Hot dogs are a fantastic choice when having a party or a get-together event. It’s not entirely impossible to forget food out, even if it’s a tray of delicious hot dogs.
The big question is can you eat hot dogs left out for a night?
No! You cannot eat hot dogs left out overnight. According to the US Department of Agriculture, hot dogs can stay out (in the danger zone) for only two hours before they go bad. At temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria multiply faster, potentially causing food poisoning.
This article will inform you whether you can eat hot dogs left overnight, understand when they have gone bad, and the temperatures suitable for storing them.
Can You Eat Hot Dogs Left Out Overnight?
You can safely eat hot dogs sitting out for less than 2 hours. Hot dogs left to sit for more than 2 hours at 90 degrees Fahrenheit should be thrown away.
We understand that you may be in a situation where you have leftover hot dogs after an in-house event, and you may not wish to throw them out. One way to keep hot dogs safe and fresh to eat for the next day is to store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
To prevent food poisoning, it is necessary to refrigerate the cooked hot dogs as soon as possible. And when you want to eat the hot dogs again, you can easily reheat them in a microwave.
How Long Can Hot Dogs Go Unrefrigerated?
Is it wise to leave hot dogs unrefrigerated? And how long can they go without going bad?
Hot dogs can go for only two hours when they are left unrefrigerated. And so you know, when temperatures rise to up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months, leaving hot dogs unrefrigerated for more than an hour can put you at risk of poisoning.
After leaving the grocery store with hot dogs, you may want to refrigerate them immediately. Most hot dog packages have an expiry date which should be taken more seriously. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
Like any other ready-to-eat food, hot dogs have bacteria that multiply, leading to stomach aches, fever, backache, and diarrhea.
The bacteria slowly multiplies when hot dogs are refrigerated at temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The growth of the bacteria at room temperature is relatively rapid. Letting them stay unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours will worsen the situation.
How Can You Tell If a Hot Dog Has Gone Bad?
Sometimes, it can be pretty difficult to tell if a hot dog has gone bad. But what are some of the things to consider?
The smell, color, and texture of the hot dog are what you need to focus on. Like any other food, the smell and the color of the food can be used as signs to know if your hot dog has gone bad.
We shall discuss these considerations in detail below:
The Texture
This is one of the common ways to know if your hot dog has gone bad. When you feel that your hot dog has a slimy coating, then it’s one sign that you need to discard it immediately.
Sour Smell
The smell is also one of the alarming indicators of a hot dog that has gone bad. If you notice a sour smell like vinegar, you need to throw away the hot dog.
Color Change
You will notice that the pink color of your hot dog changes to brown or dark gray when the hot dog has gone bad.
Milky Package Liquid
You may have noticed a liquid in the hot dog package, mainly when the hot dogs are refrigerated while open. If you notice that the liquid is milky, it is an indicator of bacterial overgrowth and thus may cause poisoning.
Presence of Freezer Burns
Freezing hot dogs is one of the ways to preserve their quality and prolong their shelf life. It is essential to note that hot dogs may have freezer burns if not stored properly. Cutting off the burns may help; however, it is advisable to discard them if you notice your hot dogs have freezer burns.
The Expiration Date
One of the best ways to tell if your hot dogs have gone bad is by checking the expiration date on the package. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one of the ways to guarantee that your hot dogs are of good quality is by checking on the printed expiration date.
What Temperature Should Cooked Hot Dogs Be Stored At?
After cooking the hot dogs, you can store them at over 140 degrees Fahrenheit, equivalent to 60 degrees celsius. You can also have them in the fridge at less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The Health Department specifies that this temperature is favorable to store cooked food.
Most people prefer to heat hot dogs until they become steamy. It is necessary to keep them at a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them out of the Danger Zone. In this zone, bacteria multiply, which increases the likelihood of going bad.
How Long Can You Store Hot Dogs In the Fridge?
The precise answer to this question depends on the state of the hot dogs, whether cooked or uncooked and the storage conditions.
Hot dogs that have been properly cooked can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Uncooked hot dogs can stay in the fridge for a maximum period of four weeks or a month. If you decide to use the freezer, the hot dogs can last up to 2 months.
Can You Leave an Unopened Pack of Hot Dogs Out Overnight?
You cannot leave an unopened pack of hot dogs for more than 2 hours. The quality of the hot dogs reduces beyond this time. Bacteria multiply at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can maximize the quality and life of unopened hot dogs by wrapping the hot dogs and placing them in the freezer. Leaving unopened hot dogs overnight accelerates the risk of food poisoning.
What Can Happen If You Eat a Hot Dog That’s Been Sitting Out All Night?
It may not be wise to consume a hot dog sitting out all night. There is a likelihood of getting a foodborne illness or food poisoning from eating such a hot dog. Hot dogs left for more than two hours should be discarded.
If you leave a hot dog overnight, it falls under the “Danger Zone”, characterized by the multiplication of bacteria between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
You may want to reheat your hot dog in the morning after it has stayed overnight. But if the hot dog is left out for more than 2 hours, bacteria may form heat-resistant toxins which cannot be destroyed by cooking.
Final Remarks
Hot dogs are one of the most iconic foods eaten in various places, from ball games to grills in your backyard. They come pre-cooked, and it is easy to assume that they cannot go bad.
However, when hot dogs stay for more than 2 hours, they risk going bad.
Bacteria grow between temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore leaving hot dogs unrefrigerated for more than two hours increases the risk of food poisoning.
One of the best options to increase the shelf life of your hot dogs is to immediately store them in the refrigerator or the freezer after your weekly shopping.