be safe? I thought that if it stayed above 71 C (160F) or so that it would be fine, but hubby says no way. Thank you. Your hubby is right.  The soup or one of its ingredients has been kept at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.  Chicken is such a perishable food and it is known to cause food poisoning if not properly cooked.  Your kitchen at 70 degrees F is a good temperature for bacterial growth.  Simmering the chicken for another two hours in the soup might get right of some bacteria tha could have grown during that eight hours but it will not be able to get rid of toxins that those bacteria could have produced.  Throw everything out and start fresh again. Hi, can I store homemade spaghetti sauce with hamburger and sausage in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days? I have heard it doesn't taste as good if you freeze it. Thanks! That might be true.  Frozen foods go through some transformation and depending of the time you keep it in the freezer, taste may change.  However it is the best way to keep food for long periods of time.  As for keeping it for three to four days, your spaghetti sauce should last for that period of time but it will be the limit; 4 days. I am starting a mobile canteen selling Hot dogs.  I would like to know what is the best;  Use of a grill for the wieners or