The portable tofu conundrum

May 31, 2009 2:51 PM

Another "safe to eat" question, this one about tofu.

Supposing tonight I make a stir-fry with tofu, using sesame oil, some veg (mushrooms, onions, zucchini), soy sauce and spices. I eat it with rice, mix the leftovers together (tofu, veg and rice) and put it in the fridge overnight.

If I put this mixture in a container around 9 tomorrow and bring it to work, will it be OK to eat around 1 o'clock, without being refrigerated meantime? I don't plan to put any dairy or egg in there. (Although if I were to stir-fry an egg into it, which can be good too, would that make it much more dangerous to eat after 3-4 hours at room temp?)

(I will be walking to work and the weather tomorrow is not expected to get above 16°C.)

posted by zadcat to food & drink (15 comments total)

Yes, it will be safe to eat.
posted by pravit at 2:54 PM on May 31

Yeah, totally safe to eat. I do this sort of thing all the time.
posted by peacheater at 2:55 PM on May 31

Go ahead and use the egg if you want to also.
posted by peacheater at 2:56 PM on May 31

In my experience nothing spoils in the 4-5 morning hours, if it was stored in fridge overnight. The cold resides long enough to keep things kosher.
posted by olya at 3:02 PM on May 31

No problem at all.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 3:19 PM on May 31

Yup, fine, even with the egg.
posted by rtha at 3:27 PM on May 31

16C does not sound like a temperature at which food will quickly spoil.
posted by dfriedman at 4:04 PM on May 31

Totally fine. You can even put it in the freezer for a bit in the morning (while you get ready) and it'll be even colder. Or pack some frozen edamame and it'll keep the food colder longer, and be a nice tasty snack.
posted by barnone at 4:07 PM on May 31

Maybe, maybe not. Unrefrigerated food is in the Danger Zone, the temperature at which bacteria grows most readily. Pack the food with an ice pack to be safe.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:16 PM on May 31

I do this all the time with tofu as well. no problems even with much longer and hotter time spans.
posted by buttercup at 5:56 PM on May 31

I wouldn't hestitate to eat that.
posted by tomble at 3:17 AM on June 1

We estimate that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Why dont you get an ice pack?
posted by canoehead at 9:09 AM on June 1

I would eat it, and I'm a sissy about things like this. (Although honestly, I'd just pack an ice pack and not worry about it, but that's not what you asked.)
posted by robinpME at 10:00 AM on June 1

I do this all the time, but I add some frozen green beans or peas in the container. No need for an ice pack!
posted by needled at 7:12 PM on June 1

Thanks all. I do have an ice pack and will consider it, although the condensation will be kind of annoying. Marking it resolved!
posted by zadcat at 8:13 PM on June 1