Would you eat this?

[Carlyle]

Argh!  I have 1 pound of chicken feet from an awesome organic, free range farm.  They were frozen.  I put them (wrapped in the plastic bag that they were frozen in) in a bowl on the counter this morning at 11:30am.  Then didn't manage to get them into the stock pot until 9:15pm.  I should have put them in the fridge, I now realize after a bit of internet research.  Would you toss the stock or eat it?  Would you eat just a tiny taste and see if you got sick, then eat the rest?  I'm so frustrated...

[JMJ]

Most of 8 hours is a little long.  If you stuck a thermometer in the water and it was still below 40 F (or not much above), then I'd eat it, but it's unlikely after that long.  It was probably thawed in an hour or 2.  Chicken is really not something to mess with.  The risks are too high.

[mumm]

No.  But I doubt I would eat it if it had been done properly!

---

I've processed enough chickens that the thought of a bucket of chicken feet turns my stomach.  No help here!

[HollyBearsMom]

I would eat it no problem. Unless your house is exceptionally warm or you live in an area where the temperatures are really high (80 plus) I would think it would be fine.

[jesshrehor]

How long did you cook the stock for?  My recipe calls for simmering for 12-24 hours...I'm pretty sure any bacteria would be killed by spending 12-24 hours in a simmer/boiling pot.  The standard for boiling water to make it safe to drink is 20 minutes.  If it was boiled for more than 20 minutes, I'd say it was safe.

[Carlyle]

Thanks all, I'm still undecided...it gelled up so nicely it's a total bummer to toss it, but I'm concerned.  I cooked it for 9.5 hours and then got it right in the fridge (which seems like enough to kill bacteria), but I know that some stuff (like botulism) produces toxins as it grows and then leaves them there even after it's killed off.  I don't know how much would make me sick and whether tasting a tiny bit would be enough to tell me (without making me TOO sick) whether the stuff was okay...

[amcal]

I'd eat it, no question. Not only did you cook it for hours and then chill it for hours but, I'm guessing whatever you use it in will be a cooked recipe. So, the cook, chill, cook treatment would be more than enough reassurance for me that it's fine. But, I also go by smell. If it smells fine, I'd use it.

[kallyn]

I'd eat it for sure. 

[MIrandaM]

I would eat it in a heartbeat.  Especially since it's organic & free range, not factory farmed. 

[Holiztic]

I'd eat it too, without question.

[Cupressa]

I would definitely eat it. Botulinum requires an anaerobic environment to develop from spores and produce its toxin, so unless you improperly canned your stock I think it's pretty safe.

Edited by Cupressa - 4/6/11 at 12:01pm