Do you refrigerate luncheon meat sandwiches?

The sandwiches are in baggies, of course. Usually I just carry them (and whatever else is in my lunch) out to the car loose; if I do use another bag to carry everything, it’s a plastic grocery-store bag. And since I prefer the peace and quiet of my car to the noise in the break room (especially since some idiot decided to install a TV), I just leave my lunch in the car and then go out to the car to eat. In the summer, I usually put something over the sandwiches to keep the direct sun off them. In the winter, I don’t worry about it.

The sandwiches usually consist of bread, a slice of cheese, and whatever the lunch meat package says is “one serving” (one slice, two slices, whatever). Adding anything else (mustard, mayo, &c) is an unnecessary complication when I’m trying to get out the door in the morning…

Didn’t vote.

Some sandwiches I prefer cold. Others I prefer room temp. When I worked in an office, I rarely refrigerated my sandwiches because the fridge was so far from my part of the office. When I worked at horse ranch, I refrigerated my lunch in the summer because if I didn’t it would be yucky warm by the time I ate it.

Yes, I do refrigerate my sandwich but it’s all separate until just before I eat it. I put the makings (ham, tomato, cheese, whatever) in the fridge and leave the bread roll in my bag. I just don’t like sandwiches which have been made for hours.

And where are those kids now…hmmm…?? Ooooo-kay.

If I have a choice, I refrigerate. If I don’t, and it’s only going to be a few hours, well, I don’t worry about it. If I know that it’s going to be more than a few hours, I’ll take something like a peanut butter sandwich.

I don’t like cold bread. So, no.

I have a thing about room temperature food. In the fridge it goes.

That’s pretty much what I’d say. Sure, the risk is small, but I don’t see any reason to take more risk than necessary. And if I cared about taste, I wouldn’t be using that type of sandwich.

What risk? It’s fucking luncheon meat. That shit’s been cured to hell and back. It’s not going to go off in the short time it’s on your desk

Eh, it might be all in my head, but since I live in Texas, I’m pretty careful about refrigerating food. Most of the year, room temperature is pretty warm. Maybe it won’t go off, but maybe it will.

Also, I tend to consider any meat that I get sliced at the deli to be luncheon meat, though I know this is wrong. Most of my “lunch meat” sandwiches are turkey, and occasionally roast beef. NOT the stuff that’s been cured to hell and back.

It’s not the meat. It’s the mayo, in the south, in the summer.

Relevant thread.
ETA: I voted no.
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Mayo isn’t the microbial breeding ground you think it is

Homemade mayo, though, can be problematic. Commercial mayo, not so much.

When people mention refrigeration because there is mayo present, I always assume they make their own mayonnaise. (which can be assume)

Me too. And I remember how often the janitor came in to cover up puke with saw dust too.

In the frige.

Ironically, if I’m taking something to work that require heating up in the MW, like say a bowl of chili, I leave it OUT of the firge so it doesn’t take as long to MW, plus it heats more evenly that way.

See, I don’t. The idea of refrigerating a sandwich made with lunchmeat sounds a bit odd to me, to be honest. Who likes cold sandwiches? But, seriously, lunchmeat is so loaded with nitrates and salt that I can’t imagine four hours of warmth causing any problem. I’ve cured hams I’ve left hanging in my basement for nine months in 60-65F temps, and eaten it without incident.

I have no preference. And I don’ think “food poisoning” is an issue for that amount of time.

Yes, but only because it’s in the same lunch bag as my bottle of Coke or whatever and I definitely prefer that cold. I don’t start wondering about stuff being left out of the refrigerator until at least 12 hours have passed.

I don’t, but I also be sure to use mustard instead of mayo or similar if I’m taking a sandwich or two with me. If I’m worried about anything spoiling in the few hours my sandwich is out there, it’s mayo.