Janie Grace Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I made broth from a chicken carcass 8 days ago. It has been sitting in my fridge ever since, in spite of my wonderful plans to make sweet potato soup with it. I have heard that if you give soup a good long boil, you kill anything that might be growing. Would you use 8-day-old stock and if so, how long should I boil it to be sure it's safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I wouldn't. There are certain bacteria that give off toxins that you can't get rid of with boiling or heating to high temps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upennmama Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Heck yes. I use stuff older than that all the time. Smell it, give it a good sniff. Especially if it has fat on top, which is protecting it from the air, I bet it's fine. Give it a good boil and trust the smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Not me. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Absolutely not. You can boil it all day long and you still won't kill all of the toxins. Eight days is way too long. I know what a pain it is to find something in the refrigerator that you didn't use in time, but I also know what it's like to have food poisoning, so it's pretty easy for me to toss stuff in the trash if I think it's too old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Heck yes. I use stuff older than that all the time. Smell it, give it a good sniff. Especially if it has fat on top, which is protecting it from the air, I bet it's fine. Give it a good boil and trust the smell. Actually, you can't "trust the smell," and the fat may be protecting it from the air, but it doesn't prevent bacteria and toxins from growing in the broth -- and boiling does not kill everything, so Janie Grace's family could still become quite ill if they ate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Is 8 days really too long ? I feel like 7 days is always my cut off, but 8 is just one more day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Is 8 days really too long ? I feel like 7 days is always my cut off, but 8 is just one more day... Technically, for a broth made with any kind of meat, I believe you're supposed to either freeze it or toss it within 3-4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I read 3/4 days. I do let stuff go longer than that. I'm not at all squeamish and eat stuff lots of people wouldn't. I still say when in doubt throw it out. I can't enjoy something I'm worried about making me sick. I'm very careful (most might say "totally paranoid" :rolleyes:) about food safety, because of my experiences with food poisoning. It's not worth taking a chance on making my family sick just to avoid throwing away a few dollars worth of food... although I'll admit it's irritating to have to throw stuff out, particularly when it always seems to be something that took hours to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 Throwing it out... sadly. Free-range, local chicken -- I apologize for wasting you. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I've eaten that more or less. I have never had a case of food born illness from anything I prepped or cooked. Maybe I have an iron stomach. Still, the freezer is your friend. If it's not acidic, 8 days is really pushing it. So I think tossing it is just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 I would chuck after 3/4 days max. Wasn't chicken broth what they use to use to study bacteria growth when microscopes were first invented because how quickly the bacteria grows in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Glad you decided to throw it out. Sounded a bit too risky to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.