Is this juice safe to drink?
April 7, 2020 11:29 AM Subscribe
The other day I bought a bottle of carrot/apple/watermelon juice at my local juicer. Unfortunately, I forgot about it in my bookbag for 8hours to a day. I put it in my fridge after I remembered it. I just took a sip - and it's vinegary - I think it fermented. Frankly, I love fermented stuff and it tasted great. Is it safe?
ok so if we were not in the middle of a global pandemic, I would drink this. I ferment a million things on purpose all the time at home and take my chances! the microorganisms that cause fermentation are pretty strong and keep out a lot of weaker pathogens. I also have a strong stomach.
but if you're somewhere that has extra pressure on the medical system right now, I wouldn't. None of our grocery or drug stores even have pepto bismol or tylenol right now, so you might be in for a bad time if you get food poisoning, and gosh forbid you have to go to the hospital or doctor where there's higher chance you get exposed to the virus!
I haven't even been drinking my homebrewed wine right now unless it's a batch I have tried before with no ill effects, just because this feels like it would be the worst time to poison myself.
Normally:yes, now: no.
posted by euphoria066 at 11:48 AM on April 7, 2020 [11 favorites]
but if you're somewhere that has extra pressure on the medical system right now, I wouldn't. None of our grocery or drug stores even have pepto bismol or tylenol right now, so you might be in for a bad time if you get food poisoning, and gosh forbid you have to go to the hospital or doctor where there's higher chance you get exposed to the virus!
I haven't even been drinking my homebrewed wine right now unless it's a batch I have tried before with no ill effects, just because this feels like it would be the worst time to poison myself.
Normally:yes, now: no.
posted by euphoria066 at 11:48 AM on April 7, 2020 [11 favorites]
Oh dear god no.
posted by Slinga at 12:31 PM on April 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Slinga at 12:31 PM on April 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would not.
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 12:45 PM on April 7, 2020
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 12:45 PM on April 7, 2020
This is not like intentionally fermented foods, where the food has been processed to favor desirable microorganisms (added salt, spiked with yeast). There is nothing ensuring that the things rotting your food are safe for you. Do not drink this.
posted by momus_window at 12:53 PM on April 7, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by momus_window at 12:53 PM on April 7, 2020 [9 favorites]
Noooo. Please don't, unless you want to spend a lot of time in the bathroom.
I got the worst food poisoning of my life drinking green juice that had been left out on the counter overnight. Learn from my lesson: don't drink the juice.
posted by Guess What at 1:56 PM on April 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I got the worst food poisoning of my life drinking green juice that had been left out on the counter overnight. Learn from my lesson: don't drink the juice.
posted by Guess What at 1:56 PM on April 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
Don’t throw those dice right now.
posted by mhoye at 1:56 PM on April 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 1:56 PM on April 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
Noooo no no no
posted by Sparky Buttons at 2:12 PM on April 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 2:12 PM on April 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
As someone who constantly buys fruit on clearance and frequently encounters and eats stuff that's beginning to ferment without ill effect, and who has drunk a gallon or two of fermenting apple cider in my time, I would personally be inclined to take the chance if it were me and I trusted my local juicer as a sanitary place.
(There are some places I won't buy fruit and vegetables marked down for clearance because they'll unhesitatingly package up and sell rotten mush. So if your local juicer were the kind of place that would start from fruit in that condition, I'd be concerned about juice subsequently left at 8-24 hrs. at room temperature. But not fruit that was fresh to begin with.)
posted by XMLicious at 5:01 PM on April 7, 2020
(There are some places I won't buy fruit and vegetables marked down for clearance because they'll unhesitatingly package up and sell rotten mush. So if your local juicer were the kind of place that would start from fruit in that condition, I'd be concerned about juice subsequently left at 8-24 hrs. at room temperature. But not fruit that was fresh to begin with.)
posted by XMLicious at 5:01 PM on April 7, 2020
Speaking as a person who has kefir, kombucha, garlic honey and sourdough all fermenting in my kitchen right now: I would NOT drink juice that had been sitting out that long, and doubly not right now, when having to go to urgent care could expose you to coronavirus.
posted by hungrytiger at 1:55 AM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by hungrytiger at 1:55 AM on April 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
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My answer to so many of these questions, which I roll out again now for your delectation - how much did it cost you? Would you pay that much not to have food poisoning tomorrow? If so, you have your answer.
posted by penguin pie at 11:37 AM on April 7, 2020 [7 favorites]