Cutting pinkies

[Plissken]

I've been wondering about this ever since I started keeping corn snakes. Warm water thawing seems to be the approved method for thawing mice but I remember my mom drilling it into my head as a kid to NEVER thaw meat with warm water due to bacteria growth.
Are snakes not affected by these bacteria perhaps?

I believe the "never use warm water" method is to do with the fact that the outside of a joint of meat would thaw faster than the inside - so while the inside is still frozen, the outer part is in the dangerous "bacteria breeding" zone. I don't know that this would apply to very small prey animals, like a pinky - there's not a lot of them! The thawing would - I imagine - be pretty even. You'd think this danger would apply to larger mice or rats, though. As you say, perhaps snakes just aren't affected by the same bacteria that affects us. Considering that snakes can carry salmonella in their digestive system (I think at least - don't know much about it) I'd think they have good resistance to that sort of thing.

Still, these are just my thoughts/muses. Don't know how scientific they are.

 

[Maty]

One thing that i have been doing to entice my corn to eat is using a ice pick on the pinks head to get some brain matter out. he loves it strikes it every time. its clean and the amount that comes out is minimal depending on how hard u press.

 

[DogStar5988]

I believe the "never use warm water" method is to do with the fact that the outside of a joint of meat would thaw faster than the inside - so while the inside is still frozen, the outer part is in the dangerous "bacteria breeding" zone. I don't know that this would apply to very small prey animals, like a pinky - there's not a lot of them! The thawing would - I imagine - be pretty even. You'd think this danger would apply to larger mice or rats, though. As you say, perhaps snakes just aren't affected by the same bacteria that affects us. Considering that snakes can carry salmonella in their digestive system (I think at least - don't know much about it) I'd think they have good resistance to that sort of thing.

Still, these are just my thoughts/muses. Don't know how scientific they are.

I agree with Plissken, while I don't cook at work I am almost finished with my plethora of cooking classes in college (thank goodness). But from what I remember the reasons stated by Plissken are correct. It takes 4 hours at temperatures between 41-140 degrees Fahrenheit (temps change slightly depending on where you look) for bacteria to multiply to dangerous levels. Thus cold water (at or below 41 degrees) is recommended for thawing potentally hazardous foods, although unless you are going to be thawing something for over 4 hours it really just overkill. However I really am not the best student so it is possible I got something wrong and dealing with a whole carcass may be different.

---Kenny