I know you didn't mean it this way, but you've asked a sort of trick
question. No one can tell you the brownies are safe to eat because then
you might get sick, and we'd be at fault. On the other hand, brownies
aren't really a highly volatile food. If they look and smell O.K., they
probably are fine. Then on to the third hand, how valuable are a bunch
of home made brownies? If you're worried, toss them. The peace of mind
will be worth it.

If it were me, I'd go with the reasoning on the third hand. Any time
I'm not sure of food, I throw it away instead of worrying about it.

But then, I wouldn't be worried about the brownies in the first place.
Baked goods might get stale which means they don't taste good, but
they're not usually poisonous. Baked goods sometimes get green mold on
them, but then you can see it; you don't have to guess. I wouldn't
worry about brownies the way I'd worry about unrefrigerated chicken or
seafood where the food might taste fine but make the eater dreadfully
sick later.

--Lia


kathy wrote:
> Someone sent me some brownies on November 19, and I've just received the
> box. They were sealed in Ziploc plastic bags inside the box. They look
> and smell okay. How long a shelf life do brownies have when shipped by
> mail? They haven't been refrigerated, but they probably have not been
> exposed to high temperatures, either. They still feel relatively soft.
>
> Someone went to a lot of trouble to make them and I'd hate to throw them
> out. At the same time, though, I can't really afford to be sick for two
> days from eating something that has spoiled. What do I do?
>
> What sort of spoilage occurs in baked goods, anyway? I know that things
> like bread and cookies get stale and stiff, but do they ever get
> hazardous to eat?
>
> thanks,
>
> kathy