Questions on handling, preparing, and storing food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.
5
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1answer
622 views
I left stock out to cool overnight. Is it safe to use?
I made a Peking duck stock, strained it while hot, then left it to cool overnight. My apartment is 24 degrees C. In the morning, I divided it into smaller portions and refrigerated it.
I'd never made ...
5
votes
2answers
10k views
How long will fresh scallops keep in the refrigerator?
Today I bought one pound of fresh scallops from the seafood counter at the local market, but my dinner plans have changed - I am no longer planning to cook the scallops this evening and I don't ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
How to get rid of weevils?
At first I thought they are plain moths, until I noticed some larvae climbing towards the ceiling, always in the kitchen. I made an inventory and discovered a package of hazelnuts which contained more ...
5
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2answers
2k views
Is acid-marinated raw chicken still safe after several days?
I marinated chicken five days ago in lemon juice, seasoned salt, and garlic powder, is it still safe to cook in the oven?
5
votes
3answers
865 views
Testicles as food?
When I read that you can buy and eat testicles I wondered whether I should try it once, since I'm basically open to anything that tastes good. I wonder how I should prepare them. If I buy testicles ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
How deep do you need to insert the probe in a piece of meat to guarantee accuracy?
I have a wired thermometer that I mainly use for roasts, which can support the entire probe inside the meat. However, I used it last night to cook some country style ribs (pork) and was only able to ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the ranges of Pork Temperature that are flavorful and safe?
USDA guidelines for Pork state that you should cook it to 160F. I have heard over the years that you can undercook from that, which seems desirable, as 160F is going to be pretty dry.
I know the ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the impact of repeated cooling and reheating of maple syrup?
Today I discovered a 1/4-full bottle of pure maple syrup had gotten moldy, so searched this site and came across this question: Should maple syrup be stored in the refrigerator?
My follow-up question ...
5
votes
1answer
411 views
Is extremely young meat indigestible?
Extensive rewrite:
Young meat is considered unfit for human consumption by the European Union:
"derives from animals which are dead before slaughter, stillborn, unborn or slaughtered under the age ...
5
votes
1answer
529 views
Are chilies in olive oil dangerous?
In Portugal, chilies in olive oil are a very typical form of spicy sauce, in both commercial and artisan forms. Different types, amounts, and mixes of chillies result in different flavours and it can ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
Is kangaroo meat safe to eat raw such as kangaroo tartare?
I know that kangaroo meat is usually cooked rare because it's so low in fat.
I also know that certain meats are not safe unless well cooked, such as chicken and pork.
But what about kangaroo? For me ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Can I store suet or home-rendered tallow at room temperature for a year?
This weekend I will be in possession of 100 lbs of beef suet (which I'll be getting from a butcher friend) and plan to render it into tallow. I can't even begin to imagine exactly what this amount of ...
5
votes
1answer
276 views
Safety of Egg Yolk Glaze
Yesterday I baked a special loaf of bread with an egg yolk glaze. After it was mostly cooled I covered it with plastic wrap and set it on the counter to be served today. I am now concerned that I ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Are the white crystals on my American Cheese safe to eat?
I have some American Cheese with fine white crystals on the outside of each slice. They have a gritty texture. Is this a sign that the cheese is spoiled, or just lactic acid salts like aged cheese ...
5
votes
1answer
288 views
Do some breeds of chicken have particularly red meat when cooked?
Tonight, my friend and I ordered a fried chicken special at a restaurant with a local food theme. It was a great dish.
Both of us got very pink chicken. I am pretty sure that my plate had three ...
5
votes
1answer
188 views
How to safely grill meat/fruit/veggie skewers
This weekend we grilled kebabs with steak, onions, peppers, and big pineapple spears. No ill effects, but I noticed that the pineapple was still cool where it was touching the meat, and the meat ...
5
votes
2answers
753 views
Am I cooking frozen fish safely?
I am always ultra paranoid about cooking food properly - especially fish.
I have started buying frozen salmon. On the packet it says to cook from frozen covered with some water in the microwave. I ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
What's the black thing at the bottom of navel oranges?
Sometimes I'll cut into a navel orange and notice something black inside which originates at the bottom of the orange, where the navel is. What is it?
I have seen it get pretty far into the fruit ...
5
votes
1answer
336 views
Safety of room-temperature soaker from Reinhart's *Whole Grain Breads*
One of the “tricks” used in Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads is to soak various whole grains in water, at room temperature, for 12–24 hours. For example, in his “Multigrain Stuan” formula, he calls ...
5
votes
2answers
167 views
Safe to use some vanilla pods that have been fished out of another recipe?
I have used some vanilla pods that I bought on a farm in Mauritius to make crème anglaise. Because the pods are a bit special, I have fished them out of the cream and left them to dry. They smell as ...
5
votes
1answer
869 views
How long can I soak dried beans before they are considered inedible?
How long (days/weeks) can beans that have only been soaked in the refrigerator last before they are considered inedible/spoiled? I found black beans in the fridge that had been soaking for approx 3 ...
5
votes
3answers
345 views
Smoking pig butt: how to resume?
I set out this morning to cook a pig butt. Found out that I was going too a birthday party at such a time that the butt would smoke for six hours and then I would need to pull it.
The shoulder was a ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Can dry ice in a liquid poison you?
I remember hearing a long time ago that putting dry ice into a liquid that is then consumed by people could potentially poison them. I was just looking at halloween drink recipes and a few of them ...
4
votes
2answers
9k views
Eating food from a slightly rusting cast iron dutch oven…is it safe?
I have a cast iron dutch oven. It has a self-basting lid, basically it has a grid of little cone shapes on the underside of the lid. The idea is that liquid condenses on underside of the lid and these ...
4
votes
4answers
281 views
Meals safe in danger zone
I'm on campus for most of the day, and since eating on campus is expensive, I would bring leftover dinners with me. Since they would sit in my backpack for several hours before eating, I would use one ...
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6answers
3k views
Storage after slow cooking
I love my slow cooker but cooling food seems to take forever. Usually, I just pop the crock into the oven (no heat) and store until the next morning. So we're talking from 9PM (I eat dinner late) ...
4
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2answers
2k views
Is it safe to eat off of partially tarnished silver?
My wife and I were visiting some friends who were recently married and had received heirloom silver as a wedding present. It was obvious it had been recently polished, but some of the pieces still ...
4
votes
2answers
387 views
Can I reuse chopped onions?
I have a Hot Dog Stand. I use chopped onions every day, can I re use the left over chopped onions the next day? The onions are in a container that keep them cold all day long. Some days the onions ...
4
votes
4answers
15k views
Chicken smells like eggs
I purchased some fresh chicken a few weeks ago and immediately froze it. Today I took it out and put it into boiling water to start making soup. Before I added anything else, the whole room started to ...
4
votes
2answers
497 views
Possible for chicken to reach 165F and be raw
Is it possible for a piece of chicken to reach an internal temperature of 165F and still be raw?
Update:
Just to be clear, this is not something I experienced. I was just wondering if it was in fact ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
Is it okay to eat gorgonzola cheese mold?
My pack of Gorgonzola came with greenish/blue mold. is it okay to eat that mold? I intend to eat the cheese by itself.
4
votes
2answers
4k views
Undercooked beans in chili?
I made a bit of a mistake, being a lazy bachelor and inexperienced at cooking. I was making chili and when it came time to add beans I discovered I didn't have any canned beans. I did however have ...
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votes
3answers
1k views
How to protect hand skin when preparing food
My hand skin is extremely dry due to exposure to water. But when cooking, it is inevitable to submerge my hands in water, for example, to wash food.
So I was wondering
generally how to protect my ...
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3answers
3k views
Reheating Spinach
I have heard that one shouldn't reheat a meal with spinach in it. Is there any truth in this and what is the reason?
4
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3answers
1k views
What is the danger in cross contamination?
This question was prompted by this one on how to clean tools to prevent cross contamination. I wanted to ask it in the comments but realized it might be better as a separate question.
Do I need to be ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
Can most sour fruits be jelled by cooking with sugar?
I make jam all the time, using pectin. But the recipes only list a few dozen common fruits.
Recently, I wanted to make crabapple jam or jelly, and I found a recipe that essentially had me cook the ...
4
votes
2answers
281 views
Is the rapid ice bath chill post-sous vide actually necessary when putting the meat/fish in the freezer?
In the past, I would frequently cook (in the oven) 6+ lbs (3+ kg) of salmon fillets (usually took ~25 min) to an internal temp of 145-150 F (62.5-65 C), take them out, let them set on the counter for ...
4
votes
4answers
649 views
Why can food be left out to cool (140F to 40F in < 6h) but not to defrost?
Local government food safety guidelines for storing foods (p26) which have already been cooked stipulate food internal temperature must be brought from above 140F (serving temperature) to 70F in less ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views
How to preserve home-made salad dressing, without using bad preservatives? [closed]
I want to start making my own salad dressing because I don't like all of the stuff they put in processed food. However, I still would like my dressings to last more than just a few days in the fridge. ...
4
votes
1answer
14k views
How many times is it safe to reheat chicken?
I thought I remembered hearing the food agency Evira say that you should never reheat chicken meat after the initial cooking. However, I cannot find the statement of it anymore. Now I'm starting to ...
4
votes
2answers
32k views
How long can cooked food be safely stored at room/warm temperature?
If I leave fully-cooked food (particularly meat) out at warm temperature - say on the counter or in a crock pot that's been turned off - how long will it stay safe to eat?
Does it make any ...
4
votes
4answers
27k views
Is it bad to leave the crock pot on “warm” (not low) all day?
I just bought all the ingredients to make a soup in the crock pot. I was planning on having it cook all day, but I just realized the recipe only calls for it to cook on low for 3-4 hours. If I cook it ...
4
votes
2answers
9k views
How can I tell whether beetroot is still edible?
I have some raw beetroot I bought about a week ago, having stored them at room temperature since. It's the first time I bought it raw, and I'm unsure whether it's still edible.
It is already soft, ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Are fresh, raw cashews different from store-bought?
I have a pen pal in Brazil (is it still a pen pal if we e-mail? anyway...) and knowing that I like nuts sent me some cashews. Apparently there is a cashew farm near enough to her that she went right ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How long can I keep thawed vacuum-packed fish in the fridge?
I know that for fresh fish, or fish that was previously frozen without special storage, you should use it the same day. If I thawed too much, does the fact that it was vacuum-packed add to the time I ...
4
votes
1answer
170 views
Which container to use for combined milk?
My local supermarket was out of 1% milk today, so I decided to get half a gallon of 2% and half a gallon of skim milk and combine the two at home. Now I'm wondering in what I should store the combined ...
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4answers
730 views
What is the preferred method for sanitizing the kitchen?
I'm aware of a number of ways for sanitizing.
Soap.
Ammoniac.
Bleach.
Sodium bicarbonate.
Which of these is the preferred method of sanitation?
Which concentrations are recommended?
How can you ...
4
votes
1answer
131 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?
4
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1answer
733 views
How long can olives be left out of the refrigerator?
I left a bottle of garlic stuffed olives out overnight. Are these still safe to eat?
4
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1answer
8k views
How to make garlic oil in a safe way…tomorrow
I am planning on making some garlic oil for a friend of mine as a birthday present. Her birthday is tomorrow, so this question is a bit urgent.
I've read a few of the posts that indicate that ...
