Ordered groceries from Instacart, unsure about the condition. Thoughts?
January 14, 2021 1:40 PM Subscribe
About two hours ago, my shopper started shopping for food, then delivered it about ten minutes ago. I'm uncertain of the condition of some cold foods, including meat. Doesn't help that I'm a newbie at cooking. What are your thoughts?
My shopper started shopping for food, having to make some replacements, and whatnot. They checked out about an hour ago, then it took them about an hour to deliver the food to me (minor delays). I'm most concerned about the ground beef and chicken breasts I got.
The milk arrived still cold, no problem, but the ice cream tub I had ordered was kind of squishy, although not completely liquidified yet. The ice cream was very soft and didn't require any effort to scoop. The chicken breast (this is my first time ordering one, so I am not sure if this is normal) felt very soft to the touch, a bit velvety, if that makes sense, and the ground beef looks OK, but I can't tell if it's gone bad or not.
How nervous should I be about the condition and safety of the cold stuff I received? I had to bulk order today because I'm in the DC area, and want to make sure I have enough food this weekend to stay safe and stay home, but would be willing to report the food as damaged to Instacart and re-shop tomorrow quickly. I don't want to waste food, however, so how certain would you be/how can I tell if it's safe or not?
Many thanks! Happy New Year, and hope all are safe and well.
My shopper started shopping for food, having to make some replacements, and whatnot. They checked out about an hour ago, then it took them about an hour to deliver the food to me (minor delays). I'm most concerned about the ground beef and chicken breasts I got.
The milk arrived still cold, no problem, but the ice cream tub I had ordered was kind of squishy, although not completely liquidified yet. The ice cream was very soft and didn't require any effort to scoop. The chicken breast (this is my first time ordering one, so I am not sure if this is normal) felt very soft to the touch, a bit velvety, if that makes sense, and the ground beef looks OK, but I can't tell if it's gone bad or not.
How nervous should I be about the condition and safety of the cold stuff I received? I had to bulk order today because I'm in the DC area, and want to make sure I have enough food this weekend to stay safe and stay home, but would be willing to report the food as damaged to Instacart and re-shop tomorrow quickly. I don't want to waste food, however, so how certain would you be/how can I tell if it's safe or not?
Many thanks! Happy New Year, and hope all are safe and well.
Sounds perfectly normal.
posted by slateyness at 1:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by slateyness at 1:46 PM on January 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
Yeah, you're fine. As I almost always respond to these types of questions: refrigeration is an extremely recent invention in human history. If this was going to be problematic, our species never would have made it this far.
posted by number9dream at 1:50 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by number9dream at 1:50 PM on January 14, 2021 [8 favorites]
I think you're okay. Folks who live in rural areas have to come into towns and cities to shop for their groceries, often having to drive over an hour to get home. Kudos to you for embarking on a cooking journey!
If the expiry dates are fine, you will be okay, too. Raw chicken is pretty squishy, like hepta says. Kind of how it feels on the palm of your hand, right below your thumb. As you get more comfortable handling ingredients, you'll know by smell. But that's not helpful for you as a beginner cook.
As a recovering vegetarian I used to have a lot of anxiety around raw meat, so I can really appreciate your question.
posted by Juniper Toast at 1:56 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
If the expiry dates are fine, you will be okay, too. Raw chicken is pretty squishy, like hepta says. Kind of how it feels on the palm of your hand, right below your thumb. As you get more comfortable handling ingredients, you'll know by smell. But that's not helpful for you as a beginner cook.
As a recovering vegetarian I used to have a lot of anxiety around raw meat, so I can really appreciate your question.
posted by Juniper Toast at 1:56 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
I'm usually the one pointing out that these questions are lotteries where the grand prize is not buying a new chorizo or whatever and urging caution.
It's fine. Totally one billion percent fine. The only way something would have gone bad is if it were already bad in the store.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:58 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
It's fine. Totally one billion percent fine. The only way something would have gone bad is if it were already bad in the store.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:58 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
People all over the world (and yes, even all over the U.S.) can take an hour or more to get from the grocery store to home due to traffic, distance, errands, picking kids up from school. It's 52° in DC today, so it's not like your shopper left the food in a hot car in the sun while taking in a movie. Chicken and beef, still wrapped, are a bit insulated; if your milk had been warm, that might be different, but food (other than ice cream, and often not even that) isn't "damaged" an hour out of the store. Cold/frozen wrapped food doesn't go bad in the course of an hour. (That said, perhaps save Popsicles for when you're shopping for yourself.) Happy cooking!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:02 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:02 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
Never leave ground beef or any perishable food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours – 1 hour at 90 °F (32.2 °C) and above. - USDA
So if we assume the worst case: that the beef was the very first thing picked and all of the picking/delivery was at room temperature, then you are still OK but right on the edge of the recommended limit.
One way to improve things with online delivery is to add a bag of ice cubes to your order, even if you don't need them - they will help to cool everything else. Many meat delivery companies do this as a matter of course, but the general food markets tend not to.
posted by Lanark at 2:03 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
So if we assume the worst case: that the beef was the very first thing picked and all of the picking/delivery was at room temperature, then you are still OK but right on the edge of the recommended limit.
One way to improve things with online delivery is to add a bag of ice cubes to your order, even if you don't need them - they will help to cool everything else. Many meat delivery companies do this as a matter of course, but the general food markets tend not to.
posted by Lanark at 2:03 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
To add to this--instacart claims food is refrigerated between checkout and when the driver leaves they store, but they do not claim frozen food is stored in a freezer. Ice cream can melt in a fridge, but it will still be safe to eat (although the texture may suffer).
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 2:04 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 2:04 PM on January 14, 2021 [6 favorites]
I used to go grocery shopping with my folks, the store was 30 miles away. My Dad liked to stop on the way home to get a burger, while the groceries were in the trunk. Then we'd drive home and put the food away. None of us got sick. I admit, I had the same qualms as you do now, but it's okay. Food doesn't spoil in an instant.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 2:10 PM on January 14, 2021
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 2:10 PM on January 14, 2021
I am one of the many people who live in a rural area and its about 45 minutes from grocery store to home. Sometimes I go to the nearest Trader Joe’s which means an hour to an hour and a half home; for that trip I use insulated bags, but mostly so my ice cream stays solid. Adding to the chorus of you’re totally fine!
posted by nancynickerson at 2:18 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by nancynickerson at 2:18 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, that's a relief! Just wanted to double check, especially as I didn't know what the texture of a raw boneless chicken breast is supposed to feel like.
And in case you were wondering, I plan to make this. Here's to hoping for a successful and delicious dinner at some point this weekend!
posted by dubious_dude at 2:34 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]
And in case you were wondering, I plan to make this. Here's to hoping for a successful and delicious dinner at some point this weekend!
posted by dubious_dude at 2:34 PM on January 14, 2021 [7 favorites]
The rule of thumb for high-risk perishables is that they should not spend more than 4 hours total between the temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees F. A lot of US guidelines for home use roll in an assumption that before the food was in your hands it may have been lightly mis-handled, plus travel time, plus it does take some minutes to return to the Safe Zone after being put back in the fridge. So that travel time was already accounted for in your safety guidelines.
And food does not turn deadly at the 4-hour mark; that is just the point at which bad stuff that may or may not even be on your food is better able to self-replicate and the longer it sits at those temperatures the worse the situation can get. I guarantee if you eat at restaurants or cafeterias or whatever you've eaten mis-handled food and never had an inkling.
It will be very difficult for you to accidentally make yourself sick if you exercise basic mindfulness - don't leave uncooked proteins sitting out for hours, put away cooked food within 60-90 minutes of completing preparation, and it is fine for it to cool during that time. You do not have to race through dinner to put the rest of your chicken alfredo away, or let your bowl get cold while you put the rest away, or leave it cooking on a low temperature so it dries out.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
And food does not turn deadly at the 4-hour mark; that is just the point at which bad stuff that may or may not even be on your food is better able to self-replicate and the longer it sits at those temperatures the worse the situation can get. I guarantee if you eat at restaurants or cafeterias or whatever you've eaten mis-handled food and never had an inkling.
It will be very difficult for you to accidentally make yourself sick if you exercise basic mindfulness - don't leave uncooked proteins sitting out for hours, put away cooked food within 60-90 minutes of completing preparation, and it is fine for it to cool during that time. You do not have to race through dinner to put the rest of your chicken alfredo away, or let your bowl get cold while you put the rest away, or leave it cooking on a low temperature so it dries out.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
I didn't know what the texture of a raw boneless chicken breast is supposed to feel like.
Fucking awful.
p.s. If you have an air fryer, it is the only way I cook chicken now.
posted by phunniemee at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
Fucking awful.
p.s. If you have an air fryer, it is the only way I cook chicken now.
posted by phunniemee at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
Generally restaurant cooks and the USDA is very conservative with their recommendations. This is a Good Thing but be careful when you hear advice from professional cooks. They’re not wrong but they deal in volume and environments completely different from home cooking.
Depending on your budget, I’d recommend delivering your meat from a local meat supplier or one of the national chains. If you’re coming for one the extra expense will be minimal. Nebraska Steak is particularly affordable if you are aggressive when they offer promotions. Obviously they’re trying to upsell you on non discounted items but I order whatever is heavily discounted and throw it in the freezer rather than do usual weekly meat planning.
posted by geoff. at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
Depending on your budget, I’d recommend delivering your meat from a local meat supplier or one of the national chains. If you’re coming for one the extra expense will be minimal. Nebraska Steak is particularly affordable if you are aggressive when they offer promotions. Obviously they’re trying to upsell you on non discounted items but I order whatever is heavily discounted and throw it in the freezer rather than do usual weekly meat planning.
posted by geoff. at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you are pressure cooking your chicken, I am even less worried. Pressure cooking has been used for generations by people without fridges and it is a good way of making sure your food is cooked through.
During this period in time, we probably all have to return to grandmother-style safety rules, and one of them is to cook chicken through. The same goes for ground beef. Others are to rinse vegetables thoroughly, specially when eating raw, and to keep all surfaces in the kitchen very clean. Use separate knives and chopping boards for meat and veg, or clean them in between chopping.
I am living in the countryside, so used to some transportation time. I have a choice in stores between chopped beef that is just wrapped in plastic normally and beef that is vacuum packed. If I want to make burgers that are a bit pink inside, I go for the vacuum packed product, or I go to the next town over where the butcher will chop the beef while I wait, so even though the drive is longer, the actual time the beef is exposed is shorter.
posted by mumimor at 2:52 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
During this period in time, we probably all have to return to grandmother-style safety rules, and one of them is to cook chicken through. The same goes for ground beef. Others are to rinse vegetables thoroughly, specially when eating raw, and to keep all surfaces in the kitchen very clean. Use separate knives and chopping boards for meat and veg, or clean them in between chopping.
I am living in the countryside, so used to some transportation time. I have a choice in stores between chopped beef that is just wrapped in plastic normally and beef that is vacuum packed. If I want to make burgers that are a bit pink inside, I go for the vacuum packed product, or I go to the next town over where the butcher will chop the beef while I wait, so even though the drive is longer, the actual time the beef is exposed is shorter.
posted by mumimor at 2:52 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have a choice in stores between chopped beef that is just wrapped in plastic normally and beef that is vacuum packed.
Oh, that reminds me that in some stores you might be able to get irradiated ground beef, which has been blasted with ionizing radiation until anything living on it is dead, resurrected as a mutant, and double-extra-killed.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:12 PM on January 14, 2021
Oh, that reminds me that in some stores you might be able to get irradiated ground beef, which has been blasted with ionizing radiation until anything living on it is dead, resurrected as a mutant, and double-extra-killed.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:12 PM on January 14, 2021
Also, just for information purposes: if your ground beef is a bit dark on the inside, it is perfectly fine. Beef gets redder when air hits it, and the beef on the inside of the mound of ground beef doesn't get air, so it stays dark. So don't freak. (I've been working in the meat department of a grocery store for 26 years)
posted by annieb at 5:49 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by annieb at 5:49 PM on January 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Sounds normal to me. I wouldn't worry.
If you are worried, order off Amazon Fresh / Prime Now next time. They ship from warehouse, not run into a store to grab stuff for you, so selection is a bit limited, but they are *usually* very careful in packaging ice cream in thermal insulating bags so it's not squishy when it gets to you. I don't think Instacart folks have those bags. I haven't compared prices though.
posted by kschang at 6:04 PM on January 14, 2021
If you are worried, order off Amazon Fresh / Prime Now next time. They ship from warehouse, not run into a store to grab stuff for you, so selection is a bit limited, but they are *usually* very careful in packaging ice cream in thermal insulating bags so it's not squishy when it gets to you. I don't think Instacart folks have those bags. I haven't compared prices though.
posted by kschang at 6:04 PM on January 14, 2021
I prefer my ice cream rock hard so I usually tear home like a bat out of hell, but in even 15 mins the ice cream is squishy. They actually design it to be soft rapidly so it's "easier to scoop".
posted by The otter lady at 6:22 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by The otter lady at 6:22 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
Totally fine.
Whenever my mom went shopping, we'd all run out to get the groceries so we could then dive in with spoons to get the soft, almost soupy edges of the ice cream. Evidently, at some point after I moved out, they even had a name just for that ice cream soup - the "moat" (like a moat around a castle).
Enjoy your moat, and enjoy your other food. It's all fine.
posted by notsnot at 6:55 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
Whenever my mom went shopping, we'd all run out to get the groceries so we could then dive in with spoons to get the soft, almost soupy edges of the ice cream. Evidently, at some point after I moved out, they even had a name just for that ice cream soup - the "moat" (like a moat around a castle).
Enjoy your moat, and enjoy your other food. It's all fine.
posted by notsnot at 6:55 PM on January 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by hepta at 1:42 PM on January 14, 2021 [51 favorites]