Food Safety - How To Store And How Long To Keep Leftovers
- Make sure your freezer is set at 0°F and your refrigerator between 24°F and 40°F.
- After making a dish, divide out the food you want to store.
- o Cut smaller portions of the dish and place in shallow, air-tight containers.
- o Meat should be cut less than three inches thick. Items such as bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
- o Divide food into portions you can realistically see you or your family consuming at one given time.
- o It’s also a good idea to label your frozen goods. Just write the name of the dish and the date on a piece of tape with a permanent marker. Then you always know what’s in there!
- Properly portioning leftovers avoids unnecessary reheating and refrigerating of food; changes in temperature and the middle-ground between properly heated and properly chilled — between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C)— make food susceptible to spoiling and bacteria growth.
- Leftovers will keep up to four or five days in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer.
- Reheat leftovers thoroughly to a safe temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- If you are in doubt about the safety of the food you are about to eat, it is best to throw it away.
Article copyright © 2011 American Heart Association. This article is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Simple Cooking with Heart Program. For more articles and simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking.
