bluegrassmom Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Ug. I bought several packs of ground turkey today. Got home started putting everything away. Got done with that. But something has been nagging at me all afternoon. It feels like I forgot something. But I never could figure it out. Then I went back into the kitchen. AAAGGGG!! There sits all that turkey. Still bagged up on the counter. How the heck did I miss that?! It's been out 4-5 hours. I threw it all in the freezer, but now I'm thinking I should just throw it all in the trash. Yes? No? Link to comment
bluegrassmom Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 I know. I'm consoling myself with the fact that is was just turkey and not a more expensive cut of meat. I have to go back to Wal-Mart this week to do birthday shopping for my dd. I'll just re-purchase all of it then. Link to comment
westbrook Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I would cook it up right away.. make patties, after cooking, freeze. Makes it easy to reheat make a pot of sauce and throw in turkey make meat balls and cook then freeze I would still eat it... but then I am not worried about the little things like 5 hours and meat has gone bad... if you saw they way your meat was handled ... well never mind. but I would eat it. Link to comment
lunamother Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 (psst- deanne- before taking her advice remember SHE'S the one who wants to be the undertaker....) Link to comment
Jewlzm Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 It should still be ok to cook and freeze afterwards. However. If you notice any unusual smell while cooking then I would trash it. Ive done that before with hamburger and I just cooked it and froze it. It was just fine. Link to comment
Granny Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Never leave foods, raw or cooked, at room temperature longer than two hours. On a hot day with temperatures at 90 °F or warmer, this decreases to one hour. That's the USDA advise so you have to decide yerself. For me, I'd have to decide how cool it was when found (40 degrees is refrigerator temp)...and how long it was out. You say 4 or 5 hours? Most pathogenic bacteria are destroyed by cooking between 140 °F and 160 °F,(165 degrees poultry). Now don't ask me if it gets it all..or how much was there when you bought it...they've (USDA) already said to throw out after two hours... I'm not saying either way but just returned from family reunion at park and trust me ate things have no idea how prepared, how long out of temperature, and most of what was hauled home will be eaten by somebody after having been unrefrigerated ...for many hours... But then, I grew up when folks cooked Sunday dinner, threw a tablecloth over it and came back later for supper Link to comment
Grubby Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I did something like this over the weekend too. Link to comment
lunamother Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I guess it also depends on where you are. The counter in MY kitchen gets the nice afternoon sun from a west window and it's been running in the low 100's for weeks now here (and we do not have central a/c). That's why my immediate knee-jerk reply was GAAAAAAAAK! If you are in say, Alaska, where it's in the 50's already, then it's probably ok. The point that was given concerning the actual temp of the food was the important one- if the package of meat felt cool yet it was 'probably' maybe ok, but if it was warm then GAAAAAAAK! Link to comment
bluegrassmom Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 Well, it wasn't really warm or cold. It was just about room temperature. It's in the freezer now. Yes? No? Link to comment
pa & ma steel Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 If in doubt toss it. If you have dogs make it into dog food. They can eat it without any problem even if it got a little spoiled. Link to comment
westbrook Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 it will be fine. If you can go to a restaurant and read a menu, order hamburger and fries, when it comes eat it with your hands and not have sterilized your hands after handling a menu... you are gonna worry about spoilage of meat? or if you are going to sit at a table in a restaurant, take your napkin and put it on your lap leaving your silverware to sit on a table.. that has just been wiped with a rag that wiped all the other tables before it... and you are worried about meat sitting on a counter for 4 hours? the meat will be fine. Link to comment
Nana Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I totally agree with Westie! If you're really concerned, fry it all up with a lot of fresh garlic and onions, then freeze it in portion sized packets for spaghetti, tacos, enchiladas, etc., and don't worry about it! Garlic and onion are both natural antibacterials. My Daddy was a journeyman butcher when I was a kid, and for as long as I can remember, he always smelled meat to check for freshness. If the odor was off a bit, he just cooked it with a lot of garlic and it was fine. I can even recall him rinsing meat that had gotten a bit 'slick' in the package, and then using garlic to make sure it was safe. There are a lot of rules these days on keeping things fresh, and some will save your life but, some are just plain silly. I wonder where the pioneers found 40 degree temps to keep their meat fresh at butchering time? They didn't. They even went so far as to cut off the mold that sometimes formed on smoked meats, and then went on to use and consume the rest. Let your nose lead you and it will be fine... Link to comment
Jewlzm Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 You know.. it didnt really register in my head as I was writing that. But I did it in the winter.. in Idaho. So thats prolly why nothing smelled funny. Sorry for the Homer moment. DOH! Link to comment
bluegrassmom Posted August 22, 2006 Author Share Posted August 22, 2006 Ok. I really didn't want to throw it all out. I just can't stand to waste anything. I'll be frying up turkey today~~with lots of garlic and onion! Link to comment
westbrook Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 in gravy over mashed potatos and fresh hot biscuits... wait.. I am down in the spa eating cabbage soup. Link to comment
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