Ladle spoils the soup

[snopes]

Comment: A Portuguese housemate insists that leaving a soup ladle in the
soup -- while either out on the counter or in the fridge -- will make the
soup go bad faster than if the ladle isn't there. Can this be possible for
any other reason that it might block fully closing the lid?

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: A Portuguese housemate insists that leaving a soup ladle in the
soup -- while either out on the counter or in the fridge -- will make the
soup go bad faster than if the ladle isn't there. Can this be possible for
any other reason that it might block fully closing the lid?

If it's an aluminum ladle and an acidic (tomato- or wine-based broth, for example), there could be some discoloration and an off taste imparted to the soup.

[ganzfeld]

One big consideration is that many ladles prevent the lid from closing tight and, of course, that means faster spoilage. To a lesser extent, it's the part someone has been touching and it's been exposed to the air for more than the inside of the pot so leaving it in for long period does allow some of that to transfer to the food. Leaving it out (on a dish for example) just exposes it to the air for even longer so I prefer to wash it throughly and dry it between uses.