|
We all have leftover food in the refrigerator - but what to do with it? Our parents and grandparents made the most of all food.
It's fun to take cooked food from the refrigerator and add ingredients so you have something new and different to eat. Mix and match to make economic use of all the odds and ends that are leftover from previous meals or forgotten in the back of the fridge.
Give a second life to those leftovers with just a little imagination and a delicious recipe to make healthy, tasty meals.
Get creative and transform your daily meal or holiday leftovers into money-saving meals. Using favorite leftover recipes can cut your grocery bill down.
By using your leftovers, you aren't wasting food.
And best of all, you will spend less time in the kitchen. Bon Appétit!
Second Time Around: Ideas and Recipes For Leftovers
Leftover Food Safety
Storing Leftovers
- Keep all foods out of the danger zone, which is between 40º F and 140º F. Keep hot foods hot at 140º F or higher. Keep cold foods cold at 40º F or lower.
- Food should never be in the temperature danger zone for more than two hours. Chill and store leftovers properly within two hours of serving.
- Discard leftovers if the food has been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Before and after handling leftovers, wash your hands and sanitize all utensils, dishes, and work surfaces with a mild bleach solution (1 teaspoon bleach per 3 cups water).
- Never remove a large pot of food (such as soup, stew, or pasta sauce) from the stove and place it directly in the refrigerator. Divide into smaller portions in several airtight storage containers for quicker cooling.
- Always put leftovers in clean containers - never mix leftovers with fresh food.
- Refrigerate all leftovers promptly in uncovered, shallow containers so they cool quickly.
- Refrigerate once steaming stops and leave the lid slightly open until the food is cooled to refrigeration temperature.
- Do not overcrowd your refrigerator. Leave airspace around containers which allows circulation of cold air, to help rapid and even cooling.
- Very hot items can be cooled at room temperature until they stop steaming, prior to being refrigerated. Frequent stirring accelerates the cooling at this stage. Food will cool faster in an uncovered, shallow container.
- A good way to cool and store hot leftovers is to lay them flat in resealable clear plastic storage bags. Although the bags must be closed securely, food cools quickly due to the greater surface area exposed to the refrigerated air.
- Eat leftovers within four days for best quality or freeze for later use. Put the date and content on the airtight container for identification to ensure that they are not stored too long.
Reheating Leftovers
- Reheat solid leftovers to at least 165º F.
- Bring gravies, soups, and sauces to a full rolling boil and stir during the process.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions when reheating commercially prepared foods in a microwave.
- Discard uneaten leftovers after they have been reheated.
|
|
