How long is cooked ground beef good for Reddit

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7953282/is-it-safe-to-eat-gray-ground-beef/

Is Gray Ground Beef Safe to Eat?

Short answer: Yes and no. Long answer: Gray ground beef is OK to eat, but it depends on where the gray is within the meat. When fresh meat is cut, it's actually purplish in color. As the USDA explains, meat contains a pigment called oxymyoglobin, which, when exposed to oxygen, creates the familiar red color that is typically associated with a package of ground beef. If you open a package of ground beef and find the interior meat looks gray, it's likely because the meat hasn't been exposed to oxygen. In that case, the meat is still safe to eat, provided it doesn't have any other indicators of spoilage (read more on that below). However, if the exterior of the meat, or a majority of the package contents, has turned gray or brown, then it's a sign that the meat is beginning to spoil and should be tossed immediately.

Be sure to examine the location of the gray color closely—and if you're not certain and need more tips for how to tell if your ground beef is safe to eat, read on.

How to Tell If Ground Beef Is Bad

Aside from the color, there are two other factors that you can check to determine if a package of ground beef is still OK to eat.

Smell

If you open the package and are met with an unpleasant smell, that's a sign the meat is beginning to spoil. Fresh ground beef shouldn't have a noticeable smell, so any off-smelling odors are a cause for concern. When in doubt, it's best to err on the side of caution, especially if the meat is displaying another indication of spoilage.

Texture

Fresh ground beef should have a relatively firm consistency, and when squeezed, it should naturally break apart. If the ground beef has a slimy or sticky texture, it means it's going bad. As the USDA explains, a sticky texture could indicate the presence of spoilage bacteria. Ground beef with these textures should not be consumed and should be thrown away.

So, if your ground beef looks, smells and feels OK, then you're set to use it. But if the ground beef is gray on the exterior or has another indicator of spoilage, (like slimy/sticky) it's best to discard it.

The official rule is 4 hours in the danger zone temp of 150-40 before it is required to be thrown out. Assuming you got it bellow 40 within the last hour you are still coming real close. Bacteria doubles every 20 minutes and although bringing the beef back up to 165 kills the bacteria, it is the toxins they create that cause food poisoning. You wont be able to see the toxins nor smell them unlike fungus. So eat at your own risk but if you do be sure to at least heat back up to a sustained 165 for 5 seconds.

I'm ServSafe food manager certified and registered in CT, NY, RI, and MA

Just an addition to what others are saying:

If there's meat that'll be in the fridge for around a week, I make sure to eat the surface area that is exposed to the air every 1-3 days (half the surface one day, the other half the next day). This can increase the fridge-life of cooked meat by quite a bit; I assume (assume!) this is what supermarket delis do, too.

There's no set time because it depends on different factors such as how cold your fridge is, where in the fridge it's stored, how fresh it was to begin with, etc. A week is definitely on the outside, though, in most situations.

I think a better question would be, "How can I tell if ground beef is bad?" The answer is by the look of it, the smell of it, and the feel of it. If it looks discolored or has anything growing on it, toss it. If it doesn't smell like raw meat, toss it. If it's slimy to the touch, toss it. If it's none of these things, then cook it up ASAP or re-package it and freeze it. (Do not use the styrofoam tray for freezing--it's porous and will promote freezer burn. Use a ziploc or wrap it in saran wrap, then foil.)

Ideally ground beef not in a protective atmosphere should be cooked within 24-48 hours of manufacturing. In reality however humans can digest quite suspicious looking meats because our gut isn't all that delicate and somewhat older ground beef is usually ok. In my opinion 6 days is pushing it because the beef must've been ground up multiple days prior to the best before date.

Ground beef is notoriously tricky though: sometimes it's bad early and sometimes it lasts longer. There is no way to judge for subtle and often dangerous nasties based on color or smell. It might be ok but it's hard to say. If it looks slimy or very grayish from oxidation and smells sour/rancid then don't eat it.

You can cook it and taste a small piece to see if it is ok. You just need to be aware that it can seem fine while it really isn't. You can usually trust your senses but they are not perfect. Life's a gamble.

It's condition depends on the quality of the meat ground up, the hygiene of the factory, the coldness of your fridge and transport conditions between the store fridge and your fridge. Even short exposures to warmth will increase bacterial growth considerably.

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