How long can food stay out at a picnic?

Answer 1

It depends what type of food it is. As a general rule, you should put all cooked foods in the refrigerator as soon as possible, preventing it from going off. This is especially important with meat.

Answer 2

The maximum is four hours at room temperature. It is always best to use it long before that point.

This 2-4 hour thing is total non-sense and I'm trying to go to all the food sites I can to debunk this myth.

I grew up in a family in Texas where my grandmother cooked everything from fried chicken, bacon, pork sausage, pasta, etc., left it on the stove for up to two days on the stove in a kitchen where the temp averaged around 85 degrees, and not a single one of us ever got sick from eating leftovers.

The "norm of the day" from supposed chefs and experts tell you not to leave food out for over two to four hours at room temp. This is so totally untrue and just adds to paranoia about eating your leftovers. I currently have a pot of baked beans that have been on the stove for 4 days that I add water to, heat up, and eat each day. I haven't gotten sick, and neither will you.

The exceptions are anything cooked with milk. Do not eat or save any food items cooked with milk for more than about 12 hours. Sour cream dishes will keep forever. Sour cream does not spoil or degrade like milk and will always be good to eat many hours later without worry.

Hope this helps some of you. Don't fall for the current trap of young cooks and bogus government stats about not eating leftovers if out over 2 hours. It's not true. You're not going to get sick and you are just wasting food if you do.

Answer 3

It really depends on what kind of food you're talking about. Most snack/finger foods can be left out for several hours. If you're going to have an actual meal for your guests, you might want to consider getting some chafing dishes. You just put candles underneath and they keep the food hot and fresh for hours. If you don't know what they are or if you want to price some, here's a site:

http://www.missionrs.com

Hope this helps!
Lauren

Answer 4

Food Safety rules state that food must be kept below 40F or over 140F to be safely consumed.

After 2 hours over 40F the food is not recommended to be consumed. In restaurants they are supposed to throw it away.

Answer 5

Potentially hazardous food should not be unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours. If the ambient temperature is very warm - around 90°F - then cut that to 1 hour.

Answer 6

Watch where you eat and keep your hands clean constantly.

Answer 7

It should not be left out more than 20 minutes. Bacteria grow fast on cooked meats that are left not refrigerated. Best to have a cool box and serve a few minutes before being consumed.