Because now is not a great time to get food poisoning.
I was late to the “leftovers for lunch” game.
Within an hour, my tummy would be grumbling again.
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But here’s the thing: There’s an art toreheating leftovers.
Learn them, live them, love them.
Because really, who has time for food poisoning?
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You let food sit out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
After cooking, serve your dish while it’s still 140 F or warmer.
Has the food been out for more than two hours?
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Refrigerate leftovers as quickly as you canand venture to bring their temperature down as fast as possible.
Use shallow containers and cut larger foods into smaller pieces for quicker cooling.
Divide large batches of soup or stew into smaller containers, too.
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To accelerate cooling, place in airtightfood storage containersin an ice or cold-water bath before you refrigerate.
You don’t store them in airtight containers.
Choosehigh-quality, airtight food storage containersover wraps, takeout containers, and other flimsy or mismatched plastic pieces.
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Invest in somemeal prep containersif you’re planning on packing up leftovers for lunch on a regular basis.
This helps to keep bacteria out, preserves moisture, and avoids other odors from latching onto the food.
You store leftovers in a fridge that’s too warm.
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Set your fridge temperature to 40 F or below, and double-check it with a refrigerator thermometer.
Think of all the lost leftoversand the bacterial growththis could have caused.
You keep leftovers longer than three to five days.
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The USDA recommends using refrigerated leftovers within three to five days orfreezing them for up to four months.
And when in doubt, throw it out.
You don’t reheat them to a high enough temperature.
“Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies by bringing them to a rolling boil.
Cover leftovers to reheat.
This retains moisture and ensures that food will heat all the way through.”
When using the microwave toreheat leftovers, see to it the food is evenly heated throughout.
“The moist heat that is created will help destroy harmful bacteria and will ensure uniform cooking.”
You cross-contaminate inside your microwave.
Many people still use their microwaves to defrost frozen meat.
This is awhole separate issue, but suffice it to say, we don’t recommend it.
There’s one leftover food that we supposedly shouldn’t be eating: potatoes.
You believe the myth that reheating cooked potatoes can produce botulism.
Keep seafood away from ready-to-eat foods and wash fruits and veggies with cool running water."
(See our guide for the proper way to wash produce).
At warmer temperatures, potatoesareparticularly prone to growingClostridium botulinum.
“But heating orreheating potatoesvia a microwave or any other rig cannot cause botulism,” Sims affirms.
