Dailey Bailey: Caramel Apples Could Kill You Unless You Eat Them Immediately

We’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news: If you make a batch of caramel apples this Halloween, they might try to kill you. The good news: The only way to stop their murderous ways is to gorge on them immediately.

Seven people died last year from a Listeria outbreak caused by caramel apples. So the University of Wisconsin has been studying them to try to figure out WHY they’re good breeding grounds for bacteria.

They found that dipping an apple in hot caramel doesn’t kill all the bacteria on its skin. In fact, it adds a nice insulated layer for bacteria to grow and multiply. It’s especially bad if the apples are kept refrigerated for a long time after they’re made.

Bacteria can also form around the stick you shoved into the apple if they get enough time.

So . . . don’t give them the time. The scientists say if you wash your apples really well before you dip them in caramel, and then eat them within a few days, you’ll probably be safe from Listeria. Once they sit for weeks or longer, they enter the danger zone.

Of course, if you’re really worried about it, you should avoid caramel and candy apples altogether. After all, there ARE plenty of other ways to get diabetes-worthy amounts of sugar into your body at Halloween.