Perpetual Stew, Or Why It's Safe To Eat A 79-Year-Old Soup (2024)

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Perpetual Stew, Or Why It's Safe To Eat A 79-Year-Old Soup? ›

As long as no ingredients detrimental to human health are added, and the soup is constantly boiled to temperatures that will kill off harmful bacteria, the soup can be added to and eaten for a long, long time.

And yes, because it's always kept at boiling temperature (there was a close call on June 14 when Shayne briefly blew a fuse making toast), and the ingredients are cycled out at a fast pace, it should be safe to eat. Perpetual stews have been around for a while and “have simmered for years on end!” she notes.

"Bacteria known to cause food-borne illness flourishes at temperatures between 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) and 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), but can't survive the heat of a constant simmer." Rauwerda says her stew stays at 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).

the soup, it's completely safe to eat. And over the 45 years, the broth has gotten better and better. I guess. I'll let you know how my stomach's doing in a few days.

A perpetual stew, also known as forever soup, hunter's pot, or hunter's stew, is a pot into which foodstuffs are placed and cooked, continuously. The pot is never or rarely emptied all the way, and ingredients and liquid are replenished as necessary.

Many soups, with the possible exception of seafood soups, may taste better the next day! For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it. And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours. Don't put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator.

At the time of writing, the stew's been brewing for more than 40 days and counting. (However, a soup joint over in Bangkok has her beat by a solid 4 decades, with their version of a perpetual stew that has been simmering for over 45 years.)

In Japan, the restaurant Otaf*cku in the Asakusa district of Tokyo serves a stew called oden, which has been replenished constantly since 1945. The only reason it doesn't date back until 1916, when the restaurant opened, is said to be because that soup was lost in a World War II air raid.

To be completely safe, you'll have to boil the soup vigorously for 10 minutes. Doing this will not only kill off any active bacteria, it will also inactivate -- but not destroy -- botulinum spores.

What is the oldest soup in the world? ›

Wattana Panich is best known for its beef and goat soup that was first cooked half a century ago. The owner of the restaurant said they store the soup every night and add water to it in the morning.

If left overnight (and saved in a safe, refrigerated place) leftover soup tastes richer the next day because all the flavors have had longer to blend. The same applies to stews.

One story about the origin of the term stone soup is that during the US's Great Depression, families unable to put food on the table every day simply placed a porous rock in the stock pot on days when there was food - and subsequently flavour - to absorb.

If heated at the proper temperature each time it's cooked or warmed, perpetual stew is safe to consume. The bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses typically can't survive a constant simmer, so you'll want to make sure you're heating perpetual stew at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Neua Tune": The soup that has been simmering in Bangkok for almost 50 years. The hearty beef broth has been kept simmering by three generations of one family for nearly half a century. The "Wattana Panich" has even received a visit from the Michelin Guide.

Bird's Nest Soup

This soup is an expensive delicacy in China where it has been enjoyed for over 400 years. Always in high demand, edible bird's nests are among the most expensive animal products humans consume. Prices can soar to $3,000 per pound. Bird's Nest Soup is made from the nests of a small Southeast Asian bird.

As it turns out, the FDA requires commercially canned foods to be processed or heated to a level that helps destroy harmful bacteria and ultimately makes canned goods shelf-stable and ready to eat straight from their containers.

Perpetual stew stays on simmer for days, months, and even years at a time. As the days progress, you add more ingredients and continue to build on the flavor of the original recipe. The stew's long lifespan encourages fermentation, which accounts for its notable spicy-sour flavor.

A general rule of thumb is that soup can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but you should always taste your dish before deciding to reheat.

On most occasions, you shouldn't leave soup out overnight. This is because when the stock in the soup cools below 130°F, dangerous bacteria can multiply. If you do decide that you want to leave soup out overnight, it's recommended that you boil the soup for 10 minutes to kill any active bacteria.