We spent this past weekend attending a family reunion in Missouri. There were lots of lowlights from the trip including (but not limited to), Ella’s diarrhea, Ella’s vomiting, cockroaches in the bathroom of our cabin, and a verrrrrry cranky and sleep deprived Carson.
Despite the lowlights, though, there were also many highlights. One of these highlights was the acquisition of some homemade apple butter.
I LOVE apple butter! LOVE!
Imagine my disappointment when we got home and discovered that the lid of the jar of my beloved apple butter had “popped.” (You know those home canning jars with the ring and the lid…well, it wasn’t sucked down, it was popped.)
Trying to head off certain botulism poisoning, I sadly decided the apple butter would have to be tossed in the trash.
Tate WHOLEHEARTEDLY disagreed. “NO, no, no, no, no. We are NOT throwing it away. Let’s smell it,” he said, trying to convince me that this not-properly-sealed apple butter was fine for human consumption.
I have NO IDEA if botulism or any other death-inducing food disease even has an odor, so smelling it wasn’t going to change my mind. I stood firmly behind my decision to throw out the apple butter.
Tate STILL disagreed. “See? It tastes fine!” he said after dipping his finger in the diseased apple butter. “I bet it was made just a few days ago, we’re keeping it!”
“Fine, Tate. Keep it. I don’t care if it was made this morning, I won’t eat it! And! I don’t want the kids to eat it either, because it will make them SICK.”
Very often, Tate and I disagree about food safety issues. He has no problem (barely) reheating food that has been in the fridge for DAYS. I won’t touch leftovers after about two or three days. If food has been sitting out for too long, I won’t eat it, but Tate would probably eat potato salad that had been sunbathing for three hours. He regularly gets annoyed by my “overzealous” and “ridiculous” attempts to keep my family free of food-borne diseases.
What do you think? Should we keep the apple butter or throw it away?
(PS, I’m merely curious as to what you think. Unless you have a Ph.D in Food Safety, you probably aren’t going to change my mind.)
I AM THE AUTHORITY OF NOTHING. But – I do can and I would pitch it based on my experience on this happening before. The taste should noticeably suck.
You’re sitting their eating it right this very moment aren’t you!?! If you never post again, we’ll know.
MamaGeeks last blog post..I, Too, Need More Cowbell
Experiment time.
Let Tate eat a whole bunch on toast. Wait a day or two.
No diarrhea, no vomitting, I say safe….
What doesn’t kill you only makes your guts stronger….
Danielles last blog post..Having Boys
OK Your gonna hate me on this, even though I totally agree on the When In Doubt theory..but if the seal was just broke and the lid was tight, I’d probably throw caution to the wind and try it anyway. Yeah I’m one of those freaks that stuff like this doesn’t bother me.
/knock on wood I haven’t ever had food poisoning
Looks like all is settled and your dear MIL is sending you another jar. Good thing as homemade apple butter is delish!
Jeans last blog post..A Little Bit Of Randomness In My Life..
Probably best to be safe, rather than sorry. I’ve never had apple butter!! Sounds delicious though. That was quite a family reunion you went to. Hope Ella’s feeling better. Roaches. ICK!
Rheas last blog post..Temptation Foiled Again & Again
MEN. My husband insists that PINK PORK is totally OK to eat and to FEED TO MY CHILDREN. I gag just thinking about it.
mayberrys last blog post..Happy belated
I totally agree with you. Mark will eat anything and I will freak out watching him. Must be a man thing. I am totally anal about food sitting out or going bad. I do however have to mention my joy at knowing he has the runs and I dont when he doesn’t listen to me.
Christys last blog post..A little overwhelmed
I agree with you. Having just made a batch of apple butter I would not use one with the seal popped like that. I’m seal anxious…lol I made sure each and every one of mine stayed down and didn’t pop back up.
I’m getting ready to make a new batch…I can send ya one if you want
Jesss last blog post..Trying to stay positive
THROW.It.AWAY.
I’m such a miser. I would totally eat it.
Not sure that I would let the kids, though.
Jennis last blog post..A Late Father’s Day Gift….with Love
Toss it!! AND I’m so Tate in the relationship!! I eat anything that isn’t slimy and turning green. But I wouldn’t tempt fate on the home canning business!
Smiling Moms last blog post..WTF??
I say, let him eat it if he wants to!
But I would also wonder, where did you get it? Can you call them and ask when it was made (I’m assuming homemade here) and if possibly they didn’t seal the jars because they knew they would be giving them away this weekend? In that case I’d say you’re probably pretty safe.
Kristas last blog post..Oh Cory Boy
this just reminds me….I LOVE APPLE BUTTER!!!!!!! the best was from an orchard east of L.A. that my dad found. they had gigantic sized jars of the stuff…..yuuuuummmmy.
Oh gee, thanks, Wendy. Way to rub it in.
Just so everyone knows, my MIL is sending me a jar so that I will no longer be depressed.
Also, we have THROWN AWAY the popped lid jar. I WON! Victory is MINE!!!
After must spending four days in the bathroom with suspected food poisoning….GET RID OF IT!!!
Sonjas last blog post..Birthday
Oh, I have to laugh now. I just scrolled to the bottom without looking at all the posts.
Glad to see the butter is gone…enjoy the new one.
Sonjas last blog post..Birthday
Oh, I am soooo with you! I won’t eat any leftovers after day two whereas my hubby was raised by a woman who keeps leftovers for TWO WEEKS! As they say, “better safe than sorry!”
Caseys last blog post..Kiss My Butt-A Letter
This is funny! I wouldn’t eat it either (or let my child eat it), but my husband, like yours, would see nothing wrong with it. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s husband is like that. I throw leftovers out after a week and sometimes that’s pushing it. He’d eat something that had been in there for 2 weeks. Eww.
P.S. I love apple butter too and my sister just gave me some that her grandmother-in-law made. Mmmm!
Mommy Daisys last blog post..Full speed ahead
I decided to come back and comment on this post just to defy your ban.
Neener.
Sarcastic Moms last blog post..On the serious? Stop it, Braden.