Does (Store-Bought) Salsa Go Bad?

[rastahomie]

I'm eating out of a jar of salsa that was opened at least a week ago, and has been sitting out on our counter. Mrs. Homie swears I'm going to get sick. It tastes just fine, and heck, there's so much vinegar in here I'd say it will probably be good for another week, if not longer.

What say you?

 

[Disneylover99]

It's probably fine, but I tend not to eat anything that was left out over night if it's supposed to be refrigerated, so if it was left out a week ago........

I'm with Mrs. Homie. Throw it out.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

If refrigerated it should be fine. Salsa will grow mold, even refrigerated, when it goes bad (embarrassed to admit how I learned that) but if not refrigerated I'd throw it out after a day.

 

[rastahomie]

I'm with Mrs. Homie. Throw it out.

Too late, it's in my tummy.

 

[rastahomie]

If refrigerated it should be fine. Salsa will grow mold, even refrigerated, when it goes bad (embarrassed to admit how I learned that) but if not refrigerated I'd throw it out after a day.

You guys realize that, in general, if you buy something off the shelf at the grocery store (viz, not refrigerated), you don't have to refrigerate it after opening it, right? Europeans and Australians are downright appalled that Americans refrigerate their mayonnaise.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

You guys realize that, in general, if you buy something off the shelf at the grocery store (viz, not refrigerated), you don't have to refrigerate it after opening it, right? Europeans and Australians are downright appalled that Americans refrigerate their mayonnaise.

It's a mindset I'll never grow out of. When I hear the cap pop, I start to believe the clock is ticking on the lifespan. Taking ServSafe classes for work got me this way, learning about foodborne pathogens grossed me out.
Another mindset I am attached to is the sell by date on milk. Many supermarkets in NYC get their milk delivered from the same farm as NJ supermarkets. If I buy milk from the exact same batch in NYC and NJ the code date in NYC will have an earlier sell by date than NJ. Knowing this, I still throw out the milk when the date arrives.

 

[rastahomie]

It's a mindset I'll never grow out of. When I hear the cap pop, I start to believe the clock is ticking on the lifespan. Taking ServSafe classes for work got me this way, learning about foodborne pathogens grossed me out.
Another mindset I am attached to is the sell by date on milk. Many supermarkets in NYC get their milk delivered from the same farm as NJ supermarkets. If I buy milk from the exact same batch in NYC and NJ the code date in NYC will have an earlier sell by date than NJ. Knowing this, I still throw out the milk when the date arrives.

I, too, have been through food sanitation classes. That stuff will give you the heebie jeebies.

Still, to this day I have a devil-may-care attitude about food sanitation. I'll leave my pizza out on the counter overnight and eat it for lunch the next day - even after the cats have nibbled at it! And I live and die by the five-second-rule.

 

[lovin'fl]

Freaked me out, once, to see a butter shelf set up in the aisle of the grocery store, not refrigerated.

 

[Disneylover99]

Too late, it's in my tummy.

Did you eat it all? Throw the leftovers out.

 

[rastahomie]

Did you eat it all? Throw the leftovers out.

Finished the jar. Nom nom nom nom nom....

 

[rastahomie]

Freaked me out, once, to see a butter shelf set up in the aisle of the grocery store, not refrigerated.

My mother-in-law refrigerates her butter. She'll serve us biscuits and a rock-hard chunk of butter to spread on them, which does nothing but tear your biscuits apart when you try to spread it. Thanks, Judy. Thanks a lot.

 

[Disneylover99]

Finished the jar. Nom nom nom nom nom....

I should send you my old perishables.

 

[lovin'fl]

I recently helped my mom clean out her basement. She had shelves of non perishables and I found a salad dressing that expired in 2014. Ick.

 

[Disneylover99]

Freaked me out, once, to see a butter shelf set up in the aisle of the grocery store, not refrigerated.

I have to admit, we leave our butter on the counter. Fortunately (or maybe not fortunately) we eat a lot of butter so it doesn't last long.

 

[mom2rtk]

You guys realize that, in general, if you buy something off the shelf at the grocery store (viz, not refrigerated), you don't have to refrigerate it after opening it, right? Europeans and Australians are downright appalled that Americans refrigerate their mayonnaise.

So you'd eat mayo that's been sitting on your counter for days?

 

[rastahomie]

So you'd eat mayo that's been sitting on your counter for days?

I'd have to get out of my American refrigerate-everything-at-all-costs head space about it first, but if Australians aren't falling over dead from rancid mayo, then yeah, it's safe. So yes, I'd do it.

 

[lovin'fl]

So you'd eat mayo that's been sitting on your counter for days?

I think you can but you're not supposed to put utensil in more than once... so you get knife full and spread on bread and can't stick knife back in.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd have to get out of my American refrigerate-everything-at-all-costs head space about it first, but if Australians aren't falling over dead from rancid mayo, then yeah, it's safe. So yes, I'd do it.

You have at it. You couldn't pay me enough money to do that. Maybe they add some preservative to it down under. Just not worth the risk.

 

[Elle23]

Food poisoning is not something to mess around with. I personally don't understand why anyone would even risk the chance of getting deathly ill. There isn't any food worth that.

 

[ronandannette]

Freaked me out, once, to see a butter shelf set up in the aisle of the grocery store, not refrigerated.

Mmmm - room temperature butter!! We never refrigerate ours; too much trouble to soften it for use.

Finished the jar. Nom nom nom nom nom....

You're fine. Highly acidic and salty - no problem to not refrigerate. I do think salsa tastes better cold though.