Would you eat this?

noonesperfect

My dear friend made a curry on Sunday (all from scratch with chicken and loads of different veges and fresh spices etc). "Bring a pot when you come over," she said "and I'll give you some of my curry."
On Tuesday I duly went with my plastic container. There was a large saucepan on the stove full of curry, some of which she doled for me.
Clearly it had sat in the pan since being made on Sunday - no attempt at refridgeration :eek: or even being kept out of the sun (if there had been any, that is!:rolleyes: )
My reaction was to smile and bring it home with me, in the back of my mind thinking it would have to go in the bin when I got home. However, the parsimonious side of me has won and I've bunged it in the freezer in the hope of killing any bugs . Plus it smells lovely :rolleyes:
Do you think it will be safe to eat? I've no qualms about her hygeine normally, but I always put stuff like this in the fridge as soon as it's cool and freeze ASAP if necessary.

pigpen

My stepdad keeps his on the stove for up to 3 days and he has never once been ill and has made it with chicken, pork, beef, lamb... if it is dead.. lol

I regularly leave stuff 2 days in the pan and freeze whatever remains.. usually nothing to freeze by then.

I don't like curry.. but if I did.. I'd eat it.

sloppychops

I wouldnt eat it if it had been sat out since Sunday but thats just my personal opinion.

redruby

I would not eat it either, but then I will always get a bad tummy if something is even a bit dodgy, so I am cautious, its just not worth it, chuck it, and smile and tell your friend it was delish

weezl74

I recently did some research on Salmonella, and if you make sure that the whole pot has reached a temperature of 71 degrees celsius, then you know you have killed it.

For me this translates into seeing that it reaches the 'bubbling vigorously' stage (which is nearer 100 degrees celsius) and then I feel safe!;)

Also some curry spices like turmeric/haldi contain natural anti-bacterial properties, and garlic does too and is an anti-fungal agent as well!

Sorry to be a bit geeky, just thought you might find the research helpful!:o:D

Love Weezl x

noonesperfect

weezl74 wrote: »

I recently did some research on Salmonella, and if you make sure that the whole pot has reached a temperature of 71 degrees celsius, then you know you have killed it.

For me this translates into seeing that it reaches the 'bubbling vigorously' stage (which is nearer 100 degrees celsius) and then I feel safe!;)

Also some curry spices like turmeric/haldi contain natural anti-bacterial properties, and garlic does too and is an anti-fungal agent as well!

Sorry to be a bit geeky, just thought you might find the research helpful!:o:D

Love Weezl x

Nothing wrong with geeky Weezl, I like to know thscience of these things.

Do you know if freezing it will have killed any bugs?

lauren_1

I would eat it but then again i have the constitution of an ox, just make sure its been properly reheated like boiling away.

noonesperfect

I'll have to make a mental note to reheat on the stove, normally I would do it in the microwave (if I'd made the curry that is ), but I don't think things stay as hot heated in the microwave anyway.

weezl74

Ta!;)

As far as I understand it, freezing only retards the further growth of bacteria already present, rather than killing it of (think having bits of ones body frozen for later use, kinda thing!:eek:) but it's the thawing and reheating process which should see off any remaining nasties.

found this too, which might interest you:

'Garlic, onion, allspice and oregano, for example, were found to be the best all-around bacteria killers (they kill everything), followed by thyme, cinnamon, tarragon and cumin (any of which kill up to 80 percent of bacteria). Capsicums, including chilies and other hot peppers, are in the middle of the antimicrobial pack (killing or inhibiting up to 75 percent of bacteria), while pepper of the white or black variety inhibits 25 percent of bacteria, as do ginger, anise seed, celery seed and the juices of lemons and limes. The Cornell researchers report in the article, "Countries with hotter climates used spices more frequently than countries with cooler climates. Indeed, in hot countries nearly every meat-based recipe calls for at least one spice, and most include many spices, especially the potent spices, whereas in cooler counties substantial fractions of dishes are prepared without spices, or with just a few." As a result, the estimated fraction of food-spoilage bacteria inhibited by the spices in each recipe is greater in hot than in cold climates.'


source: here


Anyhow, no pressure from me, I hope you do what you feel most comfortable with! As other posters have said, it's a very personal decision

floyd

noonesperfect wrote: »

Nothing wrong with geeky Weezl, I like to know thscience of these things.

Do you know if freezing it will have killed any bugs?

If you like to know the science I can give you a nerd fact that might help.
I routinely use E.coli that have been kept frozen at -80 degrees (normal freezer is warmer at -20) for many months. I brought some up from frozen a few months ago that had been there since 1982 and they grew like wildfire when defrosted and fed. So I can safely confirm that freezing will not completely kill E.coli, it just puts them to sleep and around 15% will die.

This info about salmonella may also be helpful

" Salmonellae are able to survive long periods of refrigeration and freezing, although the freezing process may kill some of the bacteria. They can also survive in dry conditions, for example within foods such as chocolate. Salmonellae are killed by high temperatures, and heat treatment of food (pasteurisation, for example) is an effective control method, and commonly used to ensure products such as milk, hard cheese and processed eggs are free of contamination. However, to ensure food safety, the exact time at a particular temperature required depends on both the Salmonella strain and the nature of the food itself. Typical requirements are 60?C for 2-6 minutes or 70?C for under one minute."

Taken from here http://www.animalpharmnews.com/magnoliaPublic/ap/reports/2003/chapter1/salmonella-market-opps-animal-health-industry.html

Primrose

I wouldn't eat it either. The risk of food poisoning is high and anybody who has ever had a bad dose of salmonella or other forms of food poisoning will never want to repeat the process.