In the south, Gravy is synonymous with many popular home-cooked meals, such as mashed potatoes and chicken fried steak. It’s a delicious accompaniment for many recipes and a fresh pot of homemade gravy is hard to beat.

Gravy shouldn’t be left out overnight and if it was, it’s recommended to toss it out and start over. It’s unsafe to eat at this point and certainly not worth the risk of becoming ill after eating it. Though there may not be any visible mold growth yet, that doesn’t mean that the gravy isn’t teeming with harmful bacteria.

But there’s more to it. Let’s say your gravy was only left out for a bit, how can you tell if it’s gone bad or not? Continue reading to find out what you should and shouldn’t do.

How Long Can You Leave Gravy at Room Temperature?

Gravy is a perishable food and therefore should only be left unrefrigerated for a maximum of two hours. After this point, it’s safest to toss out the remainder and start over with a new batch.

If gravy is allowed to sit out at room temperature for several hours, the growth of bacteria is significantly increased and this can cause a foodborne illness. If you’ve made gravy to accompany a holiday dinner, you’ll want to save the rest to serve with leftovers.

To get around the two-hour rule, you can keep the gravy on the stovetop on low heat. This keeps the food from reaching room temperature and it makes it easy for people to serve themselves when they want some more.

Before refrigerating your gravy, you’ll want to let it cool down a bit. Placing a hot container in the fridge can cause the overall temperature to rise and this may negatively impact other leftovers.

However, the cooling process should only take around half an hour, at which point you can safely put it into the refrigerator. If you forget about the gravy on the countertop, you may end up wasting an otherwise perfectly good batch.

What Happens If You Eat Gravy That’s Gone Bad?

Unfortunately, consuming bad gravy can result in a bout of food poisoning. However, this doesn’t always involve a doctor’s visit and can generally be treated at home with over-the-counter medication and plenty of rest.

Though it usually doesn’t occur immediately, within a few hours of eating a bad batch of food, you may notice symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and a fever. Vomiting can be your body’s way of getting rid of the bad bacteria and can help make you feel better.

One of the more common food-borne illnesses found in gravy is Clostridium pertingens and it can result in diarrhea and stomach cramps. Luckily, it tends to resolve itself within a day but nobody wants to spend a holiday feeling sick.

For those who don’t end up with food poisoning, you may feel nauseated over the fact that you ate moldy gravy. This is normal and there are various solutions for settling an upset stomach, such as eating a popsicle or sipping on some broth.

When you open up your leftover gravy, do a quick sniff test to ensure that it hasn’t gone rancid. If you see anything concerning, such as mold on the top layer, toss it out. Eating bad food is never worth the risk and after you’ve had food poisoning once, you’ll proceed with caution going forward.

How Can You Tell If Gravy Has Gone Bad?

Normally, gravy has a thicker consistency that makes it perfect for coating your favorite foods — such as mashed potatoes or Thanksgiving turkey. It should have a uniform color and be relatively lump-free.

If the gravy has gone bad, it may become more liquid as it sits in the fridge. This alone doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe to eat but it can be a sign that the gravy has been stored past its peak freshness.

When the gravy becomes slimy and moldy, these are indications that it’s no longer safe for consumption. At this point, the whole batch should be tossed into the garbage to prevent someone from accidentally eating it.

It’s simply not enough to remove the top layer of gravy, even if this rids the visible mold growth. There are leftover microbes that can still make you sick if you eat them and they aren’t always visible to the naked eye.

When the gravy begins to smell sour or rancid, this is also an indication that it has gone bad. If there’s any separation that won’t mix back together, this likely means that it’s no longer consumable. Generally, it’s best to trust your gut when it comes to consuming leftovers.

If something doesn’t seem quite right, it’s always better to toss food rather than end up bedridden for a day or two because you’ve come down with something. Handling leftovers with proper care and attention can protect your health.

How Should Gravy Be Stored?

Similar to most foods, gravy should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You don’t want to leave it exposed, as this can encourage mold growth and may even alter the color of the gravy itself.

While refrigeration will slow down bacteria growth, won’t prevent it forever. You should keep an eye on your leftovers and consume them before they begin to break down and show signs of spoilage.

If you’re looking for a longer-term storage solution, you can freeze your gravy. Oftentimes, it freezes quite well and you can defrost it and reheat it when you’re ready to use it again.

For many, gravy isn’t necessarily a common addition to the dinner table. When people do take the time to make homemade gravy, they may want to double the batch so that they can enjoy it a few times throughout the year.

Gravy should never be stored at room temperature as this isn’t a solution that will last for more than two hours. It should always be either in the fridge or the freezer

When you go to reheat your gravy after storage, you may need to whisk it to prevent separation. If it has become too thick, adding in a bit of liquid such as a broth can bring it back to the correct consistency.

Depending on what recipe you used, you may notice that the gravy has an altered consistency when you go to reheat it. This can be especially prevalent after you’ve frozen it and defrosted it. This is a normal occurrence and the taste should remain unchanged.

How Long Does Gravy Last?

If you’re storing your leftover gravy in the fridge, you can expect it to last anywhere between 3-4 days. When using the freezer method, it can last 3-6 months if it’s been properly sealed and protected against freezer burn.

Making a homemade batch of gravy can be an act of love, so it’s only understandable that you don’t want it to spoil before you can enjoy the leftovers. Taking the steps to properly store and preserve your gravy is well worth the effort.

If you’ve made a flour-based gravy, you can expect it to last for up to four months in the freezer. You may even want to seal it into individual plastic bags for easy defrosting. This way, you can defrost a small portion for a serving of mashed potatoes at your next meal.

When freezing gravy or any perishable food item, you’ll want to add a date to the package to ensure you know when it was originally cooked and frozen. This prevents you from defrosting and consuming something that’s been stored for far too long.

For those who purchase the store-bought packets of gravy, you generally only need to add a liquid. These are packed full of extra preservatives, so you may find that they can last a bit longer. However, they still go bad and should be examined before consumption after they’ve been stored for some time.