How long do you keep leftovers?

lporter229

Do you have rules for how long you keep leftovers in the fridge? If they contain meat? dairy? rice? vegan?

mommazach

7 days tops

JeromeBarry1

Fridge for short term. Freeze for longer term.

selina884

2 days maximum

Nuke_64

Until they don't look or smell good.

ValerieMartini2Olives

1-2 days but I typically don't make enough food that requires leftovers.

yesimpson

Depends what it is, and how it looks and smells. I try and eat it up the next day or two, but maybe I'd leave it for 3 days tops?

CurlyCockney

I'll keep most things until the next day. The only exception for me is rice, which I dispose of straight away because I don't like to put hot food into my fridge and rice can be risky if it's allowed to cool down naturally.

AmazonMayan

When I was young I remember food safety lessons in school. 3 days max for meat items and really anything else that has been handled a lot like fresh cut fruit and veggies and cooked dishes. I often have veg and fruit longer than that if it hasn't been cut or mixed with anything else.

Watch enough shows on bacteria and food handling and you won't want food past a couple days leftover lol. I don't know how people stomach doing an entire week of fresh foods (not put in freezer) prep without having texture issues (food starts breaking down) and things growing in it.

Lounmoun

About 4 days in the refrigerator and longer in the freezer.
http://www.stilltasty.com/

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Until they start to smell and I toss them. Seriously, I almost always have leftovers but unless I specifically pack it for lunch the next day they tend to become forgotten.

lporter229

Lounmoun wrote: »

About 4 days in the refrigerator and longer in the freezer.
http://www.stilltasty.com/

Thanks for that link! Very helpful.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I usually freeze or toss any meat after 3 days, but I made some really delicious ground lamb meatballs last Thursday. I was going to freeze the left overs yesterday, but I wanted them for lunch today and decided to just leave them out. Then I got a little nervous. I just ate them and they were still very tasty. So far so good!

Rocknut53

Depends on where they get stuffed to in the fridge, sometimes they don't get thrown out until they look like a science experiment. Mostly just 2-3 days at most.

Michael190lbs

I do beef patties and chicken cooked every Sunday if there is anything left the following Saturday I throw it out but that rarely happens. I say 7 days in the fridge sealed.

janejellyroll

I eat leftovers for breakfast and lunch on subsequent days so I almost never run into this issue. But if I haven't eaten it in a week, I'm tossing it.

valente347

Nuke_64 wrote: »

Until they don't look or smell good.

This is my MO. Definitely not recommended by the USDA, but I also taste my hamburgers for seasoning before I cook them

Francl27

4 days here too, typically.

Exception being things like pre-cooked ham or other things that had an expiration date of 2 months when I bought them anyway.

1Nana2many

According to the Mayo Clinic: Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately.

DanyellMcGinnis

Three days. (I'm a vegetarian.) Any longer than that and I start not feeling so well after I eat it (regardless of whether it still looks good or not). But it may be my upbringing in the American Midwest. I have a friend who grew up in Lagos and she can keep (and eat) leftovers for a lot longer than I am able to.

Also, I NEVER take leftovers from a potluck. That just seems to me like it is a GI issue waiting to happen.

DaisyHamilton

I read somewhere that the USDA suggests 4 days but I do mine about 3. 4 day old food just sounds gross to me.

SueSueDio

The stilltasty site is a handy reference!

For me, it depends on what it is but not usually more than 3-4 days. Some things I have kept for longer, though! There's a recipe I got from these forums (Texas Rice & Beef) that claims it keeps well for 10 days - I've certainly had it for 7 and it's been fine, but usually I'll freeze the leftovers if I'm not going to use them in the next couple of days or so.

Otherwise, I too end up with science experiments in the fridge. Especially if it gets pushed to the back and I forget about it...

"I have created life!!!"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPJ1Wuj5l44

CrabNebula

Until I decide it is done. Usually about a week in the fridge, but I try to freeze before then if it isn't going to be eaten. However, we are pretty good about eating most leftovers.

suzan06

Stuff like tomato sauce is acidic and can go a few weeks. Soup always seems fine for a week. Plain grains (pasta, rice) have never spoiled before a week for me. Just kind of depends on if it looks/smells OK.