Category "food-safety"

Why is it dangerous to eat meat which has been left out and then cooked?

If cooking meat kills bacteria, and bacteria are responsible for problems with eating meat which has been left out, then why is it dangerous to eat meat which h

How do you safely bring ingredients normally stored cold to room temperature?

Many recipes call for ingredients that are normally stored cold to be at room temperature at the time of use. One example is a cake recipe, which often calls fo

Fiddlehead toxicity

I'm curious if anyone has some experience with fiddlehead toxicity. Wikipedia has it listed as "may harbour microbes, and should be washed and cooked before ea

Ideal fridge temperature accounting for temperature spikes

I've read the question on the ideal fridge temperature, but am asking a more involved question about a baseline temperature and temperature spikes. How will a f

What is the sous vide botulism risk if storing meat post-cooking at home?

So I understand that cooking sous vide has a potentially high risk of botulism due to the anaerobic environment (vacuum). As such, you need to be careful with t

How long will fresh scallops keep in the refrigerator? [duplicate]

Today I bought one pound of fresh scallops from the seafood counter at the local market, but my dinner plans have changed - I am no longer pla

Are refrigerated hard boild eggs really unsafe after a week?

Most sites that I've googled (such as http://www.ochef.com/1009.htm, and http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/eggs2.htm) say that refrigerated hard-boiled eggs ne

Would boiling make escargot safe if they were carrying parasites or bacteria?

I've read that escargot can be a carrier of parasites (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) or bacteria that can lead to meningitis. I assume there are no visible signs

Food safety of meat vs. veggies and fruit with mold on them

Obviously, it's bad to eat moldy food, so I don't do so. However, the other day I was presented with both an old pot roast and asparagus in the fridge, both of

What's the correct temperature to prepare confit cod?

I've been cooking confit cod at 40°C (104°F). Once it reaches 40°C, I keep it for about 5 minutes and take it out of the oven. However, the thinner

Dangers associated with sous-vide temperature and time

What's the risk associated with leaving pork (vacuum sealed) in water at 35 °C (95 °F) for 12 hours? It's probably a common mistake with sous vide cooki

Can I re-cook a ham that was left out overnight?

I left a fully cooked ham in a bag out overnight. It was refrigerator temperature when I took it out at 9pm. Our Seattle home was not heated; it was about 50 de

Do you use paper or cloth towel for patting a meat dry before frying?

It is advised to pat a steak dry before frying. I've used paper towels in the past for this, but sometimes parts of them stick to meat. Now and then I've used a

Extra Firm Tofu past expiration date: safe, but for how long?

How long past the expiration date is pre-packaged extra-firm tofu safe, tasty and wholesome. Generally, expiration dates are for sissies, but something about t

Does meat need to be washed before preparation?

I don't even remember where I have learned that, but I've always thought it common knowledge: Before a piece of meat gets seasoned, or malleted for tenderizing

Are there carcinogens in grilled foods?

I do a lot of grilling (various vegetables and meats), but was recently told this will have similar effects to smoking. Is there much merit to the concerns over

How long can eggs be unrefrigerated before becoming unsafe to eat?

A friend of mine accidentally left a carton of eggs on her counter, unrefrigerated, for three days. The eggs had been previously refrigerated both at the store

Is food immediately taken out of the microwave safe to eat?

Do we have to wait a few seconds to let the microwaves go away, or can we eat it immediately? Of course, I assume that the food is not too hot to be eaten.

Why prevent apples from turning brown?

It's somewhat well-known that applying an acidic solution to sliced apples prevents them from turning brown as quickly. I believe that the primary motivation t

Is my fancy cheese still safe to eat?

A few weeks ago, I went to Amsterdam and bought several pounds of cheese, including one massive (3 pound) round of Edam. It was wrapped in wax paper and was to