How to recognize a soup that has gone sour?

Your soup is already a few days old and you wonder about its freshness? Can it still be eaten or has it become unfit for consumption? The answer to this question is essential to avoid gastric complications. So you will have to learn to recognize if your soup has soured to find out if it can still be eaten or not. This is what we will see in this article.

How to recognize a soup that has soured?

Generally, a soup remains edible between 2 days and up to a week. after its preparation. However, this is not always the case. Indeed, if preservation methods are not optimal or if certain foods are in your soup, it may go sour quite quickly. But then, how do you know if a soup is still good to eat? Several clues can help you:

• First of all, His smell. If the soup smells rancid, strong, or just plain unpleasant, it's probably gone sour.
• In a second time, his aspect. If the soup is slimy, gooey, or foamy, it's probably inedible.
• his taste. Obviously, if the soup gives off a bad smell or an off-putting appearance, there is no need to taste it. Otherwise, if to taste it seems to you sour, sour or even rancid, this is a sign that the soup has probably turned sour.

To recognize a soup that has gone sour, you will therefore have to awaken all your senses. If in doubt, do not consume it. A soup that has gone sour means that many bacteria have grown or oxidized. This can then lead to potentially serious food poisoning, especially in fragile people, namely babies, children, the elderly or immunocompromised, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In all cases, if your soup contains foods of animal origin (cream, eggs, meat, fish, milk, butter, etc.), consume it as much as possible in 2 days following its preparation. Even if it seems good to you, there is a risk of food poisoning due to the particularly rapid bacterial proliferation in this type of food. If your vegetable soup seems fit for consumption and is not abnormal, you can consume it for up to 1 week, taking care to respect certain precautions. To learn more about this, we invite you to read our article: how to make a soup not turn?

Can you eat a soup that has gone sour?

A soup that has gone bad is certainly less appetizing and less good in taste, but is it still possible to eat it? The answer is negative. You should not eat soured soup as it poses a health hazard.

What are the risks of eating soup that has gone sour?

If you eat soup that has turned sour, you risk food poisoning. This is because a soured soup means that many bacteria have proliferated in the soup. If they are pathogenic, then they will infect your digestive system and this is when you risk food poisoning. If you've only taken a spoonful, you're not risking much. On the other hand, if you have consumed a whole bowl of it, you risk being sick. Although usually food poisoning is relatively benign, she remains uncomfortable.

Bacteria infection can cause different food poisoning, with more or less severe symptoms, which appear within an hour or up to 48 hours after the meal:

• In case of'benign infection (the most frequent cases), the signs are often simply digestive : nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, gastric pain. There may also be flushing, pallor, fever, slight dizziness or sweating. The most common complication that can occur with this type of infection is acute dehydration.
• In case of'more serious infection, signs cardiovascular (bradycardia, hypotension, ventricular extrasystoles etc) or neurological (paraesthesia of the extremities or mouth, metallic taste, heat sensitivity disorder, itching, dizziness, confusion, coma etc) may also occur. The risk of death is extremely low, especially in Western countries.

In case of persistent symptoms, severe food poisoning, or if it affects fragile people (children, immunocompromised, elderly, pregnant women), medical advice is essential. Quickly consult a doctor.

Can you catch a soup that has gone sour?

Although it is tempting to try to make up for a soup that has gone sour, especially if you have a good amount left, it is not an option. Indeed, to completely kill all micro-organisms, a temperature of 120°C must be reached for at least 10 minutes. Only pressure cookers or sterilizers are capable of doing this. But even if you have one of these devices, taste, smell and texture will remain bad. In addition, if the cooking is not carried out correctly and therefore some bacteria have survived, you are exposing yourself to risk of food poisoning presented above.

The trick which indicates that to recover a soured soup, you must reboil it, is false. A soup that has gone sour remains inedible even boiled again, because the temperature will not exceed 120°C.

Attention, a soup must also always be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator after its preparation. A soup left too long at room temperature may spoil quickly and be unfit for consumption.

Now you know how to tell if a soup is still good. In any case, never consume a soup that has gone sour and do not try to catch it because you risk food poisoning. So it's better to waste a little bit than to get sick!