Today’s lifestyle, with complicated work schedules and many tasks to take on, means that many people do not take time to cook. People who, however, do not want to give up eating well and healthily. Cold storage is the most widely used method at home. Saving leftover food is a way to save money in the kitchen. With a little fish you can make some croquettes or with the vegetables a puree. Logically, the fridge is your indispensable ally against food waste. But it’s not just about putting food on a plate and leaving it there. You have to take several things into account.
Tips for storing leftovers in the fridge
1. Store leftovers in shallow food storage containers to speed up cooling (5 cm maximum) and with a lid. If you have a lot of leftovers, you can divide it into smaller portions.
2. Do not leave cooked food at room temperature. Decide if you will store them in the fridge or freezer in two hours at the most. Remember that the hotter, the more bacteria.
3. Before putting the leftovers in the fridge, wait for them to cool, respecting that period of two hours maximum. If not, the refrigerator will have to work harder than normal and will consume more energy.
4. In the fridge, leftovers must be below 5ºC. And if you overheat them, do so at a temperature of more than 60 ºC to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.
5. Try not to let your refrigerator overflow. It is recommended that the air circulate between the different foods that you keep inside.
6. Separate raw food from cooked food. It is the way to minimize the risk of cross contamination that may occur between those carrying pathogenic microbes (usually raw) and others. Store the first ones in the lower part of the fridge and the second ones on the upper shelves.
7. If you have leftover fish or seafood soup, remember that it ferments easily. When in doubt, discard it.
8. Date packages before freezing.
9. Protect food from damage caused by the cold in the refrigerator, possible pathogens and contamination. Use airtight glass or plastic containers, aluminum foil, or cling film.
When heating, the food must be covered so that it retains moisture and acquires temperature evenly. Not all ingredients heat up at the same speed and large pieces take longer. The quality of the product deteriorates every time it is overheated. Therefore, put only the portion you want to eat from the Comer Comer plate into the micro.
How long does each food keep?
As you are sure you know, not all cooked foods last the same time in optimal conditions. Some like rice last longer in the fridge. To give some examples, pasta, rice and legumes last 2 days at most. The vegetables and meat maximum 3-4 days, fish one day and eggs cooked to a week.
