Comments on: Get in my belly, bacteria filled fishcake.

Question: Get in my belly, bacteria filled fishcake.

whalebreath — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:43:51 -0800

Can I eat these fishcakes?

My roommate made fishcakes last night (around 7 pm, 23 hours ago), and a tray of them was left in the over overnight. They are made with cod and various vegetables, if it matters.
Normally I would not question this, would just reach for the tartar sauce, but my roommate is convinced that this is not okay.
We don't have a microwave, so though I've looked through the (many) previous related ASkMes, I can't just nuke the crap out of them until the bacteria die.
They were well cooked. Please can I eat them?

By: Ruthless Bunny

Ruthless Bunny — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:44:43 -0800

Oh hell no. Not fish. I don't even think they'd taste good.

By: Diagonalize

Diagonalize — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:46:29 -0800

Don't eat it. Questionable seafood is never worth it, and overnight in a warm bacterial breeding ground? Definitely, definitely don't eat it.

By: elizardbits

elizardbits — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:47:15 -0800

Of all the potential food items in the world to take risks with, I'd think any seafood should be on the very very bottom of that list, even if actually pooped on raw meat was also on the list.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:48:18 -0800

No, you can't eat them! Throw them away, for heaven's sake. Seriously.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:49:42 -0800

I had a roommate a while back who consistently left frozen fish out on the counter to "thaw"--overnight. He would cook it completely before eating it, but still.

He also consistently had diarrhea. (I know this because he also never flushed the toilet.)

Don't do it. Don't be my roommate. You have so much to live for.

By: skrozidile

skrozidile — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:01:37 -0800

You even tagged this no.

By: facetious

facetious — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:06:11 -0800

no chance

By: epo

epo — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:13:18 -0800

I think some people are being a little too paranoid. This is cooked fish we are talking about not raw shellfish. But ... I doubt if a microwave would provide the required cooking temperatures for the required duration. In an oven? Possibly, if you were desperate. In a microwave? No chance.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:15:28 -0800

I think some people are being a little too paranoid.

If by "paranoid" you mean "following expert advice on when cooked food is unsafe for human consumption" then maybe. See my link above to info from Food Science Australia.

By: Marie Mon Dieu

Marie Mon Dieu — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:29:36 -0800

If it were fully cooked fish sticks left on the baking tray, I might snag one for breakfast, but not anything fishy left for a full day. I'd compost it and let the jays and crows hash it out. I say this as someone who grew up with people eating out of pots of stew left on the stove at 3:00 a.m. and reheating it the next day for another meal. But chowders and fish cakes, no. Eat them right away or into the fridge!

By: Mercaptan

Mercaptan — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:38:39 -0800

It doesn't matter if you kill the living bacteria, their corpses will have revenge on you.

By: changeling

changeling — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:46:15 -0800

another NO WAY NO HOW.
also: eponysterical!

By: whalebreath

whalebreath — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:47:22 -0800

Haha thanks everyone. I had lentil soup instead :)

By: easy, lucky, free

easy, lucky, free — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:47:09 -0800

Chiming in late to say that I ate bad seafood just once and seriously wanted to die.

To emphasize Ruthless Bunny's point about the fishcakes not even tasting that good, I actually said, "Gee, I've never had mussels that tasted like this!" and ate it all anyway. I can't even eat soondubuchigae anymore at all because this experience totally ruined it for me. You probably didn't miss out on any deliciousness, and you avoided ruining an entire tasty category of food for yourself.

By: cmoj

cmoj — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:11:51 -0800

I'd eat them, but I really shouldn't.