Questions on handling, preparing, and storing food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.
2
votes
2answers
37 views
How long does hot chocolate stay good?
My resource for food shelf life is usually stilltasty.com . However, I can't find hot chocolate on the list. I'm talking about a small pot of hot chocolate - milk, cocoa, sugar, water. Is the ...
6
votes
1answer
195 views
How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?
If I left food out of the refrigerator for some period of time, is it still safe? If I left it out too long, can I salvage it by cooking it more?
1
vote
2answers
69 views
raw chicken in an “off” crockpot
I put chicken in a crock pot and thought it was on low. It was off. It's been two hours. Do I need to throw out the chicken? It was fairly cold because it was mixed with a cold teriyaki sauce among ...
1
vote
3answers
94 views
Where can I find the apron/towel worn by the America's Test Kitchen staff?
On America's Test Kitchen, I've seen them wearing a towel around their waist that is somehow attached to an apron. Is there a name for this? Or are they just somehow tucking the towel into a ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
How long can milk products be frozen before spoiling? [duplicate]
I made a sauce for macaroni and cheese about 6 months ago and froze the excess sauce. It is basically a bechamel sauce with a fair amount of cheese melted in.
I realize that if I thaw and re-heat ...
4
votes
1answer
95 views
Razor clams good or bad?
I bought some razor clams today and all of them were open with their "tongue" or meat coming out of the shell. When I got home I noticed they had a really strong smell to them. This is the first time ...
5
votes
2answers
114 views
How to safely handle raw milk?
I have a couple of questions how to use fresh milk (not pasteurized) coming directly from cow in village (in traditional way, of course).
How long it should be boiled before usage?
Is it better to ...
0
votes
0answers
52 views
Metalic Liner in Commercial Food Can Liners [closed]
When I open most of commercially canned foods, the appearance of the inside of the can is metallic. Some look like an opaque dull surface of plastic. Are metallic-appearing can linings coated with a ...
1
vote
1answer
141 views
How does the glue of bamboo cutting boards get in the food and how to prevent this?
http://food.thefuntimesguide.com/2010/07/bamboo_cutting_board.php
Some bamboo cutting boards are glued together with adhesives that have formaldehyde in them — which could eventually leak into and ...
1
vote
2answers
137 views
Whiskey inside a metal flask for a month. Safe for drinking?
Taste aside, is it safe for drinking? Whiskey that was left inside a stainless steel flask?
5
votes
2answers
318 views
Is it dangerous or unhygienic to deshell an egg over the bin?
I have been reprimanded at work for de-shelling egg over an open bin. My hand is not touching the bin, as it is opened via the foot pedal. So is it dangerous or unhygienic to deshell an egg over the ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
microwave(already cooked just to be heated) roast beef frozen to out all night to frozen again ok to eat? [duplicate]
microwavable beef roast, from store fridge went into my freezer, but left out over night, then refroze next day. Is it safe to cook in my microwave and eat?
1
vote
1answer
95 views
Possible internal contamination from soaking or scalding slaughtered chicken in hot water to ease plucking
I understand that a slaughtered chicken may become externally contaminated due to the impurities present in water.
Over the course of a processing day and despite scald tank
temperatures of ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
Curious mold growth in a sealled BBQ, how does one avoid it?
When finished cooking with the BBQ and cleaning the grill, I leave it running for a bit then shut off the intake and cap the exhaust (it's a Big Green Egg).
At this point the BBQ is essentially ...
5
votes
1answer
142 views
Can a few bad (dead) mussels harm a larger batch?
I realize there are numerous related questions on freshness of mussels:
Fresh mussels, or are they?
How do I determine if my mussels are fresh?
I couldn't find exactly what I'm looking for. So ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
At what concentration is sodium bicarbonate a sanitizing solution?
I can't find an authoritative answer to the question @rumtscho asked me here about the concentration of sodium bicarbonate, mixtures of which I've come to rely on as a cleaning and sanitizing solution ...
0
votes
1answer
103 views
Is it safe to eat sauteed onions left at room temperature?
I made a big pot of sauteed onions and garlic (~9 onions and a head and a half of garlic), and forgot to put it away overnight. It was probably off the fire for around 8-10 hours... Is it safe to ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Refreezing already thawed bread
I bought a loaf of bread some weeks ago, which the lady behind the counter explained was frozen (because it was leftover). This was okay for me. The bread was still frozen when I bought it and I let ...
0
votes
2answers
349 views
Should flour be thrown out past its expiry date?
As the title says, is it safe to consume flour once its past its expiry date or should it be thrown away?
1
vote
2answers
140 views
dark black furrows in sweet potatoes
I have a large jewel yam. I peeled, diced, and boiled it with sugars and some spices. When I peeled it, I noticed there were deep darkish furrows in the potato, like spots where sprouts had been but ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
Refrigerating after reheating?
Yesterday, I got a calzone from a pizzeria, took it home and refrigerated it immediately.
This morning, I reheated it in the microwave and ate some. Then, I put it back in the fridge. Later today, I ...
4
votes
1answer
153 views
Can you use marinade twice if it was first used on precooked meat?
I made precooked frozen meatballs in the crockpot with jelly and honey BBQ sauce. It was really yummy and was wondering if the sauce that's leftover would be ok to marinate some ribs in?
0
votes
1answer
109 views
shelf life for chocolate chips
Have some semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Been in a bag inside a plastic container in a cupboard for 2 years but expiration date on the bag says that's one year too many.
What's the shelf life for ...
1
vote
2answers
114 views
Freezing bones for stock
Is it ok to freeze a chicken carcass to make stock with another time? And if so, after I make the stock with it, is it ok to then freeze some of that stock or would that be refreezing & thus ...
2
votes
2answers
184 views
homemade chilli oil
I am making chilli oil using light olive oil, crushed chilli, dried garlic, dried fennel seeds and parsley. I have been making this for years. I am concerned about this Botulinum business. Should I ...
2
votes
1answer
134 views
Safety of Calphalon pots and pans
I hear so many thoughts on Calphalon hard anodized pots and pans. Are these safe to use?
1
vote
2answers
412 views
Does a head of lettuce really need to be refrigerated?
At the grocery store here in Germany I saw that lettuce isn't refrigerated. So I brought a head home and it's been in my pantry for 3 days and it seems fine... The English speaking internet says ...
1
vote
4answers
192 views
Is it safe to store raw meat alongside pre-cooked produce (ie. ready-made pies) in the fridge?
Simply, as the title says I’d like to know if it is safe to store raw meat alongside pre-cooked produce (ie. ready-made pies) in the fridge. Given the ready-made pies still need to be cooked to a high ...
3
votes
1answer
188 views
Should you store cutlery upside down?
I try to touch only the handles of my cutlery (as recommended here), but I have one doubt. After washing, I place the cutlery upside down in a plastic basket. This way the handle is 'handy'.
Is this ...
0
votes
1answer
70 views
Is the smoked ham safe to eat? [duplicate]
I cooked a small boneless smoked ham after wrapping in foil about 2 hours and forgot and left it in the oven for about 12 hours after turning off the oven. Then I put it in fridge. Is it safe to eat? ...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
Food safety with mixing raw meat
Is it safe to place raw beef on the same surface that a full raw chicken has been on? I intend to roast the beef but I'm wondering if I should take any precautions?
0
votes
0answers
48 views
Can chicken be kept in the fridge until the sell-by date? [duplicate]
On April 1, I bought chicken with an April 8 sell-by date. I left it in the fridge until April 4 and then froze it. Is it still safe to eat?
10
votes
1answer
348 views
Room temperature “rest” for fresh mayo?
On the mayonnaise episode of Good Eats, Alton Brown recommends letting homemade mayo sit at room temperature for 4-8 hours before refrigerating. The idea is to let the acid in the mayo kill any ...
2
votes
2answers
122 views
Is it safe to cook chicken soup if the water doesn't quite cover it?
So, being dumb, I got my chicken all thawed out before I remembered that my friend still has my soup pot. I got the chicken crammed into a smaller pot, but I can't get the water to quite cover it. I ...
2
votes
1answer
296 views
Black Spot on Ground Beef?
So I bought some Lean Organic Ground Beef about a week ago, went straight into the Freezer. Used 3/4 of it for Hamburger helper, cooked all the way through...smelled fine and looked fine.
However I ...
10
votes
2answers
288 views
How to know whether a coconut is ripe or rancid before buying
Buying the shrink-wrapped coconuts (in shell) at the store is similar to playing Russian Roulette. All this trouble of getting the water out and breaking the shell only to find out the coconut is ...
12
votes
2answers
370 views
When should cutting boards be replaced?
From a food safety perspective, under what conditions should a plastic or wood cutting board be replaced?
I have a plastic one that developed a crack that goes through both sides of the board. I ...
3
votes
4answers
405 views
Why do Duck eggs have longer expiry than Chicken Eggs?
Duck eggs seem to get about a 6-week extension on their expiry date over Chicken eggs. (the latest pack I bought yesterday expire May 25th, where as the Chicken Eggs at best were Mid-April).
Why is ...
0
votes
3answers
154 views
Why are standard cast iron maintenance practices compatible with food safety?
How on earth is not washing a cast iron with soap not harmful? Since even if you wash it good with hot water and Salt, wouldn't there still be a possibility of harmful bacteria and such left in the ...
1
vote
1answer
157 views
Cast Iron to Fridge?
More of a safety question, but im a beginner cook and I made Chicken and Potatoes n Such in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven.....Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then put it in the fridge.
Is this unsafe? ...
2
votes
1answer
134 views
I left creme fraiche out of fridge for 2 hours it turned bad
How long can you keep creme fraiche out of the fridge before it gets spoiled
6
votes
2answers
199 views
Reusing oil containers
I generally buy large containers of oil (olive, canola, peanut, etc.) and just refill a handful of smaller oil bottles. That way it's cheaper in the long run, and the smaller bottles are easier to ...
0
votes
2answers
505 views
Is a partially frozen chicken safe if not immediately cooked at the proper temperature?
I put a partially frozen (inside) chicken in my convection oven, set it to what I thought was 400ºF (200ºC) and left the room with a timer on. An hour later it was discovered the temperature was only ...
7
votes
1answer
179 views
How to ship bread or bread dough?
I've been thinking about starting a boutique mail order dinner roll business.
Dough
While I'd really like to ship dough and allow customers to bake (per roll) at their leisure, I'm beginning to think ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
Does wax on citrus fruit make the zest unsafe to eat or compromise its flavor?
A number of (chiefly British) recipes specify unwaxed lemons for zesting. Unwaxed citrus fruit are not widely available here in Sweden, so I have to make do by attempting to remove the wax before ...
0
votes
2answers
147 views
How to recognize that a hard cheese is mouldy?
I have a piece of comte (French hard cheese) open for some time (1 week or so). How do I recognize that it's moldy and therefore not good to eat? There're a thin non-connected layer flour on the piece ...
3
votes
1answer
450 views
Is it safe to eat food that was heated in plastic wrap to the point the plastic wrap flamed?
I accidentally used plastic wrap instead of foil wrap over the salmon in the toaster oven. There was a flame. When i checked the salmon, the cling wrap was gone. Did it melt into thge salmon? Is the ...
7
votes
3answers
384 views
Can adequate heating transform spoiled food into safe food?
Suppose I have some food that became unsafe or contaminated by any means besides explicitly adding dangerous substances. It could be past the expiration date, or handled unsafely by leaving at room ...
1
vote
4answers
153 views
What is the shelf life of homemade compote?
I made a cooked compote with dried fruit and am wondering what safe refrigerated life I can expect. Ideally, please provide some reasonable rationale or reference for the advice.
1
vote
1answer
190 views
What kind of food should be stored in a refrigerator's “snack pan” drawer?
(This may be a silly question, but I'll ask anyway since I am curious about this.)
We have an older fridge and it has a drawer labeled "snack pan." I'm not sure how to understand "snack" here.
...
