Monday Mailbag: Hamburger Safety
Monday July 6, 2009
A reader named Rick writes in with a question about cooked hamburgers left out on the counter:
Ground beef safety. Photo © Danilo Alfaro
"Hi, I cooked 4 hamburger patties well done and forgot about them. They remained on the kitchen counter for 7 hours and I eventually put them in the freezer, are they OK to eat?"
The answer: No! Cooked burgers left out on the counter for seven hours are not okay to eat. Perishable foods should not be left in the Food Temperature Danger Zone (otherwise known as room temperature) for more than two hours. On a hot day, the limit is one hour. So unless your kitchen is colder than 40°F, those burgers are compost.
Yes, freezing will stop bacteria from multiplying, but it won't kill the ones that are already there. And after seven hours at room temperature, there'll be plenty. Check out these ground beef safety tips. Finally, it can't be repeated too many times: When in doubt, throw it out.
Ground beef safety. Photo © Danilo Alfaro
"Hi, I cooked 4 hamburger patties well done and forgot about them. They remained on the kitchen counter for 7 hours and I eventually put them in the freezer, are they OK to eat?"
The answer: No! Cooked burgers left out on the counter for seven hours are not okay to eat. Perishable foods should not be left in the Food Temperature Danger Zone (otherwise known as room temperature) for more than two hours. On a hot day, the limit is one hour. So unless your kitchen is colder than 40°F, those burgers are compost.
Yes, freezing will stop bacteria from multiplying, but it won't kill the ones that are already there. And after seven hours at room temperature, there'll be plenty. Check out these ground beef safety tips. Finally, it can't be repeated too many times: When in doubt, throw it out.
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