Is beef left in a crockpot for 4 hours turned off still ok to eat? It has a greenish tinge?

Judith R
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13 Comments

Kristin C. March 9, 2024
Ok I'm freaking out I just ate my stew without the meat just veggies potatoes celery and onion we cooked it around 7 or 8 we left it in the pot and I just ate some 20 min ago and it's almost 4am will I get sick from eating this being in the crock pot since then the lid was closed and I'm scared I'm gonna be sick i need help and advise
 
SKK May 13, 2012
Definitely throw it out.
 
drbabs May 13, 2012
Throw it out! I got sick on beef stew that was left in the crock pot too long and it wasn't green; it looked and smelled fine. Not worth it.
 

Voted the Best Reply!

baconbiscuit212 May 13, 2012
When in doubt, toss it out.
 
Susan B. May 13, 2012
TOSS IT!
 
Benny May 13, 2012
cook the crap out of it before you eat it. 165F for at least 5 minutes.
 
arcane54 May 13, 2012
Benny, I'm not too sure of this advice. Although I'm not a pro some of my best friends are and they say the waste from bacteria is often the culprit in food poisoning and can't be cooked out of food to make it safe. I'd hurl it into the garbage... so you don't (hurl that is). A tough lesson, but one remembered.
 
boulangere May 13, 2012
You are correct. If food has been either inadequately heated or inappropriately cooled, and If a toxin is involved, it cannot be cooked out of food. It forms spores that can survive high heat and freezing. The first rule of the kitchen: Kill no one!
 
ChefOno May 13, 2012

Stick you your guns, Benny.

I'm afraid there is some confusion here between botulism (which produces a toxin) and other bacterial issues. Even botulism toxin can be inactivated by the proper application of heat (boiling for 10 min.)

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Clostridium_botulinum/index.asp
 
bugbitten May 13, 2012
Yes, but it depends on how far back into time you'd like to go. Green meat was very popular around six thousand BCE. (nee B.C.) I'm kidding here, but I think it's important that you are the one who has eyes and nose on the food in question, and so you should make the call.
 
pierino May 13, 2012
Yes, unless the meat was already green to begin with, mold just doesn't grow that fast. Bacteria though, those guys thrive pretty fast. I've seen meat come out of those supermarket foam trays that is already green on the bottom. It either get's taken back or get's tossed.
 
ChefOno May 13, 2012

Was the beef properly cooked to begin with? How long was the temperature in "the Danger Zone"? If you can't answer these questions (using an accurate thermometer), then there's doubt about safety. Either throw it out or reheat to at least 165F.

The green tinge could be light reflecting off oil or some other ingredient. I can't think of anything that could grow quickly enough to become visible in that timeframe.

Please read this short piece on the "Danger Zone":

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Danger_Zone/index.asp

 
boulangere May 13, 2012
Definitely not. You have no idea how slowly it cooled, and there is a good chance that it spent too much time below 135 degrees and above 70 degrees, the ideal range for bacterial growth. Alternatively, let the greenish tinge be your answer.
 
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