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B!nd!
Lv 7
B!nd! asked in Food & DrinkCooking & Recipes · 1 decade ago

How long can you leave cooked food out for?

Ive been having this argument with my housemate because she insists on leaving the food she cooks for dinner out, uncovered, sitting on the stove top until she gets home from work the next day.

I think this is disgusting. My friends and I have all done food safety courses that say that you shouldn't leave cooked food out for any longer than necessary between certain temperatures.

But my housemate has been trained by a really good hospitality school and she says that you can leave stuff out for 24 hours as long as there is no meat in it (mind you- she still does it with meat dishes.) I think this is crap.

I feel like calling up her school and asking them if its true.

Do I have a leg to stand on here? Or is my housemate right?

Update:

Actually there have been mice about... its really frustrating.

And my housemate is always complaining that she is sick- without even a thought about what she is eating. Thank god she isnt working in a restraunt- the school she is going to is supposed to be the best in Australia so I hope they are not churning out chefs with these habits!

12 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favourite answer

    As a chef as well as someone who pays attention to science I can say without a doubt that most foods, meat or not, will begin to spoil once cooked and the left to cool in the air for more than a few hours. Sure, there are a few foods that wouldn't grow much bacteria and sicken you after sitting out all night, such as simple leafy greens (no added ingredients) or maybe cooked fruit. It wouldn't look very pretty but probably wouldn't sicken you.

    But pretty much everything else would. You already know about meat or fish spoiling in the air, but also grains (lentils, barley, beans, etc), rice, pasta, any sauces with tomatoes (especially tomatoes), etc, all begin to grow bacteria such as botulism mere hours after coming to room temperature.

    I'm no wussy when it comes to such things - heck, I'll sear my pork tenderloins medium rare, sauce it and eat it no problem. And I've been known too to forget something on the stove overnight then eat it AFTER BRINGING IT TO A BOIL for at least 10 minutes to at least kill the bactera. But if your housemate claims to be a food professional please let me know where s/he works so I can avoid the place...

    Source(s): Years of experience.
  • 5 years ago

    1

    Source(s): Delicious Paleo Recipe Guide - http://paleocookbook.raiwi.com/?xHtu
  • 1 decade ago

    Generally,you should refrigerate any raw food or any heated, prepared food that has moisture content. You should refrigerate heated food just as soon as the temperature reaches room temperature (only because hot foods would ruin the refrigerator or raise the internal temperature ruining other foods in the refrigerator).

    Typical room temperature can begin breeding bacteria at worse or fermenting food which ruins the flavor. Try leaving peeled fruit, blended berries with some sugar overnight vs. refrigerating these to see what I mean! And the warmer the room temperature, the higher the risk.

    Without exception, any food containing raw eggs or mayonnaise should never be allowed to remain at room temperature for more than 2-3 hours max This is because raw eggs -in any form- are a breeding ground for bacteria. I would extend this rule to condiments as well (ketchup, mustard).

    Foods containing fish, poultry, red meat, sauces should be refrigerated as soon as possible. It's safer to use that rule than to risk illness from food contamination/poisoning.

    There are some exceptions where you could leave unrefrigerated up to 24 hours, max

    a) Foods with very high sugar content (think Japanese pickled ginger, hard candy,jams, maple syrup although the latter recommends refrigeration, particularly true for >24 hours once opened ) or

    b)high acidity or saltiness (think pickles in brine, soy sauce, capers in salt), or

    c) very liquid (chicken stock, vegetable stock which has been boiled for a long time and solids removed)

    Dry ingredients, no moisture such as spices (lack of moisture impedes bacteria growth)are fine without refrigeration, as are processed food whose label does not explicitly state that refrigeration is necessary after opening.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

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  • 1 decade ago

    You can only leave cooked food out for a MAXIMUM of four (4) hours. After that, it has to be thrown away or properly stored because of the risk of pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses. Your friend is taking MAJOR risks by leaving her food out for 24 hours, ESPECIALLY meats. The temperature danger zone, which is temperatures between 41 and 135 degrees F, is when you are most at risk for food-borne illnesses. As long as you keep your temperatures 135+ F, you are safe to leave them out for four (4) hours.

    Source(s): I am ServSafe Certified.
  • 1 decade ago

    I personally would not eat food that sat out for longer than maybe 4-5hrs. I mean bacteria can start growing fast and quick. I would not want to eat at her house! The thought of eating food that was cook and not refrigerated 24hrs ago is simply disgusting. Im surprised she hasn't gotten very sick from it yet!

  • 4 years ago

    Unrefrigerated Food

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    3

    Source(s): Self Defence Training http://netint.info/UltimateSelfDefenseGuide/?bDT4
  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    2

  • 5 years ago

    Would like to know more about this too

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