Anonymous wrote:No op you can't re-serve this food. It was out too long and the. It will be over a week
Eat it yourself now or toss it.

OP never sad how long the food was out for...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

Dumb question here... is the bacteria because it was exposed to lots of people or would it be just as bad if it had been left out on the counter of an empty house?

It’s not dumb - it’s from the time near room temperature. Refrigeration slows down the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Cooking mostly kills them. The main “danger zone” is 40-140F.

Obviously that’s a very blunt tool to use for different foods and situations but the OP’s question is way outside the bounds for anyone and is a definite no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

Dumb question here... is the bacteria because it was exposed to lots of people or would it be just as bad if it had been left out on the counter of an empty house?

I think it’s just that at room temperature all the bacteria that lives in the environment and probably on the meat has prime growing conditions and will in fact grow. So on your counter with no people is just as bad.

- Not the microbiologist and honestly not that anal about food safety and I still agree with their advice here — I would eat it on sandwiches over the next few days but can’t imagine serving to others a full week later.

No op you can't re-serve this food. It was out too long and the. It will be over a week
Eat it yourself now or toss it.

Anonymous wrote:
Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

Dumb question here... is the bacteria because it was exposed to lots of people or would it be just as bad if it had been left out on the counter of an empty house?

Just wanted to thank the chef and biologist for jumping in here with facts and keeping people healthy during the holidays.

Anonymous wrote:
Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

thank you for your service, YFM. Also, thank you for the seasonal reminder that potlucks are a Choose Your Own Adventure dining experience

Anonymous wrote:
Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

Yes! Friendly Chef here. Don't serve the food again. It already has a high bacterial load.
If you do decide to eat it yourself at home, might I suggest rolling it up in a puff pastry and baking it? You've got to get the meat and cheese hot hot hot

Your friendly microbiologist here.

NO. DO NOT serve week-old meat from another event, that's been left out once and exposed to bacteria - you would be going against all best food practices.

You can knock yourself out by eating it yourself at home, because you decide if you want to get sick or not. Do not impose this on others.

I would eat it. Not sure if I would serve it. But wrap the cheese in cheese cloth or wax paper and a ziploc bag.

How do I store the cheese?

Did all the food already sit out at room temp for hours? If so you can’t safely freeze it. If a portion was refrigerated the whole time is fine.

Freeze the meat, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours before you need it.

Cheese - yes, meat - depends. Probably not.

I have a bunch of meats and hard cheeses left over from an event. I have another event in about a week. Is it possible to save these items for the next week or so?