When I woke up the other morning, I was distressed to see that I’d left out the turkey burger and collards that I’d sautéed the night before. I put the pan on the back of the stove and left the lid on for some reason. I didn’t notice it before I went to bed. So, I threw it out. Why?
Because leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter, to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.
Bacteria grow fastest between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This temperature range is called the Danger Zone.
Consumers should never leave food out of refrigeration for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, it’s one hour.
But, that’s not the end of the story, I’m sad to say. Several days later, I made lamb stew in the crockpot. Instead of putting the crockpot in the refrigerator like I often do, I put the stew in the pint glass jars that I use for food storage. I was out of quart jars, so I put the meat and vegetables, then the broth into three.jpgnt jars.
When I got up the next morning, there they were – lined up in a row, uncovered. I’d forgotten the last step; put the lids on the jars and place them in the refrigerator.
Darn. That was a lot of food and money wasted.
You can be sure I’m putting everything in the refrigerator after meals now so I don’t make those mistakes again.
