HELP!!! Left big spag bol in pan outside to 'cool down' - forgot and there all night! Can I use it/freeze it?

[cluckyagain]

Bugger!!! I made a massive (15 portion at least) spag bol sauce and put it outside to cool down before I portioned it up to freeze/use. I went to bed and forgot about it. I would usually just chuck it without thinking but it was such a fag to do yesterday inbetween several other things I'm loathe to chuck it (and it was expensive as it was such a large batch) Can I keep it? The temp last night looks to have been 6 degrees at the lowest (in Surrey)

Yum, have you tried it cold for breakfast, just like a spag bol pizza !

Freezing doesn't kill bacteria - it's absolutely crucial that you re-heat before you freeze again. When frozen bacteria just go into a sort of suspended animation, whereas heat kills bacteria. But it has to boil and for more than just a minute or so.

I'd still freeze it. If it's got any bacteria in it from being out at room temp overnight, then deep freezing and proper re heating will kill it off anyway. I often forget to fridge my food after I've cooked it. I'm not dead yet.

yup, freeezing doesn't kill bacteria, deffo. it just puts them into suspended animation, they come back madder than ever, ike ripley in alien.

i would, only because there was ground frost last night up here.

It sounds like you have decided to keep it but I thought I'd weigh in with the KEEP IT!!! camp.

I regularly leave pasta sauces etc on the side overnight and then bag it up and freeze it in the morning. It's never done us any harm (or 2 y o DS).

I don't think it's necessary to boil it again before you freeze it (in fact I wouldn't because it will add another stage to the reheating/cooling cycle which is what contributes to bacteria growth) and as it's been cool overnight and tightly covered there is unlikely to be significant bacteria in there at the moment anyway. I would just freeze it asap, but I WOULD make sure you let it bubble thoroughly when you reheat it after freezing. Make sure it boils all through - not just in the middle and not just for 30 seconds.

I reckon it'll be fine, I forget all kinds of things and as someone else said.. i'm not dead yet, lol

If it was 6 degrees last night, then this is 1 degree higher than the 'safe' temperature for food. Therefore there is a risk that bacteria levels in the food will be multiplying significantly - which could pose a health risk. Therefore these bacteria should be killed before you freeze the food.

lol becauseimawitch, i note i repeated your suspended animation thing after you.

LOL - I did notice, especially as I had racked my brains to think of a technical term for what I was trying to say! Seeing your post made me think I had used absolutely the correct, scientific one instead of just making it up myself!!!

Not that I am making up the general sentiment, I hasten to add!

i think it's something that happens in sci-fi only. anyhoo, imo you're right. if there's bacteria there (will be) then you need to kill them rather than let them multiply lavishly 'pon defrosting.

If it was dangerous to eat unrefridgerated food then none of us would be here as our ancestors would have died in childhood! Live dangerously. And re your OP please don't ever ever chuck anything out without a second thought!

def ok. imo,
heat it fully

I do this on purpose all the time.

last time I checked, whole household still alive

god I would just freeze it. When me and DH started living together we had no fridge and everything was kept in a cupboard that had a air block in it. It kept everything cold. we got a fridge before summer tho lol

I'd heat it and then freeze it. But if I was feeling lazy, I'd just freeze. I'm sure it will be fine.