To eat chilli left out overnight

[Purplegiraffe345]

I batch cooked chilli last night, put it in sealed containers and left it on the side to cool. I finished cooking around 8pm but realised around 5am this morning that the pots were still out on the side. I then put the pots in the fridge. I plan to freeze them later.

Will they be OK to eat?

It will be fine. In my house that wouldn’t have gone in the fridge until midnight anyway.

Not rice though - never eat rice that’s been left out. If you’ve done rice as well you’ll need to cook some more.

I wouldn’t do it. But I get really paranoid about food poisoning. If you do eat it, can you report back please so I can feel a bit better about doing it in the future?

I have done this so many times. I've left out chilli, bolognese sauce, and curries, and never had a problem eating them. Some I have frozen and eaten later, some I have just put in the fridge.

It makes it worse if anything as it stays warm for longer. Ideally you cool down quickly and refrigerate.

Making sure something is piping hot won't do anything btw if something has been sitting out for 9 hours. Also it makes no difference if you've done it before and all was ok, it might not be this time.

I definitely wouldn't feed it to the family. Up to you if you risk it.

I totally would eat this, leave things out overnight all the time, absolutely fine.

I'd have no problem at all with eating it.

Yes u do it all the time. Just make sure it’s heated high.

I would eat it and regularly do this. As long as the mince was fresh (not off) and properly cooked which I’m sure it was, it will be be fine.

I’ve done this! Yes it will be fine. Not sure I’d risk it with chicken though but beef is more resilient

Do you mean the lid makes it worse because it takes longer to cool? I hadn’t thought about that?

Yes I will feed back, if I survive that is! 😉

I’d eat it, but not the day before something important, just in case. And I wouldn’t give it to the kids unless I’d been OK on a practice run.

I would, I have done several times. Food often isn't cooled enough for the freezer at bedtime. Assuming you don't live in the tropics and your kitchen isn't a sauna it will be fine.

Do you think the many, many posts saying it will be fine were written by ghosts or something?...

Steak is 'safer' to eat in that it doesn't need to be piping hot or cooked all the way through to eat it safely because it is an undalterated product but mince is not. The process of grinding or mincing the meat increases the likelyhood of introducing pathpogens or contaminants which is why burgers must be cooked through thoroughly.

Just to add my voice. I would have no problem at all with eating that! Just heat it up thoroughly

I have, and have had no issues

Morningstarter we are also in the South .2 degrees ON !

I would. It’ll be fine.

I’ve just eaten some chicken that’s been on the kitchen bench since last night. So yes, it wouldn’t occur to me not to eat the chilli.

Thanks all for your comments. I can report that we had the chilli last night and we both feel fine!

I would eat it. It's been a cold night. Wouldn't even consider not eating it!

I cook a batch of chilli every fortnight and always leave it overnight as we eat quite late most evening so can’t always wait for leftover food to cool down and refrigerate otherwise. Obviously not in the height of summer.

My view is:

Beef - absolutely fine.

Chicken, fish or rice - not a chance in hell.

I 100% wouldn't. After 90mins bacteria that can cause food poisoning start to grow and it's a myth that heat kills them.

All nonsense.. EVERYONE surely knows that chilli is twice as good the next day .. must have eaten it over 100 x over the years .. yum yum yum