In article
>,
AndyHancock > wrote:

> So I was boiling up some chicken soup using cooked chunks of chicken
> meat. I stuck a spoon into the boiling stew, then without thinking,
> used the same spoon to dig into a jar of chili/garlic sauce and plop
> it into the stew. Then I realized that it was a bad idea since that
> jar of chili/garlic sauce could last for months. I debated whether to
> toss the jar. What a waste of yummy sauce.
>
> Any thoughts? Would the hotness of the chili sauce prevent any
> contamination from turning into food poisoning? The chicken stew sure
> tasted hot (and hence, good).

Personally I wouldn't worry about it unless you'd first put the "chicken
spoon" in your mouth. You've got a better chance of encouraging
spoilage that way than by just using the same spoon in two places. And
if the chili sauce is a tomato-based sauce with some vinegar in it, I
*really* wouldn't worry about it and I surely wouldn't toss it.

Don't confuse spicy heat with pH level as far as discouraging the growth
of nasties. The former won't help preservation if the pH is too high.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Several entries posted 2-19-2009