I'm scared of "fridge food"!

canadacatman

I need someone to help me get over "fridge food". I mean cooking in bulk for 2 days at a time. I will not eat meat past 1 day in fridge. I find it too hard cooking for 3 of us our 3 meals every night. Would be much easier if I could cook for 2 days. But for some reason I will not eat meat after in fridge in one day. I see people cook for the week on Sunday and the first think I think is meat will be bad way before that. How long do you all keep meat in the fridge for.

Also how long do you all keep uncooked meat in your fridge.

Thanks

nicsflyingcircus

Meat, cooked then refrigerated, I eat for a good 4-5 days. It in no way goes bad overnight.

neanderthin

Well, more than 1 day I'm afraid.

canadacatman

4 or 5 days really wow.

lemurcat12

Meat, cooked then refrigerated, I eat for a good 4-5 days. It in no way goes bad overnight.

Same.

Unknown

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HeidiCooksSupper

You can also freeze things to keep them longer.

Here's some info that might help you make reasoned decisions: http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/meatinrefrig.html

JazzFischer1989

Do you cook for anyone other than yourself? If not, what's the point of cooking in bulk if you won't eat it past a day? I guess you could get used to preparing meals everyday.

canadacatman

I cook for 3 people. thx

alfiedn

I eat mostly veggies, but I will cook everything over the weekend and eat it all week. I find that food doesn't go bad quickly most if the time. If it does, you know it!

If you are as nervous as you seem to be, you can definitely freeze a bunch of meals in individual or family portions and eat them over a very long period of time. Chili keeps great in the freezer. I've also heard you can freeze rice easily, but if haven't tried that.

Francl27

3-4 days here. But I don't understand how people can cook for a week... there's no way it would still be fresh on Friday, IMO. But you could look into making 'freezer meals' or something.

chadya07

you do realize, that meat can sit in a grocers fridge for a couple weeks before you even buy it. i bought a package of chicken the other day with a sell by date of a week from the day i bought it...

once you cook meat it kills a lot of germs, then you just have to properly store it. wait until it cools before you store it in an air tight container.

but if you are really worried freeze your meals, deforst and reheat.

or cook all but the meat in advance.

beef tastes best aged, and you will find at the best steakhouses aged beef is the best and most expensive.

you may be afraid of it, but its unfounded fear if you properly store your food.

i do tend to freeze more than refridgerate advance meals though, because i never know when they will get used.

IrisFlute

I lived with zero refrigeration for 8 years, and even now I live far enough from stores that I can only shop every couple weeks. Food doesn't go bad nearly as fast as you're led to believe.

Uncooked meat can be frozen, of course. Depending on its "sell by" date, it can also be kept for a time in the fridge: raw fish needs to be cooked in about 24 hours, raw chicken in about three days, and raw beef in about five days. Raw eggs don't generally need refrigeration at all unless they're really old when you get them or the weather is very hot. The mainstream advice would have you believe that eggs become poison bombs within hours, but I've been a poultry farmer and can attest to the fact that eggs don't actually spoil very quickly. In much of Europe, fresh eggs aren't refrigerated at all.

Cooked meat lasts for a long time -- easily 5 days, refrigerated -- but starts to lose flavor and be kind of droopy toward the end of that time. It can also be kept by putting it in a broth and bringing it to a hard boil for 10 minutes a day. That's how you keep it when you don't have refrigeration at all.

Food paranoia has reached extreme proportions. I raised and fed a family using these very minimum precautions -- basically just avoiding foods that looked or smelled nasty. None of us ever got food poisoning.

ekat120

Meat, cooked then refrigerated, I eat for a good 4-5 days. It in no way goes bad overnight.

Same.

Me, too. I've found 5 days to be a safe upper ceiling. Uncooked, I go by the package date.

I also think that people are pretty good at telling something's bad when they pay attention. If we couldn't, we probably wouldn't have made it very far as a species. I usually trust my nose. Does it smell bad or "off"?

SomeNights246

UNcooked meat, not very long in the fridge. A day or two until I cook it.
Cooked meat, yeah 4-5 days to a week, as long as it's in a sealed container.
Honestly I think a lot of people are pretty paranoid for no reason about food going bad.

Me, too.

I don't think about it much. If it looks or smells bad, I won't touch it.

I have been known to drink milk up to a week past the date on the jug.. because it smelled and looked perfectly fine.

I refrigerate cooked meat for about 4-5 days before I toss it. As long as it's sealed.

Uncooked, not as long. But that's why I keep it frozen.

SomeNights246

I lived with zero refrigeration for 8 years, and even now I live far enough from stores that I can only shop every couple weeks. Food doesn't go bad nearly as fast as you're led to believe.

Uncooked meat can be frozen, of course. Depending on its "sell by" date, it can also be kept for a time in the fridge: raw fish needs to be cooked in about 24 hours, raw chicken in about three days, and raw beef in about five days. Raw eggs don't generally need refrigeration at all unless they're really old when you get them or the weather is very hot. The mainstream advice would have you believe that eggs become poison bombs within hours, but I've been a poultry farmer and can attest to the fact that eggs don't actually spoil very quickly. In much of Europe, fresh eggs aren't refrigerated at all.

Cooked meat lasts for a long time -- easily 5 days, refrigerated -- but starts to lose flavor and be kind of droopy toward the end of that time. It can also be kept by putting it in a broth and bringing it to a hard boil for 10 minutes a day. That's how you keep it when you don't have refrigeration at all.

Food paranoia has reached extreme proportions. I raised and fed a family using these very minimum precautions -- basically just avoiding foods that looked or smelled nasty. None of us ever got food poisoning.

My sister recently started keeping chickens. She did a lot of research, too. She told me about the egg thing. I had always known they could be kept out of the fridge for some time. I never realized how long. Pretty interesting.

Most of the worry about things being ticking time bombs.. is just paranoia, I think.

Velum_cado

Raw eggs don't generally need refrigeration at all unless they're really old when you get them or the weather is very hot. The mainstream advice would have you believe that eggs become poison bombs within hours, but I've been a poultry farmer and can attest to the fact that eggs don't actually spoil very quickly. In much of Europe, fresh eggs aren't refrigerated at all.

Fresh eggs in Europe aren't produced and treated the same way American eggs are. If your eggs are chilled when you buy them, you need to keep them in the fridge.

http://www.businessinsider.com/should-you-refrigerate-eggs-2014-7

"After an egg is refrigerated egg, it must be kept at that temperature. "A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the growth of bacteria that could contaminate the egg," according to the United Egg Producers association. "Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than two hours."

2essie

Just use your nose and your eyes.

Hammybone

Just use your nose and your eyes.

I eat things until they look/smell spoiled.
Which depends on the item.

I can't recall ever having food poisoning.

mockchoc

This is quite good if you eat rice. 2 hours at room temperature before it's not safe!

http://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/71

JenniDaisy

I've been ill from eating stuff twice in my entire life, both times they items smelled/tasted funny and I ate them anyway.

If it helps, ACTUAL food poisoning cases are rare and mostly caused by dirty vegetables, not meat or eggs.

HeidiMightyRawr

You do know that that meat stays in the fridge for a while at the shop before you by it, right? It doesn't just get thrown out if nobody buys it, that's why they have sell by dates.

My uncooked meat, if the pack is unopened, stays in there until it gets eaten or maybe a day past it's sell by. For most this is less than a week, but other things like bacon can last weeks (if unopened of course) After opening I try to eat it within 3 days regardless of the date. I have a butcher for a boyfriend and he goes on about food hygiene if it's left longer than that.

As far as cooked food goes, maybe one day. Although I don't cook in bulk so I've never really tested out the length of time I can keep that in there for.

Chezzie84

Why don't you freeze things??

SunnyDuckling

UNcooked meat, not very long in the fridge. A day or two until I cook it.
Cooked meat, yeah 4-5 days to a week, as long as it's in a sealed container.
Honestly I think a lot of people are pretty paranoid for no reason about food going bad.

Me, too.

I don't think about it much. If it looks or smells bad, I won't touch it.

I have been known to drink milk up to a week past the date on the jug.. because it smelled and looked perfectly fine.

I refrigerate cooked meat for about 4-5 days before I toss it. As long as it's sealed.

Uncooked, not as long. But that's why I keep it frozen.

Oh thank goodness someone else admits to the milk thing!!

I agree completely with the milk - if it looks and smells fine, then it's fine to consume. I get a lot of judgement from work colleagues on that.

On the other hand, I probably sneer at them somewhat when there's three days to go on the milk expiry and they won't touch it, even though it's been opened only that morning.

Takes all types to make the world go round right?

OP: uncooked meat 1-2 days. Cooked food/meat 4-5days. I bulk make food all the time b/c it's just me. I freeze pretty much everything.

ElkeKNJ

I ask the butcher how long it keeps, whether I can still freeze the meat, etc... and trust their advice.
Usually they tell me to proces of freeze the minced meat immediately.

mockchoc

UNcooked meat, not very long in the fridge. A day or two until I cook it.
Cooked meat, yeah 4-5 days to a week, as long as it's in a sealed container.
Honestly I think a lot of people are pretty paranoid for no reason about food going bad.

Me, too.

I don't think about it much. If it looks or smells bad, I won't touch it.

I have been known to drink milk up to a week past the date on the jug.. because it smelled and looked perfectly fine.

I refrigerate cooked meat for about 4-5 days before I toss it. As long as it's sealed.

Uncooked, not as long. But that's why I keep it frozen.

Oh thank goodness someone else admits to the milk thing!!

I agree completely with the milk - if it looks and smells fine, then it's fine to consume. I get a lot of judgement from work colleagues on that.

On the other hand, I probably sneer at them somewhat when there's three days to go on the milk expiry and they won't touch it, even though it's been opened only that morning.

Takes all types to make the world go round right?

OP: uncooked meat 1-2 days. Cooked food/meat 4-5days. I bulk make food all the time b/c it's just me. I freeze pretty much everything.

Totally agree. Milk is fine if tastes and smell good. That is an easy one.

Missjulesdid

The colder you keep your fridge the longer things will stay fresh. I like to keep my fridge on the cold side. I keep a thermometer in it to make sure the setting is right and temp is 35 degrees. A too warm refrigerator and things will spoil much more quickly. When my fridge is set at 35 degrees, I will eat left overs for four three days. So cook on sunday, and I'll eat the food monday, tuesday and wednesday. Currently I'm living in Tunisia and borrowing a crappy fridge from my in-laws I don't have a thermometer but I know the fridge is not nearly cold enough. I will eat left overs the next day but not beyond that. Even milk needs to be drunk within two or three days of opening. I can't stress enough how important fridge temperature is!!!

nicsflyingcircus

UNcooked meat, not very long in the fridge. A day or two until I cook it.
Cooked meat, yeah 4-5 days to a week, as long as it's in a sealed container.
Honestly I think a lot of people are pretty paranoid for no reason about food going bad.

Me, too.

I don't think about it much. If it looks or smells bad, I won't touch it.

I have been known to drink milk up to a week past the date on the jug.. because it smelled and looked perfectly fine.

I refrigerate cooked meat for about 4-5 days before I toss it. As long as it's sealed.

Uncooked, not as long. But that's why I keep it frozen.

Oh thank goodness someone else admits to the milk thing!!

I agree completely with the milk - if it looks and smells fine, then it's fine to consume. I get a lot of judgement from work colleagues on that.

On the other hand, I probably sneer at them somewhat when there's three days to go on the milk expiry and they won't touch it, even though it's been opened only that morning.

Takes all types to make the world go round right?

OP: uncooked meat 1-2 days. Cooked food/meat 4-5days. I bulk make food all the time b/c it's just me. I freeze pretty much everything.

^This. In my house, milk/yogurt/sour cream/bread all get consumed past the sell by date so long as they don't smell funky. You can tell by look/scent when dairy in particular goes bad. Same for meat. If it's bad, you can tell. As for cheese, it doesn't last long enough for this to happen, but I'll just cut off moldy bits and eat the rest.

FindingAmy77

Meat, cooked then refrigerated, I eat for a good 4-5 days. It in no way goes bad overnight.

yep. also you could put what you make in the freezer if you wont use it the next day then take it out the day you plan to use it. I do this a lot if I ever have leftovers. its as fresh as the day you put it in as long as you eat within the month or so.

Slinky_BraveHeartBunsOfSteel

Uncooked: until its use-by date (sometimes a day or 2 over, if it looks and smells OK- but NOT chicken)
Cooked: 3 days (after that, I'd freeze it)

JoRocka

UNcooked meat, not very long in the fridge. A day or two until I cook it.
Cooked meat, yeah 4-5 days to a week, as long as it's in a sealed container.
Honestly I think a lot of people are pretty paranoid for no reason about food going bad.

Me, too.

I don't think about it much. If it looks or smells bad, I won't touch it.

I have been known to drink milk up to a week past the date on the jug.. because it smelled and looked perfectly fine.

I refrigerate cooked meat for about 4-5 days before I toss it. As long as it's sealed.

Uncooked, not as long. But that's why I keep it frozen.

Oh thank goodness someone else admits to the milk thing!!

I agree completely with the milk - if it looks and smells fine, then it's fine to consume. I get a lot of judgement from work colleagues on that.

On the other hand, I probably sneer at them somewhat when there's three days to go on the milk expiry and they won't touch it, even though it's been opened only that morning.

Takes all types to make the world go round right?

OP: uncooked meat 1-2 days. Cooked food/meat 4-5days. I bulk make food all the time b/c it's just me. I freeze pretty much everything.

My co-worker is a bio/chemist type- we leave stuff out ALL the time- and he laughs b/c one lady is paranoid about it- cream cheese- gets left out all the time- and he says it's 100% fine.

Same with yogurt- b/c well it's already fermenting- if you leave it out- it's just fermenting faster that's all. But it's not going to kill you if you leave it out and then eat it.

But I don't even check milk dates really- I sniff test test first to get a feel- if I check the date I mentally wig myself out- as long as it smells fine- usually you're fine.

As for me- I cook in bulk on Sunday- I usually eat the same thing for lunch/dinner so I can clear my fridge of that food by Wed dinner or Thurs lunch- if I've got so much I'm not going to make it- by Thursday I freeze it.