The 15 second rule

Last night was a celebration of sorts around here. Our house is sort of sold and sort of not. So we needed to have a sort of celebration for the sort of sold. I cooked a lovely dinner of steak and red wine sauce with baby vegetables. It was yummy. I didn’t bake anything for dessert because I had a couple of brownies left over from the day before and figured with a big dinner we didn’t need much.

My lovemuffin said he’d get the brownies and on the way back to the table he dropped one. He said it was mine that fell. (I didn’t buy this for a moment but I went along - it was a celebration after all.)

Here’s the dilemma. Is the rule still valid that if you pick it up off the floor within 15 seconds you can still eat it?

brownie

10 Comments so far

  1. bill on September 15th, 2007

    Its variable.

    If the floor is heavily traveled, or carpetted, or near an exterior door, and the food didn’t splatter too badly, fifteen seconds is about the maximum I’d wait.

    If the floor is lightly trod, clean wood or tile, and without exterior egress, and the food didn’t splatter at all, as much as forty five can be tolerated.

    And if you really want that food, remember Julia Child’s comment.

  2. Sharon on September 15th, 2007

    Ah, but your lovemuffin is a pretty tricky one.

    5 second rules only apply to men. I’m sure they came up with the concept. It sure does not apply to us :)

  3. Holly on September 15th, 2007

    That brownie looks so good! 15 seconds, huh? Isn’t it usually called the 2 second rule? Knowing me, though, after 15 seconds I would most likely pick it up and eat it, especially if I was hungry. Most definitely if I was hungry.

  4. Miz UV on September 16th, 2007

    I thought it was 5 seconds. ;) Anyway, there’s a brownie exception because it’s a sin to waste a brownie.

  5. nath on September 16th, 2007

    LOL Miz! It is indeed a sin to waste a brownie.

    Yes you can still eat it. Unless you’re in someone else’s house, in which case the contents of the carpet will not be mostly you and you should maker the dropper go to the shops and get you another brownie.

  6. Andy on September 17th, 2007

    It’s 5 second rule, but I usually keep it to 2 seconds or less else it’s trash. But then again the expiration period is really what your personal threshold can take, right?

  7. Eric "Speedcat Hollydale" on September 17th, 2007

    I will eat any brownie at any time no matter WHERE it came from…and that cartoon at the bottom of your page is….(I’m speechless) :-)

  8. BillyWarhol on September 17th, 2007

    I would Gulp that deelish Brownie in 1 second*

    Yummy*

    I have a confession*

    I finished off a package of Bacon today which meant I nuked 8 slices instead o the 6 i planned to have*

    Well one o the Hot slices slid outta my hand onto the Kitchen Floor*

    YEP! I ATE IT!!!!!

    ;PPP

    Will I Die???

  9. Drwin on September 18th, 2007

    I forget where I read it but I believe the rule is 30 seconds. It takes that long before the harmfull germs to attach onto the food. You will of course have to clean off any dirt, hair etc… off it.

  10. Mardé on September 19th, 2007

    Yes, I might even eat it after a day, after cursory inspection for ants and spiders, unless of course a mouse had already eaten it. As someone here said, it’s a sin to waste a brownie.

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