Happy Birthday Hamburgers!

My hamburgers turned two years old October 26, 2012. The french fries are not far behind, with twentyone days until they become two year old. And last, but not least, the burger & fries in the baggies will turn two years old in fortysix days. 

AND, where you might ask do I keep my collection of burgers & fries?  They are kept in my basement office with a box over them to keep away any bugs... Although I doubt any creature would find them appealing.  

Just a refresher:

The reason for the project was that someone had introduced a McDonald's burger at a presentation and claimed that it was many years old. I found it hard to believe that the burger hadn't molded. 

I started this project with four hamburgers to see what would happen over time to these burgers. A McDonalds, Wendy's and Burger King burger, plus a burger from my own grill.   It grew to a curiosity about french fries. Again, I picked up fries from McDonalds, Wendy's and Burger King, plus fries of my own. Lastly, out of boredom (almost no mold), I picked up a burger and fries from McDonald's and stored them in baggies. 

The burgers and fries left out, dried out, with only three very small spots of mold between them. The burger and fries in the baggies had different results. The fries in the baggie molded completly and the burger molded in many spots and changed color. 

Results: The burgers and fries left out, no matter where they were from (including my own) dried out. The burger and fries in the baggies retained their moisture and molded as a result. 

AND, why you may ask do I keep them? Because I can! I plan to pass them on to my children if they want them and my wife continues to let me keep them . LOL  

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 6/5/11

Seven months, eleven days. But you won't find these Hamburgers or french fries in the local 7-Eleven... I hope!

Hamburger Watch - Day 222

French Fry Watch - Day 201

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 176

 It has bee a while since my last post and I have to say, I really didn't expect to have the majority of these Hamburgers & fries still intact and mostly mold free.



  

Pictured here is my hamburger creation on a bun I bought from the store. As you can see, in the center of the bun, there is three spots of mold. This mold was created in conjunction with mold spots of the same size on the hamburger. On the hamburger it is harder to capture a clear picture with my camera. The mold growth has been there since the first month or so, and has since stopped growing.

Pictured here are the Burger King french fries.You can barely make out two dark spots on the french fries that have a mold growth that was probably the result of defects (holes) in the fries. This mold is  also from the first month or so, and had also stopped growing in the early months.

Here we have a McDonalds hamburger sealed away in a baggie for 176 days now. The yellow spots you see are a mold growth that seems to be growing at a snails pace. It is very hard to tell, but I believe it is still growing.                                                                                                      



And last but not least, my McDonalds french fries that have also been sealed away in a baggie for 176 days.   Here it would appear that we may have a little french fries remaining amongst the mold.


Obviously, you can create any results you want with the right circumstances.  What this also tells us... It is not necessarily what is in the products and how they are produced, but in how they are prepared, preserved and stored.

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 4/21/11

Hamburger Watch - Day 177

French Fry Watch - Day 156
Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 131

Almost two months since my last update. It's funny how not much has changed.  The fries in the baggie are pretty bad, but i'm still waiting for the burger in the baggie to develop. 

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 2/27/11

Hamburger Watch - Day 124

French Fry Watch - Day 103

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 78

Two and a half months for the "Baggie" food. The french fries in the baggie are really bad.  Lots of dark mold growing and many signs of goo. 

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 2/10/11

Hamburger Watch - Day 106

French Fry Watch - Day 85

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 60

Two months for the "Baggie" food. The french fries in the baggie are really bad.  Lots of dark mold growing and many signs of goo.

Hamburgers & French Fries Watch 2/3/11

Hamburger Watch - Day 99

French Fry Watch - Day 78

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 53

Mold has really overcome the french fries in the baggie.  It won't be long until those fries become goo.

 

Hamburger Watch - Day 91

French Fry Watch - Day 70

Mold Watch (in baggies) - Day 45

Two weeks since my last post and as you can see, little has changed with the exposed burgers & fries.  The enclosed burger & fries have developed a noticeable amount of mold.

The french fries in the baggie are approaching guewwwww. There is multiple shades of mold, from white to black.  The burger has grown mold in several areas, but is not progressing at the rate I had expected.