Should I have eaten it? Deceptive herring edition

October 16, 2017 5:35 PM

So I bought some herring in a jar. It was in the refrigerated case but I...sort of forgot about that when I got home, because seriously, it should be shelf-stable, right?

I opened it, ate a slice, and then when looking at the jar I noticed that it said to keep refrigerated - not after opening, just refrigerated in general. It was unrefrigerated for probably 30 hours. Am I going to die? Or get horribly ill? It was a sealed jar, marinated in salt, sugar, water, vinegar and spices.

posted by Frowner to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Since you can order it online from a reputable-seeming website, and since parcels are not as a rule refrigerated and can take upwards of 48 hours to get to their destination, and since this is pickled in vinegar, and since you are not currently hunched over a toilet bowl vomiting out all your teeth (unless you are?), I think you will be fine.
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:11 PM on October 16, 2017 [2 favorites]

I vote for you'll be ok. Sealed, pickled ... I think the labelling is overcaution and maybe herring, being oily, is prone to going rancid. Do let us know how it goes!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 6:12 PM on October 16, 2017

Anecdatum: I have had rollmops that have sat out for ages and am still here.
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:13 PM on October 16, 2017

You're fine, absolutely. I will buy you donuts or beers if not. For real. Eating that may be the safest thing you did today :D
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:22 PM on October 16, 2017

I'm going to say yes because you live where I live, and unless you've already cranked up your heat, it's been cool enough that I think a pickled thing, even one meant to be refrigerated, would be fine left out. I might have been wary of it a few weeks ago when it was warmer.
posted by padraigin at 6:59 PM on October 16, 2017

You'll be fine. Just throw it out now, please.
posted by grouse at 7:11 PM on October 16, 2017

That kind of thing is sold in Germany on a normal shelf, not refrigerated. Clearly there is a remote chance that actual food processing differs enough that it would require refrigeration elsewhere in the world but as others have pointed out the likelihood that this is inedible due to lack of refrigeration is low. I would go so far as to suspect that this is food manufacturing law suite prevention as opposed to real need to keep cool prior to opening. I assume it popped when you opened it indicating an intact seal and all that?
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:13 PM on October 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

It might just say to keep it refrigerated because the texture is most palatable when chilled.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:52 PM on October 16, 2017

It's raw, pickled fish and the jar says "keep refrigerated before and after opening." Raw, pickled herring is not shelf stable and will generate bacteria even in a sealed container.

You ate one piece. Hopefully you'll be just fine. But if it were me, I would toss the jar and consider myself lucky.
posted by zarq at 11:05 PM on October 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think you're fine.

But come back tomorrow and tell us for sure
posted by SLC Mom at 10:21 AM on October 17, 2017

Response by poster: Feeling fine, no unusual symptoms. Honestly I didn't really like the herring in any case, so I probably won't finish the jar. Tinned herring only going forward!

(Also it is sort of eerie looking - big coils of silver grey flesh, sort of like if China Mieville had started a herring company.)
posted by Frowner at 2:07 PM on October 17, 2017 [2 favorites]