Can you try to summarize your rules of thumb on consumption of leftovers, and describe to what extent you think they’ve got a rational basis?
(I discovered last year that I’m actually more lax about it than some people I know, so I’m interested in what you and others think is risky versus safe behavior in this regard, and what that’s based on. I guess when I was growing up we tended not to have a lot of leftovers, so it never came up, and I think I may lack an adequate fear of food poisoning as a result.)
I am far more lax than most people I know also—when I was growing up there were leftovers, but we couldn’t afford to waste them unless they were really not good; I was still broke in college and would not turn my nose up at things other people were wary of. I have never been completely stupid about it, but I am not terribly afraid of food poisoning either, mostly because it barely registers on the list of risky activities I should worry about. (For comparison, I am convinced that my lack of driving skill would seriously injure myself or others, and so I don’t drive, which apparently makes me weird.)
I have had food poisoning a handful of times—but mostly under conditions that even conscientiously hygienic people would consider fine… and once from dubious food while traveling, because really if you do not eat the street food you are wasting your airfare.
(gwillen, I swear I am not deliberately following you around!)
Can you try to summarize your rules of thumb on consumption of leftovers, and describe to what extent you think they’ve got a rational basis?
The primary things that come to mind are “if you notice anything off, dispose of it” and “store things in sealed containers with dates on post-it notes or written with dry erase markers,” but most of the stuff I pay attention to these days are food prep rules (since I very rarely have leftovers, and most of the things I consume take a long time to go bad).
Can you try to summarize your rules of thumb on consumption of leftovers, and describe to what extent you think they’ve got a rational basis?
(I discovered last year that I’m actually more lax about it than some people I know, so I’m interested in what you and others think is risky versus safe behavior in this regard, and what that’s based on. I guess when I was growing up we tended not to have a lot of leftovers, so it never came up, and I think I may lack an adequate fear of food poisoning as a result.)
I am far more lax than most people I know also—when I was growing up there were leftovers, but we couldn’t afford to waste them unless they were really not good; I was still broke in college and would not turn my nose up at things other people were wary of. I have never been completely stupid about it, but I am not terribly afraid of food poisoning either, mostly because it barely registers on the list of risky activities I should worry about. (For comparison, I am convinced that my lack of driving skill would seriously injure myself or others, and so I don’t drive, which apparently makes me weird.)
I have had food poisoning a handful of times—but mostly under conditions that even conscientiously hygienic people would consider fine… and once from dubious food while traveling, because really if you do not eat the street food you are wasting your airfare.
(gwillen, I swear I am not deliberately following you around!)
The primary things that come to mind are “if you notice anything off, dispose of it” and “store things in sealed containers with dates on post-it notes or written with dry erase markers,” but most of the stuff I pay attention to these days are food prep rules (since I very rarely have leftovers, and most of the things I consume take a long time to go bad).