Bubba wrote:
> I've been lurking around a while, posted a few things, and finally
> decided to jump into the fray with both feet (and mouth wide open for
> the planting thereof) and see if I could start a "food fight".
>
> Lots of turkeys are being gobbled this time of the year and a
> LOT....did I say that loud enough....LOT!!! of noise is being made
> about:
>
> FOOD SAFETY!!!!!!
>
> I question the emphasis put on this issue.
>
> I was born in California, raised all over (Navy brat) but my roots are
> in the South. Many of my "food" memories recall the major meal being
> at noontime (dinner), after which a clean tablecloth (or sheet) was
> thrown over the leftovers and they were left until suppertime.
>
(snippage)
> Bubba
>

I have no idea the answers to your questions. I chalk a lot of it up to
paranoia about frivilous lawsuits. 100, 50, even 25 years ago in lots of
places no one questioned letting food sit out unrefrigerated for a few
hours. (I am not talking about restaurants where there are food & safety
inspectors, although if you think about it there probably weren't any of
those 100 years ago, either.)

My grandparents didn't have a refrigerator until well after the the
innovation surpassed the old ice-box and they could finally afford one, I'm
guessing early 1940's. If you look at the old ice boxes, they sure didn't
have the room to fill with food like the refrigerators of today. My mom
says in the summer her mom used the ice box to store milk and oleo. But in
the winter milk was kept in the bottles on the porch which was sufficiently
cold. Breads were kept in bread boxes (but of course bread was freshly
baked weekly so it didn't really have time to go bad). Eggs were stored in
baskets; potatoes, onions, carrots and other root vegetables in the cooler
cellar. Cheese, you cut the mold off. Leftover bacon grease you stored in
a jar on the counter for frying potatoes, etc.

My parents were raised in the Northern US but I've spent most of my time as
an adult in the Southern US. Doesn't bother me a bit to leave fried chicken
sitting out (covered) or fried fish out for several hours. I use a butter
bell for butter, which requires no refrigeration, simply a change of cool
water every week. The only thing I suppose I'd worry about is mayonnaise
due to the infusion of oil with eggs which may go rancid if left sitting out
in 90F heat.

But, I'm not a purist, either. I sure as hell use my freezer and fridge for
leftovers. I don't feed an army so there's no point in covering the table
with a sheet and waiting for "da men to come in from da fields". Times,
they are a'changin'

Jill