How Long Do Leftovers Keep? The Guide To Never Go Wrong.
I don't know about you, but I hate waste!
I always make sure to eat leftover meals.
The concern is that you shouldn't do anything with leftover food!
At the risk of getting indigestion, or even food poisoning ...
This is true for both home leftovers and leftovers brought back from a restaurant.
Fortunately, here is the essential guide to know how long to keep leftovers. Look :
1. How to handle leftovers?
- Wash your hands before and after touching leftovers from meals. To keep your hands clean, just wash them with hot water and soap. Then don't forget to wash the kitchen utensils and the worktop thoroughly.
- Food leftovers must never stay for a very long time at a temperature between 4 ° C and 60 ° C. Why ? Because at these temperatures, bacteria dangerous to health can develop.
- If a cooked food has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, it should be discarded.
- Do not rely on your smell, sight or taste to know if a food is still good or not. It is a mistake. Even if your senses are highly developed, they cannot detect contaminated food.
- If you have any doubts, throw out the leftovers. Better to waste a little than get sick.
2. How to cool leftovers?
- The best way to cool leftovers is to put them right away in the fridge in an open, shallow container. The fact that the latter is shallow will speed up the cooling of the dish.
- If the leftovers are still hot, let them cool in the open air. When they stop giving off steam, put them in the fridge.
- While waiting for the leftovers to cool, put a lid on them or wrap them loosely.
- Avoid overfilling your fridge otherwise the cold air will not circulate properly and the food will not keep well.
3. How to store leftovers?
- Leftovers should be stored in clean containers. Alternatively, you can also use storage bags. Do not mix leftovers: it is best to keep them separate from each other. These precautions help prevent cross-contamination of food.
- You must consume the leftovers within 2 or 3 days. If that's not possible, freeze them to eat later (provided they weren't frozen the first time). Click here to find out the freezing rules.
- If you do not freeze your leftovers, write on the containers the date when you put them in the fridge. This way you are sure not to keep them for too long.
4. How do I thaw leftovers?
- To defrost food, it is best to place it in the fridge. If you're in a rush, use your microwave.
- Once the food is thawed, cook it quickly, if it is not already done. If the leftovers are already cooked, eat them right away.
- If you let your food thaw in the fridge, place it on a plate or dish on the lower shelf of the fridge. This will prevent the water from defrosting from spilling onto other foods.
- If you use the microwave to defrost leftovers, remember to remove any wrappers or containers that are not microwave safe. This is the case of plastic packaging, boxes in which dishes are frozen, polystyrene trays ... If you are not sure, discover our guide here.
- Remember to eat leftovers immediately after thawing. No question of leaving them lying around for a few hours! Never refreeze a thawed dish, whether you have thawed it in the microwave or not.
5. How do I reheat leftovers?
- Is your dish thawed? All you have to do is eat it after having reheated it! You need to reheat it until its temperature reaches 74 ° C.
- You can use a kitchen thermometer to make sure.
- Sauces, soups and gravy must be heated over high heat so that they make broth. During this time, never stop stirring.
- Halfway through cooking, stop the microwave to be able to stir the leftovers. This way the heat will be evenly distributed throughout the dish. Not only will the outside be warm, but the inside too.
6. How long can we keep leftovers?
Prepared foods: meats, stews, eggs, cooked vegetables
In the refrigerator at 4 ° C: 3 or 4 days
In the freezer at -18 ° C:2-3 months
Cooked poultry and fish
In the refrigerator at 4 ° C: 3 or 4 days
In the freezer at -18 ° C:4 to 6 months
Meat broths and meat sauces
In the refrigerator at 4 ° C: 3 or 4 days
In the freezer at -18 ° C:4 to 6 months
Soups
In the refrigerator at 4 ° C: 2-3 days
In the freezer at -18 ° C:4 months
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Also to discover:
15 Recipes to Cook Leftovers and Stop Waste.
How long can you keep food in the freezer? The ESSENTIAL Practical Guide.
