When ground beef turns brown

[Mellman]

I typically live by the "if it still smells OK or doesn't have a smell its OK to eat" rule.

But I am curious, is there some sort of fact about ground beef and when its "OK" to eat still? If you leave it in the fridge for like 2-3 days, it starts to turn brown. If its brown but still smells like ground beef I assume its OK still, but at what point is it bad?

I'd prefer to eat it the same day or day after I purchase it, but that doesn't always happen.

 

[TheNinja]

I don't think the fact that it turns brown is in itself bad. I personally wouldn't leave it the fridge longer than 3 days though.

 

[aCynic2]

The meat rule is: eat it or freeze it within 3 days.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I'm assuming its still uncooked? There should be a date on it that states when its good by if you're only refrigerating it (at least all the meat I buy has something), otherwise freeze it and it should be good for pretty much as long as you need.

If you've cooked it (thus browning the meat) then that is a different story.

 

[Eli]

It always amazes me how incredible stupid some of the food-related "rules" people have.

Three days? Christ. Is your refrigerator set to 65º? :roll:

My fridge is set to 34º and uncooked meat stays fresh for up to two weeks. Three days is ridiculous.

I just had some two week old fried chicken. Cooked, obviously, but it was still fine.. just a little dry.

If it is bad, you will know it the moment you bring your nose to it. Don't go by the smell you get when you open the package, there will be a lot of foul-smelling gasses that are released at the same time. Smell the meat.

 

[Siddhartha]

A good rule of thumb, if you have doubts don't eat it.

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: Eli
It always amazes me how incredible stupid some of the food-related "rules" people have.

Three days? Christ. Is your refrigerator set to 65º? :roll:

My fridge is set to 34º and uncooked meat stays fresh for up to two weeks. Three days is ridiculous.

I just had some two week old fried chicken. Cooked, obviously, but it was still fine.. just a little dry.

If it is bad, you will know it the moment you bring your nose to it. Don't go by the smell you get when you open the package, there will be a lot of foul-smelling gasses that are released at the same time. Smell the meat.

Exactly....my mom used to be ridiculous with this stuff. She took waaay too many food safety courses that try to scare the ****** out of you. So in the name of protecting us from various microbes, she'd cook steak until the inside was white. not purple. not pink. white. Completely juiceless. Chicken & pork tasted like cardboard. It's too bad because she was a great great great cook until she started doing it professionally. Ironically I would get food poisoning at least once per year eating her food somehow. In the few years I've lived on my own, I haven't had a severe bout once.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
A good rule of thumb, if you have doubts don't eat it.

might as well throw a wrecking ball right through my kitchen

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
A good rule of thumb, if you have doubts don't eat it.

might as well throw a wrecking ball right through my kitchen

Hmmm, lets make a rational choice between a 48 hour bout of food poisoning and not eating questionable foods.

 

[Mellman]

Originally posted by: Accipiter22

Originally posted by: Eli
It always amazes me how incredible stupid some of the food-related "rules" people have.

Three days? Christ. Is your refrigerator set to 65º? :roll:

My fridge is set to 34º and uncooked meat stays fresh for up to two weeks. Three days is ridiculous.

I just had some two week old fried chicken. Cooked, obviously, but it was still fine.. just a little dry.

If it is bad, you will know it the moment you bring your nose to it. Don't go by the smell you get when you open the package, there will be a lot of foul-smelling gasses that are released at the same time. Smell the meat.

Exactly....my mom used to be ridiculous with this stuff. She took waaay too many food safety courses that try to scare the ****** out of you. So in the name of protecting us from various microbes, she'd cook steak until the inside was white. not purple. not pink. white. Completely juiceless. Chicken & pork tasted like cardboard. It's too bad because she was a great great great cook until she started doing it professionally. Ironically I would get food poisoning at least once per year eating her food somehow. In the few years I've lived on my own, I haven't had a severe bout once.

haha oh man, thats bad. my mom typically keeps leftovers for like 4-5 days... i would keep em for 1-2 weeks, depending on what it was and they were always fine, some things just don't keep well...or reheat well.

And I was curious more because I do notice it smells different after turning brown (not by cooking it lol) It smells awesome when its red, smells OK when its turned brown, smells bad when its been brown for a long time.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

It's red because it's dyed that way, not naturally red.

 

[FoBoT]

just cook it longer and it will be fine

 

[SagaLore]

My mom would leave food out overnight. Then put it away. Then reheat it 2 weeks later.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
just cook it longer and it will be fine

Actually, when bacteria starts to break down food, its waste is toxic. So with enough spoilage no given amount of cooking will keep you from getting sick.

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: aCynic2
The meat rule is: eat it or freeze it within 3 days.

Yeah, brown meat in fridge isn't too great

 

[JulesMaximus]

Ground beef is good for a month at least in the fridge. It's cold after all...what could happen to it?

 

[pennylane]

3 days is way too cautious. I'd say within a week is no big deal. Turning brown has something to do with oxygen (my mom says). It's still good.

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: Eli
It always amazes me how incredible stupid some of the food-related "rules" people have.

Three days? Christ. Is your refrigerator set to 65º? :roll:
at.

The rule comes from the health field.

What's your discipline?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: FoBoT
just cook it longer and it will be fine

Actually, when bacteria starts to break down food, its waste is toxic. So with enough spoilage no given amount of cooking will keep you from getting sick.

You just say that because you don't have my immune system

 

[Xylitol]

Don't eat it
At least freeze the raw meat you're not eating so it'll last a lifetime

 

[Vic]

Wow... based on the posts in this thread, you wonder how humans survived before refrigerators. :roll:


The brown doesn't mean anything. It's oxidation, not spoilage. Meat is fine unless it starts to smell.

 

[Xylitol]

Originally posted by: Vic
Wow... based on the posts in this thread, you wonder how humans survived before refrigerators. :roll:


The brown doesn't mean anything. It's oxidation, not spoilage. Meat is fine unless it starts to smell.

Still
Since the blood has lost all of its blood, it means its not very fresh.

 

[Vic]

Well, we're not talking about freshness obviously

I usually freeze any hamburger I don't use within a few days. There's a difference though between wanting to keep it fresh tasting and being concerned about spoilage and food poisoning.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Vic
Wow... based on the posts in this thread, you wonder how humans survived before refrigerators. :roll:


The brown doesn't mean anything. It's oxidation, not spoilage. Meat is fine unless it starts to smell.

:laugh:

:thumbsup:

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Vic
Wow... based on the posts in this thread, you wonder how humans survived before refrigerators. :roll:


The brown doesn't mean anything. It's oxidation, not spoilage. Meat is fine unless it starts to smell.

:thumbsup: