If you had a party the night before and accidentally left out your dip on the counter, you may be scratching your head wondering whether or not it’s still edible. While it may look alright on the surface, there can be many invisible bacteria that are waiting to make you ill.
Unfortunately, opened dip that has been left out at room temperature overnight should be tossed out as it could pose a potential health risk. According to professional recommendations, you shouldn’t consume perishable foods once they’ve been left out for longer than two hours as bacteria start to multiply rapidly at the 2-hour mark.
If you’re still unsure whether or not the dip you happened to leave out for a bit is safe to consume or not, continue reading as you’ll learn how to identify when you should and when you shouldn’t consume dip that has been left out, and the risks associated with eating bad dip.
How Long Can Dip Sit Out at Room Temperature?
If you’re looking to safely store your dip, you’ll want to keep it in the fridge when it’s not actively being eaten. There may be some grey areas, such as leaving dips out for a party or gathering for people to snack on.
After a dip has been left out for a couple of hours, you’ll want to toss anything that remains. If you want to preserve your dips from a party, you can place them over ice so that they remain chilled and prevent rapid bacteria growth.
For gatherings, you can also place out smaller bowls of dip and refill them as needed. This ensures that your batch of dip, whether it be hummus, salsa, queso, or ranch, doesn’t go bad all at once.
Luckily, dips are popular at many parties so you may not even have any leftovers to worry about. As a host, you’ll want to keep an eye on the perishable foods and set a reminder to either change them out after two hours or refrigerate them before the limit is reached.
While many people consider cold dips, there are often rules for dips that are meant to be eaten warm. Once they’ve cooled down to room temperature, the clock begins ticking down on the 120 minutes until they’re unsafe to eat.
For example, a single spore of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum can multiply into well over 1,000 spores after a few hours have passed. Once the spores are active, they cannot be destroyed through reheating or refrigerator storage.
What Happens If You Eat Dip That’s Gone Bad?
Similar to eating other perishable foods that have gone bad, you may begin to experience symptoms of food poisoning. These can include stomachaches, fever, and general nausea.
After you’ve noticed that you’ve eaten a bad dip, you should toss the remainder and begin drinking plenty of fluids. This will help your body rid itself of the bad bacteria and hopefully, ensure that you don’t face the brunt of the illness.
Generally, symptoms of food-borne illness present themselves within a few hours of eating the contaminated food. If you reach the 12-hour mark and you are symptom-free, it’s likely that you’ll get by unscathed.
If you begin to experience symptoms, you can generally care for them in the comfort of your home. Drinking ginger tea can be helpful for easing the feelings of nausea and will help to settle your stomach.
Once you’ve eaten a dip that was left out for too long, you’ll want to throw it in the trash instead of refrigerating it. The bacteria has already rapidly multiplied and at this point, refrigeration is too little and too late and won’t stop the growth of the active bacteria spores.
If your symptoms become terribly bad, you may want to visit your doctor. They can prescribe medicine that will flush out the bad bacteria quickly. This will help get you on the road to recovery within a day or two.
How Can You Tell If a Dip Has Gone Bad?
When you go to open the dip that you’ve left in the fridge, you’ll want to glance at the top layer. If there is any mold growth, this is an immediate sign that the dip has gone bad and is no longer adequate for consumption.
If the dip itself looks fine but has an off smell, this can also be a clear indication that you no longer want to eat it. Dips made with dairy can begin to smell sour before they develop any visible signs of being bad.
In some instances, your dip may have a slimy layer on top. This is often an indicator that the dip has gone past its peak freshness and is likely no longer safe to eat due to bacteria growth. Even when stored at the proper temperature, a dip is perishable at a certain point in time.
Through your basic senses, such as sight, smell, and taste, you’ll generally be able to determine whether or not a dip has gone bad. Though sour cream has a tangy taste when it’s fresh, it will become noticeably sour and unpleasant once it’s expired.
Dips such as spinach dip or french onion dip can be difficult to spot signs of mold, as there are various colors and textures in the dip already. However, looking at the dip in a well-lit area can show signs of bacteria growth that you would otherwise be unable to spot.
How Should Dip Be Stored?
As a rule of thumb, most dips should be stored in the refrigerator. Some store-bought dips can be placed in the pantry or other room temperature locations until they’ve been opened. Once they’re opened, the manufacturer’s recommendation is generally to refrigerate them.
Some dips may freeze well, though the texture has the possibility of being altered. For dips with cream cheese or sour cream as the base, you may want to toss it instead of freezing the leftovers. The cream will separate and lose its smooth texture.
You may be able to freeze hummus, depending on the additives. Once defrosted, if it looks as if some oil has separated you can simply stir it back together before eating.
When refrigerating your dips, you’ll want to ensure they’re tightly sealed or covered with plastic wrap. This ensures that they don’t lose their moisture and they’re protected from any lingering odors in the fridge from other food products.
Dips with high moisture content are notoriously difficult to freeze, as the water will form crystals. Once you go to defrost your dip, you may notice an excess of water that changes the texture and taste of your tasty dip. At this point, it may be better to toss the whole batch out and start over.
How Long Does Dip Last?
Depending on the type of dip you’re concerned with, you may find that it lasts anywhere from 7 to 10 days. This is based on dips made from dairy, as they’re prone to expiring faster.
If you’ve left your dip out on the counter at room temperature, it will safely last for up to two hours. After this point, it has entered a territory where bacteria is rapidly multiplying and you should proceed with caution and toss it out.
Dips that are created from certain products, such as cream cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise tend to go bad quickly due to their perishable nature. Mayonnaise is made with eggs, meaning that it shouldn’t be left out for any period of time.
Assuming that your dip has been continuously refrigerated, you’ll likely have a week to eat it. Any longer and you’ll want to give it a thorough inspection before eating it with chips or your favorite veggies.
In the event that you’ve made a homemade dairy-based dip instead of purchasing something from the store, you may want to eat it within 3-4 days. When you purchase pre-made dips, they often have preservatives added to extend freshness.