Let’s face it; sometimes, you forget something on the kitchen board when unpacking your shopping bags. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter at all in most cases, but what if it was something like greek yogurt? Well, then it is crucial to know for how long it was left out of the fridge:
How long can greek yogurt sit out? According to the USDA, greek yogurt can sit out just for two hours before being dangerous to eat because bacteria grow exceptionally rapidly at room temperature.
But this was just to put it extremely briefly – if we want to understand this topic indeed, we’ll have to dive into it a bit deeper.
So without any further delay, let’s just get into it!
Table of Contents
- Does greek yogurt need to be refrigerated?
- How long can greek yogurt stay out of the fridge?
- Can greek yogurt be left out overnight?
- How long can unopened greek yogurt sit out?
- How long can sealed greek yogurt sit out?
- How long can plain greek yogurt sit out?
- How can you tell if greek yogurt is bad?
- How do you keep greek yogurt fresh?
- What happens when you eat bad greek yogurt?
- Summary
- Resources
Does greek yogurt need to be refrigerated?
Yes, greek yogurt needs to be refrigerated if you want to be sure that it’s safe to eat because when it sits out, it starts to turn bad just after something like two hours pass. However, greek yogurt should stay eatable for even as long as two weeks when in the fridge.
How long can greek yogurt stay out of the fridge?
In the opinion of the United States Department of Agriculture, it’s dangerous to eat any perishable food that was left out for longer than two hours. Hence, greek yogurt can stay out of the fridge for no more than two hours if you want to be entirely sure it’s safe to eat.
Can greek yogurt be left out overnight?
Because, as we’ve explained above, the USDA says that no perishable food should ever sit out for more than two hours, greek yogurt definitely cannot be left out overnight. Although the already mentioned two hours may be a bit too strict in some cases, leaving your greek yogurt overnight is simply far too long, so just throw it away immediately.
How long can unopened greek yogurt sit out?
If you want to be completely sure that there’s nothing wrong with it, unopened greek yogurt cannot sit out for more than two hours. Since bacteria grow very quickly at room temperature, leaving your greek yogurt there for a longer time may be dangerous, and the fact it hasn’t been yet opened doesn’t change anything.
How long can sealed greek yogurt sit out?
As the USDA says, sealed greek yogurt should never sit out for more than two hours before being dangerous to eat. The reason for that is the extremely high activity bacteria have at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F.
How long can plain greek yogurt sit out?
According to the USDA, no perishable food should ever be left out of the fridge for more than two hours, greek yogurt not excluded. Hence, plain greek yogurt can sit out for no more than two hours before it may be dangerous to eat.
How can you tell if greek yogurt is bad?
If you’ve had your greek yogurt at home for a while now, it may be wise to check it out before eating it. To tell if your greek yogurt is bad, look for an excessive amount of liquid at the surface, curdling texture, and mold of any kind.
And a weird smell can also reveal a spoiled greek yogurt, so take a good sniff as well. If you now haven’t noticed anything weird, the greek yogurt is safe to eat; if you have any doubts, though, you’d better just toss it out immediately.
How do you keep greek yogurt fresh?
If you want to make sure your greek yogurt stays in good shape, there’s only one thing you have to do – you keep greek yogurt fresh by sealing it into some airtight containers and then putting it into the fridge. It may seem too simple, but indeed there’s nothing else to be done!
What happens when you eat bad greek yogurt?
When you eat bad greek yogurt, chances are you’re going to get sick. What does that mean specifically? Well, you may vomit or have diarrhea or a stomach ache. Therefore, you should never touch any greek yogurt with signs of spoilage; instead, throw it out as soon as possible.
Summary
Greek yogurt, just like any other perishable food, should never sit out for any more than two hours. That’s at least what the USDA says – in their opinion, temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F are the “Danger Zone” for food because bacteria proliferate at them. And that means that at room temperature, it doesn’t take a whole lot of time for things like greek yogurt to spoil.
Related:
- How Long Can Yogurt Sit Out?
- How Long Can French Toast Sit Out?
- How Long Can Smoked Salmon Sit Out?
- How Long Can Tomato Sauce Sit Out?
- How Long Can Spaghetti Sauce Sit Out?
Resources
Image credits – Canva
