Food Safety: How to Store and How Long to Keep Leftovers
- Make sure your freezer is set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and your refrigerator is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- After making a dish, divide the food you want to store.
- Cut smaller portions of the dish and place in airtight containers.
- Cut meat into pieces that can be frozen and reheated safely. Items such as bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
- Divide food into portions you can realistically see you or your family consuming at one given time.
- It’s also a good idea to label your frozen goods. 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!
- Cut smaller portions of the dish and place in airtight containers.
- 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 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) — make food susceptible to spoiling and bacteria growth. Food should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours — less than one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Leftovers will keep on average three to four days in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer.
- Reheat leftovers thoroughly to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
- If you are in doubt about the safety of the food you are about to eat, it is best to throw it away.
