Left Hot fudge on counter overnight
I Left a the jar of open mrs. richardson hot fudge out last night, is it still good? It does say refrigerate after opening. Is it still good?
Best Answer
This is impossible to say if it is good or not for sure. There are many many factors that come into this, which make it impossible for us to tell - How long it was left out? What you did with it before (did you pour out or dip a spoon in, leave the lid off? etc.). How long has it been stored since you opened it? These are just a few of the more obvious questions... Note that I'm not expecting you to answer these, as answering them still won't allow us to give you a definitive answer.
However for informational purposes:
There are some factors for food safety that play a role here - namely the water activity of the food stuff. This plays a role in how likely bacteria and other contaminants are to grow in the food. Basically the lower the water activity, the less likely they are to grow, and this is due to the availability of water in the food for the contaminant to grow.
Most bacteria need a water activity around 0.9, but can go as low as 0.7 (1.0 is pure water, pure sugar would be 0.0), yeasts and fungi can grow as low as 0.6, depending on the substrate in which they are growing.
Based on this document (PDF file), the water activity of your sauce is likely to be about 0.8 (basing this on chocolate syrup in the table), which means that most bacteria will be inhibited, but many yeasts and molds will not be so inhibited.
Yeasts will happily (and rapidly) grow at room temperature, while molds are generally slower growing and less obvious until they reach the fruiting/sporulating stage. In the mycelial phase molds will penetrate large areas of the food before showing the obvious sporophytes (the green/blue spots you might find on spoiled fruit or bread). Picking the sporophytes off does not remove the mold, which will have extended several inches beyond the visible spots.
While yeasts usually only make food less palatable and odd-looking, they are opportunistic pathogens (i.e. if you are sick they are more likely to colonize and make you sicker). Molds on the other hand can produce mycotoxins that can make you very very sick, and even kill if you consume enough.
So - it is possible it is fine, but we can't say for sure. The general rule is: "if in doubt, throw it out".
Edited to add a bit more on yeasts and molds.
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Quick Answer about "Left Hot fudge on counter overnight"
You can leave your fudge out overnight. In fact, you leave it at room temp (in an airtight container) for up to two weeks. Although fudge contains dairy, the sugar stabilizes it to ensure it will remain safe and delicious for weeks on the countertop.Can hot fudge be left out?
Fudge will keep at room temperature just fine. It does not need to be refrigerated. You can keep it in the refrigerator if you feel that you like it cold\u2013and some people prefer it that way. In this case, just make sure it is air tight, as cold air will surely dry out your fudge quicker.Can hot fudge sauce be left out overnight?
We recommend storing the fudge sauce in the refrigerator. There is probably enough sugar in it to keep fine at room temperature, but it is always safer in the fridge and will keep fresher.Does hot fudge need to be refrigerated?
Yes, it needs to be refrigerated. It will keep for up to two weeks as long as it's stored in an airtight container.How long does hot fudge last?
With proper storage, fudge can last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.How to Make Rich, Creamy Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce
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