Keep food properly stored in the refrigerator.
Leftovers for lunch may not be the most appealing choice for more than the obvious reason, according to food safety expert Morton Satin. In "Food Alert! The Ultimate Sourcebook for Food Safety," Satin noted that 30 to 50 percent of households do not know how cool cooked foods to store them properly in the refrigerator, 20 percent keep their refrigerator temperatures too high, and 40 percent do not store leftover foods in proper containers. Improper storage for hot or cold foods can lead to food-borne illnesses including botulism and salmonella. Learn some basic skills for storing food items in your refrigerator to avoid getting sick. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Install a refrigerator thermometer on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Make sure it stays close to the refrigerator door. Maintain the temperature of your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for safe food storage.
2. Place hot foods directly into the refrigerator once they have cooled enough to no longer produce steam or within two hours of cooking. Place containers of hot food in ice or an ice water bath to cool the foods if you need to place the hot food into the refrigerator immediately. Foods must cool from 140 F to 90 F within two hours and down to 40 F after six hours of refrigerator.
3. Divide large quantities of hot foods into smaller portions and transfer them into small, shallow, airtight containers. Place the containers on the top shelves of the refrigerator above any raw foods. This prevents raw food juices from dripping onto the cooked foods and contaminating them.
4. Keep lunch meats in the meat drawer of the refrigerator unopened for up to two weeks and for three to five days once opened. Store sliced lunch cheeses for up to two weeks.
5. Store cooked meats and poultry in the refrigerator for three to four days, cooked stews and rice for two to four days, cooked vegetables and soups for one to three days. Other foods, such as cooked ham can store in the refrigerator for three to seven days. Use airtight containers, plastic wrap, plastic bags, foil or plastic wrap when storing foods.
Tags: airtight containers, cooked foods, days cooked, four days, four days cooked, into refrigerator, Place containers