Is my Indian food safe three days later?

July 16, 2009 1:20 PM

Safe to eat filter: I've had chicken korma in the fridge since Monday. Kept meaning to take it home for dinner and kept forgetting...

Safe to eat, or gross and dangerous? It doesn't seem like too much time has gone by but then, I don't know.....

posted by mingodingo to food & drink (31 comments total)

I usually trust my nose in these cases (but maybe someone here will recommend against that) -- if it still smells good, I eat it.
posted by stennieville at 1:21 PM on July 16

Totally safe. Eat it. (I'm assuming it's cooked and was refrigerated promptly?)
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:22 PM on July 16

When in doubt, trust your snout.
posted by iconomy at 1:23 PM on July 16 [1 favorite]

I almost always err on the side of throwing it out, but if you trust the fridge to stay cold I'd totally eat it.

(Of course, I'm starving right now so my judgment may be clouded...)
posted by JoanArkham at 1:28 PM on July 16

Eat.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:30 PM on July 16

I've heard 72 hours is a pretty safe guideline on leftovers. Sounds like you're still (just barely) OK.
posted by ferociouskitty at 1:33 PM on July 16

How much oil was used?

I find that my home made korma stays for a long time in the fridge (appropriately cooled of course) if there's a healthy layer of congealed oil.

If it's from take-out, I wouldn't, just because.. well.. that's how I am, but if it's home made, then I know it was cooked and stored properly.
posted by burhan at 1:33 PM on July 16

People are too quick to throw things out. If it smells okay, eat it. You will be fine.
posted by xdeliriumx at 1:35 PM on July 16

When in doubt, trust your snout.

No.

Here's why:

When food is cooked and left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature, bacteria can multiply quickly. Most bacteria grow undetected because they don’t produce a bad odor or change the color or texture of the food. Freezing food slows or stops bacteria’s growth but does not destroy the bacteria. The microbes can become reactivated when the food is thawed. Refrigeration also can slow the growth of some bacteria. Thorough cooking is needed to destroy the bacteria.

I generally give doggie bag foods containing meat anywhere from 2 to 4 days before assuming they're no longer safe to eat. The reason being, the food was cooked thoroughly at the restaurant, but allowed to cool for a while before it was refrigerated.

The amount of time between the food cooling to room temperature and when was put into your refrigerator is key. If more than a couple of hours, forget it. Food poisoning isn't worth it.
posted by zarq at 1:37 PM on July 16

http://stilltasty.com/
Wish I'd thought of that site.
posted by bendybendy at 1:41 PM on July 16 [1 favorite]

Food poisoning organisms are different from food spoilage organisms. A food can taste fine and make you ill.

Think about the history of the curry - was it kept consistently cool since it was cooked? Could anyone have been sticking a spoon or fingers in and contaminating it? If it’s been stored cool and contained I would eat it, particularly if you plan to thoroughly reheat it first.
posted by Fiery Jack at 1:41 PM on July 16

That's an eater right there.
posted by The Straightener at 1:42 PM on July 16

Could anyone have been sticking a spoon or fingers in and contaminating it?

Yes, me.

I'd eat it, because leftover chicken korma is one of God's gifts to man. I'd bet that, not only will it be safe to eat, but it'll also be delicious.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:48 PM on July 16

Safe to eat, or gross and dangerous?

Probably safe to eat. Just heat it really well — you should be fine.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:03 PM on July 16

I just ate some leftover chicken korma that was in the fridge for the exact same amount of time just last week, and I didn't even get diarrhea.
posted by jabberjaw at 2:09 PM on July 16

Probably totally safe but I infer from your post that it has been in the work fridge or something, not at home in your own fridge. Throw that stuff out man. Don't eat that.
posted by rahnefan at 2:33 PM on July 16

Easy keep.
posted by Perplexity at 2:38 PM on July 16

EAT! Just make sure it's heated thoroughly.
posted by emd3737 at 2:48 PM on July 16

Cooked meat? After 2-3 days, I throw it out. Why take the chance?
posted by mmw at 3:17 PM on July 16

This is an empirical question. Please eat and report back so that we have data for future such questions.
posted by found missing at 3:42 PM on July 16

Heat 'n eat.
posted by Miko at 3:43 PM on July 16

Honestly, I can't think of anyone I know who wouldn't eat that korma. 3 days in a fridge is nothing.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:19 PM on July 16

ETMFA.
posted by donpardo at 4:46 PM on July 16 [1 favorite]

NOM NOM NOM!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:24 PM on July 16 [1 favorite]

Yeah eat the thing. Whatever happened to the days of eating the week-old pizza you found under the bed? Refrigerators and made for exactly this purpose; to let you eat things a few days later.
posted by Justinian at 5:31 PM on July 16

Unless it smelled bad, I would totally eat it.

Why take the chance?

Delicious food that's already been paid for! Oh yeah!
posted by !Jim at 6:51 PM on July 16

Why take the chance?

Chicken. Korma.
posted by nosila at 7:09 PM on July 16 [1 favorite]

I say EAT IT. (after heating it up good in the microwave).

The only time in the past 20 years I got ill eating old curry and rice was when I drunkenly ate some that was leftover on the kitchen counter for a day. If yours was properly refrigerated, i would eat it.
posted by Frasermoo at 8:38 PM on July 16

I'd eat it, but I've thrown up twice since 1987.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 3:18 AM on July 17

so what were the after effects mingodingo?
posted by any major dude at 7:50 AM on July 17

No report. Perhaps we gave our friend bad advice.


.
posted by jabberjaw at 4:47 PM on July 17 [1 favorite]