was back around 1978 when In had either bad raw oysters or bad raw clams. Not sure which as everyone in the group who had shellfish ate some of both and we all got violently ill for twelve hours or so. It was many, many years before I ate raw shellfish again - if you've ever eaten any bad clams or oysters and suffered the effects you know why.

[coquus]

I like raw meat and when I cook my own steaks I do like them raw/lukewarm/slightly chilled all throughout and blackened on the outside. 

why not raw chicken or pork?  I heard it tastes good...at least torakris thinks so

←

Unfortunately Sheena, torakris lives in Japan where they actually practice good hygene, a forgotten art in America I'm afraid. If you know a good farm I'm sure you could get away with it however. I wouldn't eat just any ole raw chicken however.

Food safety standards are high in some places, low in others, the same as they are low in America for some things and high for others.

[SheenaGreena]

I like raw meat and when I cook my own steaks I do like them raw/lukewarm/slightly chilled all throughout and blackened on the outside. 

why not raw chicken or pork?  I heard it tastes good...at least torakris thinks so

←

Unfortunately Sheena, torakris lives in Japan where they actually practice good hygene, a forgotten art in America I'm afraid. If you know a good farm I'm sure you could get away with it however. I wouldn't eat just any ole raw chicken however.

Food safety standards are high in some places, low in others, the same as they are low in America for some things and high for others.

←

yeah, if I was in japan I'd feel safe eating raw chicken....but I still eat raw, non organic, eggs from the grocery store.

[SheenaGreena]

I once had a Chinese roommate who would make chicken soup and leave it on the back burner (turned off) of the stove for three or four days - returning home after work each evening to heat up the room temperature pot and eat another bowl or two.

Granted - room temperature in that house was pretty cool in the winter (about 60 F or just below) but still.....  I'm amazed he didn't get ill.

I'm fairly cavalier about food safety in general but stringent about things like raw chicken or any other meat/fish that has an off smell.  If there's the least bit of doubt I'll toss it rather than take a chance.

Only time I ever had food poisoning was back around 1978 when In had either bad raw oysters or bad raw clams.  Not sure which as everyone in the group who had shellfish ate some of both and we all got violently ill for twelve hours or so.  It was many, many years before I ate raw shellfish again - if you've ever eaten any bad clams or oysters and suffered the effects you know why.

←

I do what your roommate did. I leave chicken stock out all night, heat it up, leave it out, heat it up, so on and so forth. When it starts smell funky, that's when I start to worry.

I actually did the chicken broth thing last night and its really freakin hot out, it's gonna be up to 90 today

[K8memphis]

I have a ticky stomach that I developed over the years. I have spent enough time in the bathroom begging God to A. let me live, B. let me not pass out, C. don't let anything in there explode, that my answer to your original question is that you may not be sorry for yourself but for sure don't share that food with anyone.

But I think you are playing a dangerous game. I think you already know this which is why you posted. I'm 56. I wish I had started concentrating on how to be healthy much earlier in my life.

It might not hurt you to continue but it for sure will not hurt you to improve your habits. It might strengthen your immune system to stop taxing it so much. You might need all of your immune system someday to fight off whatever is floating around gonna get you.

[SheenaGreena]

I have a ticky stomach that I developed over the years. I have spent enough time in the bathroom begging God to A. let me live, B. let me not pass out, C. don't let anything in there explode, that my answer to your original question is that you may not be sorry for yourself but for sure don't share that food with anyone.

But I think you are playing a dangerous game. I think you already know this which is why you posted. I'm 56. I wish I had started concentrating on how to be healthy much earlier in my life.

It might not hurt you to continue but it for sure will not hurt you to improve your habits. It might strengthen your immune system to stop taxing it so much. You might need all of your immune system someday to fight off whatever is floating around gonna get you.

←

thanks for the kind words (:

one of these days when I have a few youngins around, I'll definitely teach them differently from what my mom taught (sorry mom!). When I was little, I remember my mom putting food in her mouth and then putting it back in mine. I heard this causes cavities? I can't remember why she put the food in her mouth though? maybe to soften it up? cool it down?

[opqdan]

I once had a Chinese roommate who would make chicken soup and leave it on the back burner (turned off) of the stove for three or four days - returning home after work each evening to heat up the room temperature pot and eat another bowl or two.

Granted - room temperature in that house was pretty cool in the winter (about 60 F or just below) but still.....  I'm amazed he didn't get ill.

I'm fairly cavalier about food safety in general but stringent about things like raw chicken or any other meat/fish that has an off smell.  If there's the least bit of doubt I'll toss it rather than take a chance.

Only time I ever had food poisoning was back around 1978 when In had either bad raw oysters or bad raw clams.  Not sure which as everyone in the group who had shellfish ate some of both and we all got violently ill for twelve hours or so.  It was many, many years before I ate raw shellfish again - if you've ever eaten any bad clams or oysters and suffered the effects you know why.

←

I do what your roommate did. I leave chicken stock out all night, heat it up, leave it out, heat it up, so on and so forth. When it starts smell funky, that's when I start to worry.

I actually did the chicken broth thing last night and its really freakin hot out, it's gonna be up to 90 today

←

There are only 2 things that I am completely crazy about keeping sterile and exposed for as short a time as possible.

One is wort/must to make beer/wine, and the other is any form of stock. Both are just about the most perfect environment you could create for all kinds of interesting bacteria. Beef stock can even be used in laboratories as a medium for different bacteria.

The relatively neutral pH and abundance of good stuff to eat makes stocks a bacteria heaven.

I leave out a lot of foods, and I've done the pizza thing more often than I can remember, but I would never ever chance it with leaving a stock at room temperature for ANY extended time.

[purplewiz]

I had a decent case of food poisoning last weekend.

I was at a party where the hosts are meticulous about keeping track about how long the food has been sitting out and tossing anything that has been out too long or is doubtful in any way. People I know ate EVERYTHING that I did, and yet I was the only one who was sick. Apparently, I won the lottery and got the one bad whatever it was.

This is why, while I'll take reasonable care with food safety, I won't bend over backwards. Because I know it's no guarantee. I live in a balance between risk and convenience that I am comfortable with, and if that ever becomes no longer the case, I'll re-evaluate.

Having said that, I don't leave meats/pizza/stock/soups out overnight. I may let them cool a bit, but they go into the fridge at the first opportunity. I do rinse most of my fruits and vegetables, but I don't scrub or disinfect them. I am reasonably cautious with raw chicken, but not to the point where I disinfect everything that might ever have touched it. I wash my hands regularly but not obsessively. If something is doubtful, it's dirty, and I'll toss it.

(Side note: I also cook my chicken until well done. Not because of food safety, but because I like it that way. I can't imagine eating raw chicken not because of sanitary issues, but because I can't stand the texture.)

Am I going to be sorry? Maybe, maybe not. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Marcia.

[alanamoana]

thanks for the kind words (: 

one of these days when I have a few youngins around, I'll definitely teach them differently from what my mom taught (sorry mom!).  When I was little,  I remember my mom putting food in her mouth and then putting it back in mine.  I heard this causes cavities?  I can't remember why she put the food in her mouth though?  maybe to soften it up? cool it down?

←

a little off topic, but i think this is an asian thing. my aunt would chew the food first and then just like a bird pass it to her baby. saved buying baby food!

my mom also leaves things out all the time. this doesn't work so well with rice in hawaii! i'm pretty relaxed about most things and will also leave soups out and just bring them to a boil before eating.

we didn't always have refrigeration in the USA! i think as long as you're using your common sense, you'll be okay. but then again, nowadays with produce and stuff, you could be playing russian roulette!

Edited June 26, 2007 by alanamoana (log)

[Pierogi]

There are only 2 things that I am completely crazy about keeping sterile and exposed for as short a time as possible.

...and the other is any form of stock.  Both are just about the most perfect environment you could create for all kinds of interesting bacteria.  Beef stock can even be used in laboratories as a medium for different bacteria.

The relatively neutral pH and abundance of good stuff to eat makes stocks a bacteria heaven.

←

THANK YOU for posting this ! I was at work when I first saw this thread, and couldn't answer, but I was mentally screaming, we used broth in the micro lab to GROW bacteria for crying out loud !

OK, I'm better now. Seriously, I used to work for a microbiology testing laboratory, and broth (both chicken and beef) is very common either as a nutrient addition to media, or a medium itself, to grow all sorts of interesting (not to mention kinda nasty) little critters. Lab supply houses sell dehydrated broth(which I'm assuming is pretty darn close to boullion powder).

And the average room temperature, especially in warm weather, is not too far off from the ideal incubation temperature of 35°C.

Got problems getting your bacteria to grow for your preservative effectiveness test? Add some broth and watch 'em go.

Refrigerate your broths. Always. Always. ALWAYS. Boiling may kill the critters themselves, but they leave behind some nasty traces (they don't just go *poof*) you don't want to know about.

[SheenaGreena]

bacteria poop flavoured broth?

[rooftop1000]

I wonder if Lab Supply sourced broth powder would be less salty....hmmm

oh yeah Soup, no

Pizza yes, yeah pizza is about the only thing I will eat the next morning

tracey

[K8memphis]

Cheese pizza yes.

Pepperoni? Sausage? Mmmmmno.

[takadi]

HAHAHAHA I find this thread to be hilarious. It's hilarious in the same way comedians us truth as humor. Sheena, your habits almost mirror mine, and I'm a little worse. I'm a total slob.

And I'll admit, I've had plenty of "incidents" where the toilet was my best friend, but not once have I ever regretted it! In the back of my mind, I always had the impression that it was good exercise for my stomach for future foreign country ventures. All in the name of food!

I have a bad penchant for raw foods. I don't know why. Maybe there's some leftover caveman in me. Raw eggs, raw meat, raw fish...sometimes when I take a look at raw chicken or pork I really wonder what it tastes like. And being a disgusting college student, and being hungry as well, I've occasionally left out some raw beef for quite a while and used it.

Yes, you all can yell at me, but oddly enough, I've never gotten sick from leaving out stock, raw meats, eggs, milk, etc. The most recent food poisoning incident has come from eating old bread and most incidents were in foreign countries and were water-related illnesses.

As for washing fruits, I find it sort of useless to wash fruit that's usually been waxed and repels water anyways. I usually sometimes only wash fruit because it makes it easier to peel.

I'm trying to become a little more serious about cooking, and therefore am planning to improve my habits and become a little more cautious. You can't really make a four course meal when you're in the hospital (thankfully that never happened yet).

[SheenaGreena]

last weekend I ate some moldy bread. It had white spots all over, and hadn't reached the "blue" stage yet. I just shrugged my shoulders, toasted it, and put some honey on it

good to see takadi is a college student with horrible eating habits like me (:

[AzianBrewer]

Anyone here practice the 5 sec rule? 3 sec here in NYC!

Edited June 26, 2007 by AzianBrewer (log)

[Porthos]

Raw chicken or pork? Not a chance.

I do, however, love Beefsteak Tartar. Also when sectioning a larger cut of meat I've brought home from the market I cut off a few strips to enjoy raw with a bit of salt and pepper.

Disclaimer: Don't try this at home - I'm a professional idiot.

I've only had 2 serious bouts of food infection. Once I got a bad HB egg off a lunch truck. I also came back from a south american country with campylo bacter (sp) and don't care to repeat that experience. There were at least 3 reasonably likely sources for that: 1) I had beefsteak tartar (which included both the raw meat and a raw egg) while there, 2) I had fluid milk products which are not processed the same as in the states, and 3) I drank the water. I figure that I'm the one that ignored the advice of what to/not to eat and drink.

All that being said I am of the conservative side of this: cooked meat that gets left out gets thrown out. Soup that have been covered: Bring to the boil, let cool, refrigerate. I'm assuming no toxins have been added to the mix. Pizza left out - I won't eat it cold but I will microwave it and have it hot. With all respect to what happens in other countries - since I have a choice where I live I choose caution. Just me - my wife isn't as conservative.

[K8memphis]

...All that being said I am of the conservative side of this: cooked meat that gets left out gets thrown out. Soup that have been covered: Bring to the boil, let cool, refrigerate. I'm assuming no toxins have been added to the mix. Pizza left out - I won't eat it cold but I will microwave it and have it hot. With all respect to what happens in other countries - since I have a choice where I live I choose caution. Just me - my wife isn't as conservative.

←

On the pizza thing, if it was left out and you zap it in the microwave, you are upping the ante

on possible prayer time in the john.

A little hot revival time.

Edited June 26, 2007 by K8memphis (log)