posted
Ok, now that my district manager moved me to a store 3 minutes from my home (thank you Greg), I now go home for my break.
Anyway, today when I went home I ate (among other things) a salad with Thousand Island dressing.
Unfortunately, I left said thousand island dressing out on the counter rather than putting it back in the fridge...where it sat for the 5 hours between my break and the end of my shift. I put it in the fridge when I got home...but do you guys think it is bad now? It does say refrigerate after opening after all.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Check the ingredients. If there's egg, mayo, or milk, I'd err on the side of caution and throw it out.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
*giggles* For some reason this thread reminds me of a recent episode of Psych. "Lick the blood Shawn! Taste the blood!"
I have no clue why.
Oh, and I might have eaten it right then, but I wouldn't eat it any more, if it is made with milk or mayo, and it probably is.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I would eat it after five hours, but then I would throw away leftovers, not put them back in the fridge. To clarify my earlier post. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
It's got to be loaded with preservatives to sit on a store shelf for a year anyway. I'd eat it.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
All of the websites I am visiting (one being the USDA) are saying to toss creamy dressings if they are left out for more than 2 hours. Which is my rule of thumb for most food. I would say that I am more careful than most.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
I ate a chicken pizza once after it had been out for 5 hours. That had cheese. And chicken. I was fine.
But then again, midnight Del Taco has given me food poisoning. Which is supposed to be "fresh." I would bet on the dressing being fine, but I'd bet something small. I wouldn't bet my health.
Posts: 368 | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
I'd probably do the smell test and if it smelled okay - I'd put it back in the fridge. I'm pretty laid-back when it comes to stuff like that, though...
How long do you think dressing sits out if you're at a cook-out or something? Think it's close to 5 hours? I was thinking there's usually salad dressing out there and I don't think people throw it away every time?
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Cost of new bottle of salad dressing: $2.39
Emergency room deductible on my insurance policy: $200.
I'd toss it.
quote:How long do you think dressing sits out if you're at a cook-out or something? Think it's close to 5 hours? I was thinking there's usually salad dressing out there and I don't think people throw it away every time?
I keep it on ice at cookouts.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Thousand Island Dressing is classically made with mayo, but the cheap stuff is also made with "Salad Dressing" (aka Miracle Whip).
Either way, Mayo is just a whole lot of oil emulsified with vinegar, lemon juice and an egg yolk. The acidity is typically too high for most bacteria to live in.
Your concern should be whether or not any other ingredients in the Thousand Island spoiled (and, no, the egg in the mayo doesn't count). Mayo is usually not the culprit.
But I still agree with Dagonee, just dump the stuff. It's not worth whatever small gamble you're making.
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
How quickly do you generally make it through a bottle of dressing? If I were in your position and were going to be polishing off the bottle in the next couple of days, I'd probably keep it. If I didn't think I'd be using it again for a week or so, though, I'd toss it.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I'd keep it if I used thousand island dressing, which I don't. Though I suddenly am curious about how it tastes on cheese pizza. I used to know people who'd get that a lot. It was one of the fun things about being in the military, you meet people with weird food habits from all over.
Someone left the milk out yesterday, and I should make rice pudding out of it, depending on what the crisis du jour is when I get home.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Also, if you think something will make you sick, it gets that reverse placebo effect going, so if it worries you, not worth it.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I think you should just cook it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I use food that gets left out too long all the time, just zap the heck out of it if there's any doubt. I don't eat anything with fuzz growing on it or with a rotten smell, though.
I admit, I'm posting this partially because I'm curious to know what happens to Thousand Island dressing when you microwave it, and I don't have any at home. I'm happy to keep my T.I.D exposure limited to Big Macs (once every 2 or 3 years).
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:All of the websites I am visiting (one being the USDA) are saying to toss creamy dressings if they are left out for more than 2 hours. Which is my rule of thumb for most food. I would say that I am more careful than most.
Don't confuse "creamy dressings" with mayonaisse. The USDA website you cite says
quote:SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs.
That's quite a bit different than 2 hours. The Mayonnaise thing is really just a myth .
Also, the USDA lists: Peanut butter, Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles, Worcestershire, soy, barbecue and Hoisin sauces safe regardless how long they've been out. I don't even refrigerate ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire and soy sauce, but I know a lot of people do.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Well, I decided to go without salad tonight...and I'll likely just buy some more tomorrow.
It seems that people are on both sides of the fence...and if Kraft puts something in their thousand island dressing that is bad when left out, then I'd bee in trouble.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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quote:All of the websites I am visiting (one being the USDA) are saying to toss creamy dressings if they are left out for more than 2 hours. Which is my rule of thumb for most food. I would say that I am more careful than most.
Don't confuse "creamy dressings" with mayonaisse. The USDA website you cite says
quote:SAUCES, SPREADS, JAMS Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish Discard if above 50 °F for over 8 hrs.
That's quite a bit different than 2 hours. The Mayonnaise thing is really just a myth .
Also, the USDA lists: Peanut butter, Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, catsup, olives, pickles, Worcestershire, soy, barbecue and Hoisin sauces safe regardless how long they've been out. I don't even refrigerate ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire and soy sauce, but I know a lot of people do.
Don't confuse the rule for mayonnaise with the rule for things that might contain mayonnaise.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I always err on the side of caution. I've had food poisoning a few times and it's not something I'd risk for a few bucks in extra food costs.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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