Is my chili safe to eat?
I prepared chili 3 hours ago and put it in an older crock pot, it wasn't plugged in or got unplugged. I just turned the temperature all the way up to get it to heat quickly. Is it still safe to eat? It contains well browned ground turkey that I did my best to degrease. Fresh vegetables are garlic, onion and bell pepper. Canned tomatoes and beans that were puréed together. I planned to keep it simmering overnight, can I still do this once it gets back up to temperature or do I have to discard it all?
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4 Comments
But keep in mind that many toxic bacteria give no smell.
So, absence of smell does not equal safety to eat.
Voted the Best Reply!
Have a look at this flyer from USDA on safe handling of meat.
Cooking, even to desired or recommended temperatures, after meat has been left out too long (>two hours a room temp, >one hour at 90F or above), does not remove bacterial danger from the time the meat was sitting out.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/How_Temperatures_Affect_Food.pdf