My first Would-You-Eat-It question!
June 18, 2020 11:47 AM Subscribe
We have been doubling up on our takeout orders to minimize trips out of the house in the pandemic while still trying to support our favorite local businesses, and keeping the second half of the order as leftovers. My husband accidentally left his second burrito bowl in the large takeout bag and it was forgotten overnight nestled beneath too many (no such thing) bags of tortilla chips.
Pertinent details:
Hot when arrived home
Never opened, in a smooth paper takeout bowl lined with a thin glossy layer of plastic on the inside like a paper cup) covered with a plastic lid on top
Left out overnight (a little under 18 hours at this point) at room temperature (thermostat hovering from high 60's to low 70's F)
Components of the bowl are: Carnitas, beans, rice, salsa. No dairy.
Would re-heat in the microwave before eating.
What says the crowd wisdom of AskMefi? Is the excessive time in the "danger zone" a deal breaker or would you risk it?
Pertinent details:
Hot when arrived home
Never opened, in a smooth paper takeout bowl lined with a thin glossy layer of plastic on the inside like a paper cup) covered with a plastic lid on top
Left out overnight (a little under 18 hours at this point) at room temperature (thermostat hovering from high 60's to low 70's F)
Components of the bowl are: Carnitas, beans, rice, salsa. No dairy.
Would re-heat in the microwave before eating.
What says the crowd wisdom of AskMefi? Is the excessive time in the "danger zone" a deal breaker or would you risk it?
If it didn't have meat in it I would say go ahead, but I wouldn't eat meat left out overnight.
posted by mekily at 11:52 AM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mekily at 11:52 AM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
No thank you.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:54 AM on June 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:54 AM on June 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hard no. I sometimes gamble with expiration dates, etc, but no way would I eat meat left out overnight.
posted by bookmammal at 11:55 AM on June 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 11:55 AM on June 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
This one I would toss :-(
posted by sallybrown at 11:56 AM on June 18, 2020
posted by sallybrown at 11:56 AM on June 18, 2020
Absolutely NO.
If it had a preserving agent as a major ingredient, such as sugar or vinegar, like pickles or jam, it's a definite yes. If it was stable at room temperature, such a hard cheese, then yes. If it was something that ferments naturally, such as beer or yogurt, then yes. But what you have has none of those caveats and is a breeding ground for bacteria that you do not want to mess with. Toss immediately.
posted by epanalepsis at 12:07 PM on June 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
If it had a preserving agent as a major ingredient, such as sugar or vinegar, like pickles or jam, it's a definite yes. If it was stable at room temperature, such a hard cheese, then yes. If it was something that ferments naturally, such as beer or yogurt, then yes. But what you have has none of those caveats and is a breeding ground for bacteria that you do not want to mess with. Toss immediately.
posted by epanalepsis at 12:07 PM on June 18, 2020 [4 favorites]
I sometimes joke about having a cast iron stomach, but I once got so incredibly sick from salsa that had been out overnight. Absolute hard pass.
posted by past unusual at 12:31 PM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by past unusual at 12:31 PM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Honestly, it's the rice that would give me most pause. I had the worst food poisoning of my life from rice.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:35 PM on June 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:35 PM on June 18, 2020 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all, he tossed it and will figure out an alternative lunch. Thanks to fiercecupcake for a link to an authoritative source, which further supported everyone's anecdotal consensus that eating it would be a Bad Idea.
posted by alygator at 12:50 PM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by alygator at 12:50 PM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]
Nope.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:07 PM on June 18, 2020
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:07 PM on June 18, 2020
Very surprised at the answers here.
I would eat (and have done with no issue) similar meals for probably at least twice as long. Carnitas make it an even easier yes.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:32 PM on June 18, 2020
I would eat (and have done with no issue) similar meals for probably at least twice as long. Carnitas make it an even easier yes.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:32 PM on June 18, 2020
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posted by jabes at 11:49 AM on June 18, 2020 [15 favorites]