So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
meat. I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
it into the stew. Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. I debated whether to
toss the jar. What a waste of yummy sauce.

Any thoughts? Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
contamination from turning into food poisoning? The chicken stew sure
tasted hot (and hence, good).

On Feb 20, 10:36*pm, AndyHancock > wrote:
> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> meat. *I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> it into the stew. *Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. *I debated whether to
> toss the jar. *What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> Any thoughts? *Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> contamination from turning into food poisoning? *The chicken stew sure
> tasted hot (and hence, good).
=========================================
Unfortunately, spicy/hot doesn't kill little beasties but temperature/
hot does. As long as the stew was boiling when the spoon hit it and
then the spoon went right into the chili stuff you should be good to
go. Just to be on the safe side, keep the chili garlic stuff in the
fridge or freezer.
Lynn in Fargo

On Feb 21, 4:14*am, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
wrote:
> On Feb 20, 10:36*pm, AndyHancock > wrote:> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> > meat. *I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> > used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> > it into the stew. *Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> > jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. *I debated whether to
> > toss the jar. *What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> > Any thoughts? *Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> > contamination from turning into food poisoning? *The chicken stew sure
> > tasted hot (and hence, good).
>
> =========================================
> Unfortunately, spicy/hot doesn't kill little beasties but *temperature/
> hot does. * As long as the stew was boiling when *the spoon hit it and
> then *the spoon went right into the chili stuff you should be good to
> go. *Just to be on the safe side, keep the chili garlic stuff in the
> fridge or freezer.

Hi, Lynn,

What is the difference between putting the spoon into chili sauce that
will be used for months and keeping some liquid from the stew in the
fridge for months?

P.S. Really from Fargo?

On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:44:19 -0800 (PST), AndyHancock wrote:

> On Feb 21, 4:14*am, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
> wrote:
>> On Feb 20, 10:36*pm, AndyHancock > wrote:> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
>>> meat. *I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
>>> used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
>>> it into the stew. *Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
>>> jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. *I debated whether to
>>> toss the jar. *What a waste of yummy sauce.
>>
>>> Any thoughts? *Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
>>> contamination from turning into food poisoning? *The chicken stew sure
>>> tasted hot (and hence, good).
>>
>> =========================================
>> Unfortunately, spicy/hot doesn't kill little beasties but *temperature/
>> hot does. * As long as the stew was boiling when *the spoon hit it and
>> then *the spoon went right into the chili stuff you should be good to
>> go. *Just to be on the safe side, keep the chili garlic stuff in the
>> fridge or freezer.
>
> Hi, Lynn,
>
> What is the difference between putting the spoon into chili sauce that
> will be used for months and keeping some liquid from the stew in the
> fridge for months?
>
> P.S. Really from Fargo?

i'm not lynn, but presumably the stew liquid would be a better growth
medium than the chili sauce, which typically has lots of salt, maybe
vinegar, and other preservatives.

not a good practice, but probably not fatal.

your pal,
blake

On Feb 22, 12:40*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:44:19 -0800 (PST), AndyHancock wrote:
> > On Feb 21, 4:14*am, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
> > wrote:
> >> On Feb 20, 10:36*pm, AndyHancock > wrote:> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> >>> meat. *I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> >>> used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> >>> it into the stew. *Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> >>> jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. *I debated whether to
> >>> toss the jar. *What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> >>> Any thoughts? *Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> >>> contamination from turning into food poisoning? *The chicken stew sure
> >>> tasted hot (and hence, good).
>
> >> =========================================
> >> Unfortunately, spicy/hot doesn't kill little beasties but *temperature/
> >> hot does. * As long as the stew was boiling when *the spoon hit it and
> >> then *the spoon went right into the chili stuff you should be good to
> >> go. *Just to be on the safe side, keep the chili garlic stuff in the
> >> fridge or freezer.
>
> > Hi, Lynn,
>
> > What is the difference between putting the spoon into chili sauce that
> > will be used for months and keeping some liquid from the stew in the
> > fridge for months?
>
> > P.S. *Really from Fargo?
>
> i'm not lynn, but presumably the stew liquid would be a better growth
> medium than the chili sauce, which typically has lots of salt, maybe
> vinegar, and other preservatives.
>
> not a good practice, but probably not fatal.

That's what I was hoping...I guess I'll find out for sure in the next
few months, if I remain inquisitive and brave. If I don't, then I'll
have decided that it's not an experiment I'm interested in conducting
for the sake of a few bucks...I'll let my gut decide, figuratively if
not literally.

In article
>,
AndyHancock > wrote:

> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> meat. I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> it into the stew. Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. I debated whether to
> toss the jar. What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> Any thoughts? Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> contamination from turning into food poisoning? The chicken stew sure
> tasted hot (and hence, good).

Personally I wouldn't worry about it unless you'd first put the "chicken
spoon" in your mouth. You've got a better chance of encouraging
spoilage that way than by just using the same spoon in two places. And
if the chili sauce is a tomato-based sauce with some vinegar in it, I
*really* wouldn't worry about it and I surely wouldn't toss it.

Don't confuse spicy heat with pH level as far as discouraging the growth
of nasties. The former won't help preservation if the pH is too high.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Several entries posted 2-19-2009

In article
>,
AndyHancock > wrote:

> On Feb 21, 4:14*am, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
> wrote:
=========================================
> > Unfortunately, spicy/hot doesn't kill little beasties but *temperature/
> > hot does. * As long as the stew was boiling when *the spoon hit it and
> > then *the spoon went right into the chili stuff you should be good to
> > go. *Just to be on the safe side, keep the chili garlic stuff in the
> > fridge or freezer.
>
> Hi, Lynn,
>
> What is the difference between putting the spoon into chili sauce that
> will be used for months and keeping some liquid from the stew in the
> fridge for months?
>
> P.S. Really from Fargo?

I'm not Lynn and I don't play her on rec.food.cooking and a major factor
affecting the length of storage time will be in the acid level of the
product. Unless your stew liquid is quite acidic or has been properly
pressure-processed for long term storage, it will spoil in the fridge.
Freeze it and it will be fine.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Several entries posted 2-19-2009

On Feb 23, 11:20*am, Melba's Jammin' >
wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> *AndyHancock > wrote:
> > So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> > meat. *I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> > used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> > it into the stew. *Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> > jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. *I debated whether to
> > toss the jar. *What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> > Any thoughts? *Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> > contamination from turning into food poisoning? *The chicken stew sure
> > tasted hot (and hence, good).
>
> Personally I wouldn't worry about it unless you'd first put the "chicken
> spoon" in your mouth. *You've got a better chance of encouraging
> spoilage that way than by just using the same spoon in two places. *And
> if the chili sauce is a tomato-based sauce with some vinegar in it, I
> *really* wouldn't worry about it and I surely wouldn't toss it.
>
> Don't confuse spicy heat with pH level as far as discouraging the growth
> of nasties. *The former won't help preservation if the pH is too high.

Thanks for the warning. I just assumed that both were caustic, and
hence would deter nasties. However, your response indicates
otherwise. So I pulled out the bottle to look for acidic
ingredients. The product is actually black bean chili sauce: Soybean
oil, salted black bean, garlic, salted chili pepper, dried chili
pepper, fermented soybean paste (water, salt, soybean wheat), shallot,
white vinegar, yeast extract, MSG, spice, disodium inosinate and
guanylate, etc..

The white vinegar is quite far down the list, but salt is up there.