How To Store Your Leftovers Foods Safely (2024)

How To Store Your Leftovers Foods Safely

Cooked more than you could eat?Lots of people have managed to waste food, specially aftera great party or dinner celebration due to not having an idea about whatto do with a table full of leftovers.Storing your leftovers safely not only keeps you from wasting delicious food and limits your exposure of food born infections.

Any food left out for more than two hours is susceptible to harmful bacterial growth and should be disposed of.Bacteria thrive between 41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.When the food hits that range, bacteria start to grow immediatelyand lead the food spoil very soon. So the less time spent in that zone, the safer the food is. Plus there are bacteria who are able to grow in extremely hot environment and cold environment. The foods with high moisture such as breads, buns, fish etc will spoil very because the moisture enhance the growing of bacteria. And the dry foods such as biscuits will mainly spoiled by fungi.Hope this might gave you a rough idea about food spoilage process.

Basically food storing is a technique to learn and follow! Storing leftovers is such a hard process to handle and you better have some knowledge about that.

Ways to handle the leftovers,

• Save only the food which hasn't been tainted by double-dipping or by lots of hands picking at it. If it's been on the table uncovered just get throw it off.

•Allow food to stand after microwaving because the food will continue to cook after the microwave is off.

• When reheating, leftovers must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 seconds to kill bacteria.Soups and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil.

You may like to read:Awesome Ways To Lighten Up Your Favourite Meals

Storing ways for common leftover foods

1. Pizza

Let the remaining slices cool downuntilcheese has hardened and cooled off enough that the slices don’t stick to each other andpizza that’s not too saucy.By doing this,slices don’t stick to each other.Thenjust stack all the slices into a resealable bag andput right on the refrigerator.

If the pizza that is too saucy and have a lot of loose toppings place a single layer of slices on a dinner plate, top with a foil or parchment paper and keep stacking, alternating pizza and paper until all the pizza’s on the plate. Then wrap the whole thing tightly up in plastic wrap before placing in the fridge. Just wrap one slice in plastic wrap. Voila!

2. Tacos

Put fresh produce which includes lettuce, tomatoes, onions and toppings might include grated cheese, sour cream and guacamole aside.Then remove meat, other main ingredients and set aside.Warm and crisp taco shells in the oven.After that reheat the main ingredients. Be careful not to overcook or the protein will become dry and rubbery.

If you want soft tacos, you can also leave the taco shells with their main ingredients inside the foil wrappers and re-heat them in the oven. Remove from the oven and check if the tacos are hot through the middle.Once the taco shells are crisp and the meat or beans are hot again, reassemble the taco, placing the fresh produce and condiments on top.

You can use the same step toreheat burritos, nachosand other dishes.

3. Pasta

Place the cooked pasta in an air tight container. To keep the cooked pasta from clumping and sticking as it dries out addsome butter or olive oil to the pastauntil its coated lightly and evenly.Then Refrigerate the pasta. From this method the cooked, un-sauced pasta can stay fresh in the refrigerator for few days. If you've made apastasauce juststore the sauce separately.

You may like to read:Awesome Ways To Lighten Up Your Favourite Meals