# Yet another "I left it out overnight" question... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416 "2013-01-16T20:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/1 "2013-01-16T20:21:52Z")
Chili, in this case. Came frozen, rethermalized (is that a word?) in its pouch. Ate some, left it out overnight (it’s cold outside, of course, but naturally heated). Contains meat. It wouldn’t be a huge tragedy if I had to chuck it, but it’d be nice to just have dinner ready when I get home. Still okay? Just confirming one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/2 "2013-01-16T20:44:08Z")
Heat it up, let it sit at a low boil for 5 or 10 minutes (add water if it gets too chunky), and it’ll probably be fine. Probably. There is no “for sure” with food, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/3 "2013-01-16T20:52:24Z")
My husband routinely leaves chili out overnight. He does exactly what Athena says every time and it’s always been fine. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/4 "2013-01-16T21:35:37Z")
We routinely leave stuff like that out overnight. We tend to eat leftovers for breakfast and lunch. We just put a lid on it and heat it up in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/5 "2013-01-16T21:38:53Z")
Another vote for eat it. It’s chili…the peppers probably killed anything that might have grown. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/6 "2013-01-16T22:43:55Z")
Well, this chili is very mild… I don’t know what spices and peppers, and in what amounts, were used to make it. Thus the question. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/7 "2013-01-16T22:44:07Z")
I think it tastes better after being left out all night. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/8 "2013-01-17T04:12:35Z")
I’d eat it. I’ve left spaghetti sauce and meatballs out all night and we’ve eaten that, too. And pizza, and fried chicken. It’s a wonder we’re still alive without the lifesaving refrigerator working its magic on food overnight, but there it is. If it was hot sweaty humid summer, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/9 "2013-01-17T15:22:12Z")
I probably wouldn’t eat it if it was left out for only a few hours, let alone overnight. But then I’m cautious - bordering on the paranoid - about food poisoning. My BF, however, believes it would safe, just put it in the microwave a little extra time and that will kill anything and make it safe to eat. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/10 "2013-01-17T15:25:37Z")
If it has beans in it, don’t eat it, you could die. Doesn’t matter if you leave it out or not. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/11 "2013-01-17T15:39:28Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > My BF, however, believes it would safe, just put it in the microwave a little extra time and that will kill anything and make it safe to eat. I eat stuff that’s been left out overnight all the time, so long as it has been covered. I’m not paranoid about that. But if you _are_ paranoid, I should think that leaving it in the microwave “a little extra time” would be a terrible idea. A microwave is essentially a steamer that creates steam using the water inside the food. So microwaving something for a few extra seconds would just dry out the food a little more without killing anything. Boiling it for a bit is a much better idea, I think. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/12 "2013-01-17T16:20:09Z")
Yeah, I wouldn’t reheat via microwave, I’d put it in a pot, add some water, and simmer for a bit. I will often make something on the stove (soup/stew), leave it out overnight after dinner because it’s still hot/too warm for the fridge, and then just plunk the whole pot in the fridge in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-i-left-it-out-overnight-question/647416/13 "2013-01-17T21:29:06Z")
It sounds like a processed chili (and please don’t take that as an insult). If it is? It has so much salt/sugar in it , you’ll be fine. I’m very paranoid about food. Just heat it up. 🙂