# Food handling question: Is it safe to eat 12-day-old spaghetti sauce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392 "2005-02-04T17:22:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/21 "2005-02-05T20:27:10Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Bolognese, but I’m not sure I spelt that right. At least we’re in agreement, then, that I spelt it correctly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asteroide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@Asteroide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asteroide)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/22 "2005-02-06T00:10:46Z")
Ground beef + tomato sauce is called “ragu” in Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/23 "2005-02-06T00:22:23Z")
**Bosda** ’s Rule Of Thumb–if you gotta **ask** , _pitch it!_ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/24 "2005-02-06T05:51:03Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > You’re both kinda right: > Spaghetti Bolognese - Bolognese sauce usually features at least two different kinds of meat, the meat is usually minced, not ground, and milk or cream in some measure is added at some point. This kinda follows the recipes I’ve seen. I was slightly mistaken saying ground beef. Pork and beef are used (or just beef or even just pork.) Milk is added and boiled down before the tomatoes. I’ve always used ground meat, although I’ve also seen recipes using minced meat (which really is not all _that_ different than ground.) At any rate, I’ve never seen sausage used in a Bolognese. (Although, honestly, I wouldn’t say you couldn’t use sausage, because sausage is essentially just spiced ground pork/beef/veal/etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/25 "2005-02-06T19:18:48Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > I said it was marinara sauce. Actually it was a meat sauce. What is the proper phrase for that? Twelve day old MEAT sauce? I’m glad you pitched it, and I wasn’t even invited for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/26 "2005-02-06T20:01:37Z")
In my experience, the way spaghetti sauce goes bad first is mold, and you can see mold. I find that it generally molds after about a week or two, but before then, if I can’t see anything growing, I eat it. If I do see anything growing, of course, I toss it out. But then, IANAMB, and I rarely cook for anyone other than myself, so don’t take my word on it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/27 "2005-02-06T22:06:59Z")
What about pickled herring? How long can one keep that in the fridge? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/28 "2005-02-06T22:18:54Z")
> [@aerodave](#): > > Wow…everyone seems to have unanimously short standards for refrigerating food. Oddly enough, I’d have said quite the opposite; seems like these threads pop up quite frequently and (from my POV, admittedly toward one extreme of the scale - having been trained in food hygiene for a catering role) I’m usually taken aback by the number of laissez-faire comments and advice based on very limited samples of anecdotes. In terms of general dissemination and consensus of information, I’d say that food hygiene is the SDMB’s weakest topic (weakest I’ve yet come across, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/29 "2005-02-07T04:09:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In my experience, the way spaghetti sauce goes bad first is mold, and you can see mold. I find that it generally molds after about a week or two, but before then, if I can’t see anything growing, I eat it. If I do see anything growing, of course, I toss it out. I hear you, but lacking microscopic vision, I wonder how virulent the bacterial nasties could be without my even being aware of it. What I can’t see might hurt me. **Tenar** , send me your mailing address. I have a gift waiting for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/30 "2005-02-07T07:03:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > This kinda follows the recipes I’ve seen. I was slightly mistaken saying ground beef. Pork and beef are used (or just beef or even just pork.) Milk is added and boiled down before the tomatoes. I’ve always used ground meat, although I’ve also seen recipes using minced meat (which really is not all _that_ different than ground.) > > At any rate, I’ve never seen sausage used in a Bolognese. (Although, honestly, I wouldn’t say you couldn’t use sausage, because sausage is essentially just spiced ground pork/beef/veal/etc.) Mmmmmm! I just had home made bolognese tonight. Pancetta, ground beef, ground veal, ground pork, tomatos, carrots… Cooks for hours. Add cream in the last 5 minutes and serve with fresh, imported Parmesean. My wife is SO awesome!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/31 "2005-02-07T08:44:03Z")
Carnac, any chance of posting the recipe for this wonderful sauce? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/32 "2005-02-08T01:01:37Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Oddly enough, I’d have said quite the opposite; seems like these threads pop up quite frequently and (from my POV, admittedly toward one extreme of the scale - having been trained in food hygiene for a catering role) I’m usually taken aback by the number of laissez-faire comments and advice based on very limited samples of anecdotes. > > In terms of general dissemination and consensus of information, I’d say that food hygiene is the SDMB’s weakest topic (weakest I’ve yet come across, anyway). So your name is really a misnomer, huh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392/33 "2005-02-08T02:48:24Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > Carnac, any chance of posting the recipe for this wonderful sauce? 🙂 Why not? The mods will forgive, once they taste this dynamite family secret. Saute a chopped onion in a fair amount of EV olive oil, say 5-6 T, until transluscent. Don’t skimp of the EVOO. Add 1 medium can of what Yanks call tomato sauce, such as Hunt’s. (Stop wrinkling your nose.) Add maybe 1/2 teasp. of dried basil and 1/2 teasp. of fresh rosemary, though dried will suffice. Add 1 clove garlic, smashed. No more. Reduce on low flame/heat for 1 hour, stirring a couple time. Obviously, leave the lid OFF and easy on the heat. Add a twist or two from the pepper grinder. The resulting reduction will result in a surprisingly complex sauce so good you’ll want to have some bread handy. Trust me on this. If you want meat in it, saute it in onions separately. I could teach you more, my young Jedi, but you’d just get into trouble with the women. Baby steps. Baby steps. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-handling-question-is-it-safe-to-eat-12-day-old-spaghetti-sauce/288392.md?page=1)