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How long can cryrovac'd steak stay at room temp?


melissafitz

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Sigh. My deep freezer (in the basement) blew a fuse this past week and when I went down to put something in it, I was horrified to realize it was off and at room temp. Bye bye, rabbit (future gumbo). So long, duck (would-be-confit...). My industrious evening spent prepping lasagnas -- all for naught.

Steak and standing rib roast.... I'm assuming they're garbage fodder too , though I thought I'd check w you guys to see what you think about salvaging them. I have a friend who leaves his steak out at room temp for a couple of days and I know of the wet-aging process, though don't know specifics.

The steaks and roast are in a cryrovac packaging and, while I don't know how long my freezer was out, I am guessing 3 days. The contents were at room temp, but there was no smell. The last time I was in there, however, was a week ago so I can't be sure.

Anyway, give it to me straight but be gentle, okay? I'm pretty bummed about this whole thing.

Oh, and btw, does anyone know of an alarm or something to alert you when a fuse is blown?

Thx

M

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Strictly speaking from a food safety standpoint, food should not be left between 40 and 140 for no longer than 4 hours. Is the cost of the food really worth the possibility of severe food poisoning?

"Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea." --Pythagoras.

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Strictly speaking from a food safety standpoint, food should not be left between 40 and 140 for no longer than 4 hours. Is the cost of the food really worth the possibility of severe food poisoning?

I would add that, at least according to our health department, that 4 hours is supposed to be during the entire existence of the food item in question (cumulatively, from the time it died until it is consumed), and realistically, one can't know the temperature history of a piece of meat unless you have killed and processed it yourself. In other words, "better safe than sorry".

It is still probably OK to give to the dog or cat - so not necessarily a complete loss.

The Big Cheese

BlackMesaRanch.com

My Blog: "The Kitchen Chronicles"

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"The Flavor of the White Mountains"

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Strictly speaking from a food safety standpoint, food should not be left between 40 and 140 for no longer than 4 hours. Is the cost of the food really worth the possibility of severe food poisoning?

I would add that, at least according to our health department, that 4 hours is supposed to be during the entire existence of the food item in question (cumulatively, from the time it died until it is consumed), and realistically, one can't know the temperature history of a piece of meat unless you have killed and processed it yourself. In other words, "better safe than sorry".

It is still probably OK to give to the dog or cat - so not necessarily a complete loss.

Unless your veterinarian charges way less than mine, don't feed potentially spoiled food to your pets.

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Unless your veterinarian charges way less than mine, don't feed potentially spoiled food to your pets.

Perhaps I should have said I wouldn't hesitate to feed it to my dogs and cats, but they're used to such things.

I know canine/feline digestive systems are way different then we humans but Oh Lordy, you should see the things these guys choose to eat, despite having all-they-can-eat free-choice kibble and other goodies. There's a decomposing down cow about 2 miles from here that the dogs think is the greatest buffet around. They're still bringing home parts home more than 6 months after they first discovered it. I could go on, but won't.

Haven't needed a vet yet. Good thing too because it costs us $135 just for him to step out of his truck on a farm call.

The Big Cheese

BlackMesaRanch.com

My Blog: "The Kitchen Chronicles"

BMR on FaceBook

"The Flavor of the White Mountains"

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Thanks so much for the link. I'm definitely getting one!

And I have no pets, so our four legged friends are also safe...

You're most welcome :)

Will your house insurance cover some of the loss? I think we get $200 coverage for freezer loss here without any increase in premiums.

Edited by Trev (log)

There are 3 kinds of people in this world, those who are good at math and those who aren't.

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