i dont really know where to post this but if its in the wrong place the admins should pls do the needful.

Every body know that if u put ur hand/finger into a soup it will become sour. In fact this is one of the first lesson every nigerian child learns; never put ur hand into the soup pot or it will go sour.
So now am kinda curious, what actually causes sourage In that situation?
Is it that wen ever there is human contact (flesh ) with soup it goes sour or that any disturbance to the surface of a soup after being warmed causes it ?
ur thoughts are welcome

Interestd in knowing too

Its best to perform an experiment.. Split ur nxt soup into two.. One as a control... Finger one and leave both.. See which one spoils faster
#teamMythbusters

francleanflexy: i dont really know where to post this but if its in the wrong place the admins should pls do the needful.

Every body know that if u put ur hand/finger into a soup it will become sour. In fact this is one of the first lesson every nigerian child learns; never put ur hand into the soup pot or it will go sour.
So now am kinda curious, what actually causes sourage In that situation?
Is it that wen ever there is human contact (flesh ) with soup it goes sour or that any disturbance to the surface of a soup after being warmed causes it ?
ur thoughts are welcome

Simple! Only two things can make soup spoil: bacteria and fungi. The length of time it takes to spoil depends on the physiochemical properties of the soup, the way its is prepared and how it is stored after preparation.

According to jacques hindleberth, When soup is heated to a certain degree the heat rays evaporates and locks the eminent exposure to the fish or meat inside the pot..... Uhghh, I have no idea what I'm saying.! Sorry

I have often wondered too.

Bacteria!

am interested too

Bacteria...ur hands are carriers.

marvelling:

Simple! Only two things can make soup spoil: bacteria and fungi. The length of time it takes to spoil depends on the physiochemical properties of the soup, the way its is prepared and how it is stored after preparation.

it seems like u dont understand what am trying to say.
When a soup it warmed, it can last through out the night but if some1 puts a finger in the soup it will spoil before morning y ?

francleanflexy:
it seems like u dont understand what am trying to say.
When a soup it warmed, it can last through out the night but if some1 puts a finger in the soup it will spoil before morning y ?

warming soup will kill bacteria and fungi in it.

Putting your finger inside the soup after warming it will introduce new bacteria/fungi that will spoil the soup overnight.

Abi na?

Your hands are naturally covered with bacteria. Remember when the soup is cooked, the heat kills of all the bacteria that are possibly in it so when you dip bacteria infested fingers into the so pot, bacteria gets into the soup and they begin their work of decomposing and then by the next morning, it would have spoilt.

This is my thought!!!

When soup is heated, there is vibration between molecules of C-H bond in the oil e.g(palm oil) which weakens the cohesive electrostatic forces between the oil and keep it fairly fermented, therefore retain it's warmness very well, but when opened reverse of the aforesaid is the case.
To me those saying bacteria/fungi are wrong because at a very high temp. of 393K=120 degree Celsius or thereabout, no fungi/bacteria can survive living when trapped inside.

Addition:
Aquatic Thermophillus thrive @ 70 degree celsius but can sustain temps ranging from 50-80 degree celsius, which are all still below my assumed temp. of hot soup.
For me, I believe temp. Controls d longevity of lifespan of any food without any bacteria/fungi.

Reference: Read 3rd paragraph,1st sentence.
[http://]en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermus_aquaticus
[/a]
My #2kobo.

lilTunechi: According to jacques hindleberth, When soup is heated to a certain degree the heat rays evaporates and locks the eminent exposure to the fish or meat inside the pot..... Uhghh, I have no idea what I'm saying.! Sorry

hahahahaha *falls inside nairaland river*

mstik: they begin their work of decomposing and then by the next morning, it would have spoilt.

LOL making bacterium look like evil spirits.

abdulahi001: This is my thought!!!
When soup is heated, there is vibration between molecules of C-H bond in the oil e.g(palm oil) which weakens the cohesive electrostatic forces between the oil and keep it fairly fermented, therefore retain it's warmness very well, but when opened reverse of the aforesaid is the case.
To me those saying bacteria/fungi are wrong because at a very high temp. of 393K or thereabout, no fungi/bacteria can survive living when trapped inside.

First let me inform you that there are bacteria and other microorganisms that can survive temperatures higher than 373k, some even survive at temps higher than 600k (thermophiles). Now to the question, like some people have said, there are 1000s of bacteria that are normal flora (exist normally) on ur skin, dipping your hand in the stew inoculates (introduce new microbes) the soup. Most times the soup is at a temperature optimum to the growth of the organisms (usually around 37 degree C) this favours rapid growth of the microorganisms in the pot of soup (suitable medium rich in nutrients) End result? The food get spoilt. Try these with your soup. Use a clean fork to pick a piece of meat, dip it in your mouth while making minimum contact and put it back in the soup or open your pot of stew and exhale air into it from your mouth like 4 to 5 times. (Make sure u dnt need the soup again) leave it over night and share what happens in each case with us the next day. If my explanation is not clear enuf. There are diverse works on this on the internet, those will help.

temitayoadegoke: First let me inform you that there are bacteria and other microorganisms that can survive temperatures higher than 373k, some even survive at temps higher than 600k (thermophiles). Now to the question, like some people have said, there are 1000s of bacteria that are normal flora (exist normally) on ur skin, dipping your hand in the stew inoculates (introduce new microbes) the soup. Most times the soup is at a temperature optimum to the growth of the organisms (usually around 37 degree C) this favours rapid growth of the microorganisms in the pot of soup (suitable medium rich in nutrients) End result? The food get spoilt. Try these with your soup. Use a clean fork to pick a piece of meat, dip it in your mouth while making minimum contact and put it back in the soup or open your pot of stew and exhale air into it from your mouth like 4 to 5 times. (Make sure u dnt need the soup again) leave it over night and share what happens in each case with us the next day. If my explanation is not clear enuf. There are diverse works on this on the internet, those will help.

Well, my points are from chemist's point of view, I guess you are microbiologist/pharmacist.
Biochemist are in better position to clear this.

BTW, why does a stirred beans that had been oiled easily get burnt than oiled unstirred upon continuous heating?

for those that are saying that there is fungi and bacteria present in ones hand u guys should also consider that micro organisms are ubiquitous

temitayoadegoke: First let me inform you that there are bacteria and other microorganisms that can survive temperatures higher than 373k, some even survive at temps higher than 600k (thermophiles). Now to the question, like some people have said, there are 1000s of bacteria that are normal flora (exist normally) on ur skin, dipping your hand in the stew inoculates (introduce new microbes) the soup. Most times the soup is at a temperature optimum to the growth of the organisms (usually around 37 degree C) this favours rapid growth of the microorganisms in the pot of soup (suitable medium rich in nutrients) End result? The food get spoilt. Try these with your soup. Use a clean fork to pick a piece of meat, dip it in your mouth while making minimum contact and put it back in the soup or open your pot of stew and exhale air into it from your mouth like 4 to 5 times. (Make sure u dnt need the soup again) leave it over night and share what happens in each case with us the next day. If my explanation is not clear enuf. There are diverse works on this on the internet, those will help.

The above submision clears the air.

Just as he said human body is naturally covered with bacteria known as normal flora. Not any part of the body is spared! So after the soup would have been warmed and fingered, the fingering introduces the normal flora into the soup. Now, the soup serves as an enriched or enrichment medium where a single bacterium/fungus can exponentially multiply in its numbers causing the usual bubbles the following morning.

Moreso, the heat usually trapped in the lid of the soup pot after the usual warming if the pot is not tilted a liril bit to allow for proper evaporation can equally cause souring of soup, very common with egusi soup though.

On the whole, the souring of a thing reminds me of when I was in d Uni few yrs bak n had prepared a special delicacy for myself n twinie only for the soup to get soured the following morning. Make I hear say I throway the soup! Huh I provoke sharpally pour in some red veg oil and added some spices, tidy dey mata n dashed out for academic hustling...

Ma story-ma signature.click link en encourage an upcoming.tis ma 1st.thanks

But sometimes when soup dey spoil and u no get option u go over warm am, add oil and eat. It even tastes better. I did that a lot during my undergraduate days. Click "like" if you av done that before.

abdulahi001:

BTW, why does a stirred beans that had been oiled easily get burnt than oiled unstirred upon continuous heating?

two things /reasons.
the water at d bottom of the pot gets reduced because it's distributed to all other parts when stirred, so no much water at the base to continue cooking hence the burns.
Secondly, when you created a depression or a well in a cooking food, u'll discover that water usually runs there leaving other surrounding places without water therefore it starts to burn

Nice analysis and write-ups....

All dis one because of soup ...
What about people wey dey cook sour soup normally nko... Hw does dat one react to finger dipping.. Maybe it'll actually transfer bacteria to the fingers of the person involved..

Dat was how d oda day my neighbor wanted to kill us with d sh*t he/she was cooking.. Had to spray baygon

lilTunechi: According to jacques hindleberth, When soup is heated to a certain degree the heat rays evaporates and locks the eminent exposure to the fish or meat inside the pot..... Uhghh, I have no idea what I'm saying.! Sorry

lol,i started reading with interest

Onyiclara:
lol,i started reading with interest

Hahahh

i don't eat soup that stay "overnight"
1)the grinded melon starts seperating
2)vegetable soup gets salty
3)bitter leaf soup loses its bitterness
4)uha leaves shrinks
5)ukazi soup starts getting slimy like okra that i hate
6)afang abi afam soup tastes somehow after warming
my scientific research,endorsed by NAFDAC!

Stop fing.ering soup......Its better you use ur tongue on it. Its sweeter that way

Waspy: Stop fing.ering soup......Its better you use ur tongue on it. Its sweeter that way

nl official perv ambassador

Get three clean pots.
Put same quantity of soup in them.
Leave No 1 untouched.
Wash hands and dip fingers into No 2.
Put fingers into mouth and dip into soup No 3.
AFTER 24 HOURS,
Compare the appearance, smell and taste of the 3 soups.
Observation:
Soup 1 & 2 are similar, while 3 is worse.
Conclusion
It isn't the finger causing the soup to deteriorate but saliva which contains enzymes which act on food causing it to bla bla bla.

abdulahi001: This is my thought!!!
When soup is heated, there is vibration between molecules of C-H bond in the oil e.g(palm oil) which weakens the cohesive electrostatic forces between the oil and keep it fairly fermented, therefore retain it's warmness very well, but when opened reverse of the aforesaid is the case.
To me those saying bacteria/fungi are wrong because at a very high temp. of 393K or thereabout, no fungi/bacteria can survive living when trapped inside.

Don't be fast to label others wrong, Have you heard of thermophillic bacteria? Or thermoduric bacteria?...I guess a research on the net will help. @OP, there's something called water activity in Chemistry. Bacteria needs this with dissolved oxygen to carry out its metabolism. So introducing your finger does two things to your soup, (1) it introduces fresh hungry agile and angry bacteria which will descend on your soup and (2) your finger breaks the surface tension of the soup thereby allowing atmospheric oxygen to be used up by newly introduced finger bacteria and existing stubborn thermophiles which will cause decay and souring of the soup.......that's what I feel though, just an hypothesis, can still be proven wrong experimentally...

abdulahi001:

Well, my points are from chemist's point of view, I guess you are microbiologist/pharmacist.
Biochemist are in better position to clear this.

BTW, why does a stirred beans that had been oiled easily get burnt than oiled unstirred upon continuous heating?

No chemist point of view in your post bro, except you didn't do food canning in your BSc. I'm a chemist too and thermophiles and themoduric bacterias were all talked about in food chemistry.