Another 'is it still okay to eat' question ...

[Millie1]

This time it's spaghetti bolognese made on Sunday and in the fridge ever since. Would it still be okay for tonight or am I pushing my luck?

I'd leave it 2 days absolute max. Especially as it includes meat, sorry but I'd chuck it.

I'd eat it today - cooked meat and all that.

I would throw it..although does it smell ok?

If your fridge is a good one then I'd still eat it. Just blast it a bit extra in the microwave if in doubt as that should kill off anything lurking!

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But the BB date refers to when you should cook the meat by. Once it's cooked it will keep for longer than orig BB date.

I'd eat it no probs.

smell it: if it smells like it did when it cooled at the weekend (ie of spag bol) then heat & eat it

Good grief, I wouldn't even think twice before eating it.

Spag bol, will last a week easily. Often eaten up to a week old.

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Yeah BB dates are just for guidance. I mean if you buy meat at a butcher you don't get BB dates do you. You have to actually sniff it.

Yes Carla .

My understanding is that the BB dates are based on how quickly the bacteria etc will multiply on raw meat. When you cook the meat you kill off the bacteria, so you're sort of back to square one. Bacteria will then start building up again, but you're starting from a nil base, rather than from the level that they had reached prior to cooking.

Am sure there are some microbiologists on MN who could explain it more technically/accurately than that, but hopefully you get the gist!

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Your poor dog will think he's done something wrong if you suddenly start eating the food that he normally gets!

Thanks all ... seems a 50/50 split but DH says dump it as he will not eat it. Seems like i need to cook tonight!

BTW, on another subject ... aubergine. How firm does it have to be to be usable. I have one that's pretty soft - will it be okay? Have just popped it in the fridge to further prolong it's life as I don't want to use til tomorrow night? Thanks

I'd prob eat it, but after the look and smell test. I'm sure the aubergine will be fine. I'm not sloppy about mouldy things or bad smelling meat, but I take a fairly robust approach to dates on most things. Your nose and eyes are more reliable imo ! Also i buy all my meat from the butcher; I'm sure it's better freshly cut for you. Even in M&S or Waitrose you will see mince/fish etc with dates on days ahead. Perversely I trust that less; wtf do they put on the fish to make it last so long? Yeuch.

Btw I never get tummy bugs.

Cook it tonight make sure it's thoroughly heated throughout though.

Technically you can have 11 days after cooking (thats how much ready meals are given in the food industry) but the quality would be awful after 5-7 days so you wouldn't want to eat it anyway.

tabs you are correct but I won't bore everyone to death with a lecture on bacterial growth conditions.

Think I would have been making DH cook if it was not good enough for him.

You're in demand today sweetkitty!