How Long Can Potato Soup Sit Out?

So, you left your soup or stew out overnight. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Just kidding—it happens to the best of us. But now you’re wondering: Is this still safe to eat? Soup or stew left out for more than two hours (including overnight) should be discarded according to the USDA.

• Even if you reheat it to kill bacteria, there may be toxins made by the bacteria, which reheating can’t destroy.
• This applies to all soups and stews, with or without meat.
• Below, I’ll explain how to tell if soup or stew is bad, and what happens if you eat bad soup or stew.
• I’ll also answer some questions about leaving your soup in a crockpot or instant pot, and how to properly refrigerate soup.

(Do you need to wait for it to cool?)

How long can potato soup sit out at room temperature?

What could be simpler than supping on a big, steaming bowl of soup. A hearty soup — made with veggies and meat, poultry, fish or dried beans— can be the main dish for your meal. Add some crackers or breadsticks on the side and perhaps fruit for dessert and you’re ready to eat! Make a large batch of soup and enjoy some for another meal.

• Many soups, with the possible exception of seafood soups, may taste better the next day! For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it.
• And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours.
• Don’t put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it would take an 8-inch stock pot of steaming chicken soup a long time to cool to a safe temperature in your refrigerator. To be safe:

To speed cooling, transfer soup to shallow containers, making sure soup is no more than TWO inches deep. Refrigerate promptly. Soup can also be chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. You can place loosely covered foods in the refrigerator while still warm; cover when food is completely cooled. When serving soup a second time, reheat it until it’s steaming hot throughout, at least 165 F.

Can you leave soup out for 12 hours?

Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. Cover foods to retain moisture and prevent them from picking up odors from other foods.

Can you leave soup out overnight to cool?

According the expert McGee consulted, soup or stock left to cool overnight, then reboiled for 10 minutes and properly refrigerated in the morning is still safe to eat because it isn’t cool long enough for the bacteria to germinate and reproduce up to dangerous levels.

How long can soup be left out before it goes bad?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

Can you eat potato soup left out overnight?

So, you left your soup or stew out overnight. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Just kidding—it happens to the best of us. But now you’re wondering: Is this still safe to eat? Soup or stew left out for more than two hours (including overnight) should be discarded according to the USDA.

Even if you reheat it to kill bacteria, there may be toxins made by the bacteria, which reheating can’t destroy. This applies to all soups and stews, with or without meat. Below, I’ll explain how to tell if soup or stew is bad, and what happens if you eat bad soup or stew. I’ll also answer some questions about leaving your soup in a crockpot or instant pot, and how to properly refrigerate soup.

(Do you need to wait for it to cool?)

Is it OK to put warm soup in the fridge?

The way you cool and store these large amounts of food can make all the difference between keeping food safe or the growth of pathogens that can make food unsafe for eating which could lead to foodborne illnesses. Cooking up a large pot of your favorite soup, stew or chili is a great way to plan ahead for quick meals at home.

• The way you cool and store these large amounts of food can make all the difference between keeping food safe or the growth of pathogens that can make food unsafe for eating which could lead to foodborne illnesses.
• The United States Department of Agriculture and Michigan State University Extension recommend the following methods of cooling and storage to keep food safe.

The two-stage cooling method has been used in commercial food service and is a method that can be utilized at home.

1. A large pot of food like soup, chili or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated.
2. A large cut of meat or whole poultry should be divided into smaller pieces and wrapped separately or placed in shallow containers before refrigerating. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator.
3. Clean the sink in the kitchen and fill it with clean cold water and ice. Then place the pot of food or smaller containers in the ice water. Be careful not to let water in the sink mix with food in the pot. If you stir the contents of the pot in the ice water it will help to cool it more quickly.
4. To use the two-stage cooling method, food must be cooled from 140 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and to 41 F or lower within four hours. Using the cooling method ensures that food is cooled quickly and safely. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature during the cooling period.
5. A large pot or container of food that is hot should not be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. The hot food can raise the temperature inside the refrigerator/freezer which can be a risk for food already in the appliance.
6. Do not cool food outdoors- the temperatures fluctuate and animals may try to get into the food exposing it to pathogens and bacteria.
7. Use a food thermometer to verify temperatures. Never leave food in the “Danger Zone” over 2 hours. The ” Danger Zone ” is the temperature range between 40 and 140 F in which bacteria can grow rapidly. To keep food out of the Danger Zone, keep cold food cold, at or below 40 F, and hot food hot, at or above 140 F.

Following these simple steps will ensure that your food remains safe to eat for you and your family. So when you come home from work or other events the soup you are looking forward to eating will be safe and not cause a foodborne illness. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension,

Is it safe to eat food left out for 4 hours?

Food held between 5oC and 60oC for less than 2 hours can be used, sold or put back in the refrigerator to use later. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 2-4 hours can still be used or sold, but can’t be put back in the fridge. Food held between 5oC and 60oC for 4 hours or more must be thrown away.

Is it safe if leftover soups are left at room temperature for more than 2 hours?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends abiding by the “2-Hour Rule” – You shouldn’t let your food linger on your plates. vadimguzhva / iStock The “2-hour rule” states that perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded, If the food is being kept in an area that is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) or above, leftovers should be refrigerated to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) or below within one hour.

This may seem like a relatively short amount of time for food to become unsafe, The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains, however, that bacteria exists everywhere in nature, and it is not uncommon for trace amounts staphylococcus aureus, salmonella enteritidis, E. coli, Campylobacter, clostridium perfringens, or Bacillus cereus to be present in food.

Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) the temperature the USDA refers to as the “danger zone” and can take as little as 20 minutes for the number of bacteria to double.

1. According to experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, just one bacterium can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in seven hours when kept at room temperature.
2. Therefore before serving, it’s safest to keep your cold food in the refrigerator 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) or below, and your hot dishes in the oven set at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93.3 degrees Celsius) to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121.1 degrees Celsius).

If you are serving food buffet-style, the FDA recommends keeping hot food in chafing dishes, slow cookers, or warming trays at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), and cold food on ice. Anything that is kept at room temperature should be refrigerated within two hours.

Is it safe if leftover soups are left at room temperature for more than 2 hours?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends abiding by the “2-Hour Rule” – You shouldn’t let your food linger on your plates. vadimguzhva / iStock The “2-hour rule” states that perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded, If the food is being kept in an area that is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) or above, leftovers should be refrigerated to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) or below within one hour.

This may seem like a relatively short amount of time for food to become unsafe, The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains, however, that bacteria exists everywhere in nature, and it is not uncommon for trace amounts staphylococcus aureus, salmonella enteritidis, E. coli, Campylobacter, clostridium perfringens, or Bacillus cereus to be present in food.

Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) the temperature the USDA refers to as the “danger zone” and can take as little as 20 minutes for the number of bacteria to double.

1. According to experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, just one bacterium can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in seven hours when kept at room temperature.
2. Therefore before serving, it’s safest to keep your cold food in the refrigerator 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) or below, and your hot dishes in the oven set at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93.3 degrees Celsius) to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121.1 degrees Celsius).

If you are serving food buffet-style, the FDA recommends keeping hot food in chafing dishes, slow cookers, or warming trays at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), and cold food on ice. Anything that is kept at room temperature should be refrigerated within two hours.

Is it safe if left over soups are left at room temperature for more than 2 hours?

Keep Food out of the Danger Zone – Bacteria grow rapidly between the temperatures of 40° F and 140° F. After food is safely cooked, hot food must be kept hot at 140° F or warmer to prevent bacterial growth. Within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated.

• Throw away all perishable foods that have been left in room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is over 90° F, such as at an outdoor picnic during summer).
• Cold perishable food, such as chicken salad or a platter of deli meats, should be kept at 40° F or below.
• When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, or warming trays.

Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often. Discard any cold leftovers that have been left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F). Top of Page

Should potato soup be refrigerated?

How Long Does Potato Soup Last at Room Temperature? – A hot bowl of potato soup is the best dish on a cold day. If you’ve made more than you can finish in one go, how long can you let the pot of soup sit at room temperature before it becomes dangerous for consumption? Bacteria love to multiply from 40°F to 140°F.

• If you let your pot of potato soup sit for longer than two hours, it might not be safe to eat anymore.
• It is best to just plan to refrigerate your pot of potato soup as soon as it gets cool.
• It is not advisable to put a hot pot of soup in the refrigerator, and large batches of food do not cool down on time.

A big bowl or pot of steaming soup in your fridge can raise the temperature inside, affecting other food items or damaging the fridge. You can fast-track the cooling process with an ice bath or separate the food into portions and refrigerate accordingly.