Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/29/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 63

French Fry Watch - Day 42

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 17

One thought keeps coming to mind as I continue on with this experiment... "Have it your way." Do you remember that Burger King jingle?

You really can do a lot of different things with a simple burger or fries, regardless of where it came from or who prepared it. Whether you want it to last for years or just for days before it is overcome by mold. I believe the original "Terry Guinn Hamburger Experiment" has reached its climax... But I have been surprised before. We will keep watching the fries, as we will watch everything and perhaps there is some excitement left there. As for my sealed burger and fries, the french fries have been overcome by a white fuzzy mold that continues to spread. It also has a small area under some of the white fuzz that is turning green. In the sealed burger, I see what I believe to be signs of mold starting to sprout.

The sealed burger and fries have been a bit of a surprise to me in that, based on everything I have seen on the internet, I really expected the burger to be overtaken by mold first. I guess you really can't believe everything you read or see on the internet. LOL

Below are the current pictures of my hamburgers and french fries.

Next update... Next year on Wednesday, 1/5/10

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/23/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 57

French Fry Watch - Day 36

Mold Watch - Day 11

It seems that I am wrong again. Based on what I have seen in reports, articles and videos on the internet, my expectations were that the hamburger sealed in the plastic bag would start molding fairly quickly and that the fries would probably not mold.

I had it backwards. Although I do expect the hamburger to turn soon, the french fries have a good start already. Notice the big white fuzzy area left center?

No change in the other hamburgers & french fries. Next report Wednesday, 12/29/10.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/19/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 53

French Fry Watch - Day 32

Mold Watch - Day 7

Very little to report today. The pictures are posted below of the french fries and sealed burger and fries, for record.

I expect that with the Terry Guinn Burger & Fries mold project, the ones in baggies, we should see mold within the next seven days... At least on the hamburger.

Next update Thursday.

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/16/10

Hamburgers Watch - Day 50

French Fries - Day 29

Mold Watch - Day 4

Just when I thought my french fries had nothing left to offer, I found that they had a growth spurt over the past three days. The mold is starting to show a little green in it.

There are now three spots growing on the lighter group of my own fry creation. The two that had already sprouted are almost detectable with the camera. In the fries on the top of the group of my fry creation, one fry looks like it might be being eaten from the inside out.

The french fry, in the blue box at the top near the bun, with a very dark spot is turning green within the dark spot that is a defect in the fry.

And last but not least, day 4 of my mold watch has, no surprises here, not shown any change. This is a Terry Guinn action experiment. The other products are taking to long to show any change and I want to see some action.

To recap... I now have four hamburgers that will probably not change... ever! I have four sets of fries and with the exception of two single fries in the purchased fast food fries and my own creation that is very slowly decomposing, I think three sets could possibly last as long as the burgers. And then there is the new burger and fries in baggies. I am not sure what to expect, but I believe the burger will mold badly and the fries will mold some as well.

Next update Sunday.

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/13/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 47

French Fries Watch - Day 26

Mold Watch - Day 1

MOLD Watch??? Yes, experiment # 3 has begun.

Pictured to the left is a hamburger and French fries that I bought today at McDonalds (sorry McDonalds). Since my hamburgers and french fries (that are now weeks old) have likely dried out and will probably last for years to come, I have sealed these new items in baggies to see if we can get them to rot away.

I have seen examples on YouTube of french fries, both in the open air and in a glass jar, that have not changed in appearance or molded. I need to see it for myself!

Pictured above are my 26 day old fries. The fries in blue and my own creation have a few spots where a white fuzzy mold has grown, but the mold seems to have stopped growing. The hamburgers have not changed for quite a while.

Perhaps we can get some action on the new mold watch... Show me the moldy!

Next update Thursday night. I am now a day behind because of circumstances beyond my control.

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 12/8/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 42

French Fries Watch - Day 21

The mold is growing on two sets of fries and it won't be long until I can get a clear enough picture. Also, It's decided. I am going to start another experiment on Sunday to develop some mold.

If you look closely at the Burger King fries (blue package), you can see a dark spot in the middle of the fry that is on top of all the others. It is mold! And there is a bigger spot growing under some of those fries.

You can't tell from this picture yet, but there is white fuzzy mold growing in three spots on the lower (lighter in color) bunch of my fry creation. There appears to be something happening to the set on the top of my fry creation. There are spots darkening in an uneven pattern which I suspect is mold.

Next update on the Terry Guinn, "show me the moldy" project will be Sunday.

Hamburgers & Fries Watch 12/5/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 39

French Fries Watch - Day 18

Well, this is really boring! No changes since Wednesday. The mold I thought was on one of the Burger King fries with a defect, is in fact mold. It actually shows better now than the white fuzzy mold on a couple of my own fries.

Next update Wednesday... I thing I am going to try to create some moldy fries and a hamburger.

Hamburgers & Fries Watch 12/1/10

Hamburger Watch - Day 35

French Fry Watch - Day 14

Is it just me, or do experiments sometimes create more questions than answers? I am considering starting another experiment. I am bored with the same old watch that is going nowhere. I want action! I want destruction! I want MOLD! Just like in this video.

You may not be able to tell, but in the picture above, on the left, the french fries on the right in the blue wrapper... On the top, there is a french fry with a dark spot that appears to be mold in a hole in the fry. We will just have to keep watching. The fries on the left are a little greasier than I remember.

Of course my fries on the right, in the picture on the right (the bottom group), have developed a little white fungus in a couple places and my fries in the same group, at the top, appear to be darkening on the inside.

Boring!!!

Here is the real scope!

Did you know that when we fry some foods, like french fries, a chemical process occurs that creates varying levels of acrylamide. Acrylamide caused cancer to animals exposed to high doses (based on studies) and causes nerve damage in people exposed to very high levels at work. Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid during certain types of high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, and baking (and some say in some microwaved foods). The FDA has not yet determined the exact public health impact, if any.

Heres the good news!!!

Part of the production process conducted by most suppliers of your favorite fast food fries is to put your fries through a blanching process that removes the excess sugars, so as a result (through logic) reduced formation of acrylamide. Ok, they still have to add the sodium acid pyrophosphate to help maintain color. And don't even get me started on the dimethylpolysiloxane added to the vegetable oil used to prepare the fries.

The reality is that fast food is not good for us for a lot of reasons and if we could survive on fruits and vegetables, we would be a lot better off. But who can resist the great tasting french fries that McDonalds has spent millions to perfect? There addicting... As McDonalds has intended.

Next update on Sunday.