How long do you keep leftovers?

[Hellkat]

In our home, I have the testosterone factor...they see it, they eat it.....its gone. I used to be alot better at freezing extras from a meal, I cook in bulk, grew up that way.....I have started getting back into the habit of freezing in bulk once again, I see the writing on the wall all around and heck I love my foodsaver and freezer!

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by simpleyme

it seems real obvious to me that you are very disorganized and need some meal planning

I'm a hopeless type A personality. Organization is a real strain for me. I've been described as a "rat in a cage". I'm constantly on the go doing this or that. My desk is a stack of papers(but I know where everything's at...er,uh usually). For me to plan as you suggest would require hiring professional help.

Alright, seriously, I know I could plan this stuff better but I really don't have issues with eating most week old food( Pasta and rice excluded). My SO thinks I'm a little crazy but so be it. I do make meals from some of these leftovers and not much goes to waste. Btw, I've never so much as had a mild case of food poisoning to self, children or any others that have enjoyed a 5 day old meatloaf

[bqmother]

Originally Posted by GREENBACK

.

So how long do you feel leftovers should be kept?

Depends - I may keep tomato-based sauces as long as a week, but mostly, if I can't use leftovers right away, I'll put them in the freezer. Almost anything is good frozen for at least a month.

[whitestripe]

i have to agree with simplyme, her fridge would be the spitting image of ours. which is probably why i can't fathom eating leftovers at 10 days old - because i doubt it would ever get to that stage anyway. DF is always keen to take whatever is left over for his lunch the next day - otherwise it would involve making his lunch in the morning! (he gets up at 4.30am).

maybe you could try putting leftovers in the freezer for a week or two and see how it goes.

[GREENBACK]

We've done the freezer thing in the past. It has worked ok if things are labeled and prioritized. That's the problem! I would rather throw it away out of the fridge in a week or two versus it getting lost in the freezer for a year or two and throwing it out then. I process a lot of meat myself and really hate a cluttered freezer(s) that eats up useful space.

I do eat a lot of things for lunch from the leftovers but my work schedule is somewhat unpredictable so I may go a week eating out(unavoidable )and the food is still there. On the other hand, at times I may be working close to home or at home which makes things easier. I don't have a regular "9 to 5" schedule that would make using leftovers a bit easier.

[mtsen]

ha ha, nice thread.

I personally do not enforce any number of days. Any leftover needs to be chilled or warmed up before storing over night. If once I forgot to do that, most probably it will go bad the next day.

On the other hand, chinese famous dishes is well known to have certain special pot that has been cooking for 10-20 years by keep on adding stuff to it, but its the same pot cooking over the years ....

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

We often don't even wait until lunch time the next day to eat leftovers from the previous evening. We will eat leftovers even for breakfast. My "breakfast foods" category excludes nothing.

Right now I have a family size pot of chili on the stove though there are only two of us. We will most likely eat chili every meal until it is gone. Some meals I might have carrot sticks, salad, or cooked spinach on the side, or perhaps serve it over spaghetti squash or corn bread. But basically, it'll be chili meals until it is gone.

Mtsen, the concept of the never-ending pot is how some USAmericans make cassoulet (bean dish).

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch

Right now I have a family size pot of chili on the stove though there are only two of us. We will most likely eat chili every meal until it is gone. Some meals I might have carrot sticks, salad, or cooked spinach on the side, or perhaps serve it over spaghetti squash or corn bread. But basically, it'll be chili meals until it is gone.

Lol...I made a large pot of chili yesterday and am about to have this for lunch. I'll likely freeze the rest in small containers afterwards. Chili can be easily thawed in the microwave and the taste is the same. I love good Chili but I don't want it for every meal, though I have done that in the past.


It's way better than Ramen noodles for every meal....believe me!

[Miss Curly]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I'm a look and smell person too! LOL. I do tend to cook a lot of things with an acid base and I think that helps preserve it. Like someone else mentioned tomatoes...

I know all the facts with bacteria, etc (we call them bugs because DH used to work with 'em all the time), but I think it depends on what you've been doing all your life. Your body builds up immunity to whatever you deal with. It's likely that your SO would get sick from things that your immune system is prepared for.

I also NEVER throw away buttermilk or yogurt despite the expiration date.

[marvholly]

I do NOT throw out food I have bought and spent the time and energy cooking. I bought a pkg of 6 chicken forequarters (some sites have a problem w/the B word) and cooked them on Sunday. Ate Mon, Wed and will use one for fajutas today. Other 3 hit the freezer today. I may go a bit longer with beef (steaks, roasts)& pork (chops, country ribs, roasts) but not ground stuff-that is cooked & used quite quickly.

For the poster who talked about grams pot of.....on the stove for MANY days you might realize this stuff was constantly being heated completly.

[GREENBACK]

I fully realize it was throughly reheated before being served. I'm sure a fair amount of bacteria developed while this food sat on the stove and I'm just as sure the cooking process killed most or all of it. I don't recall anyone getting sick from any of it.

This was a time and place where wasting any food was completely unacceptable and it was a common practice in the community.

[Inkstain82]

In my house, I don't think a limit of more than two days would ever be tested. Leftovers never last that long.

[PinkLantern893]

Originally Posted by zakity

I have a four day/five day rule. It is either eaten or frozen on day four. Sometimes, my life sucks and it is day five before I can toss it in the freezer.

Agreed. I try and stick to four-five days or I just toss it. Anything with heavy dairy though...I get pretty worried even after two days.

[Saving_spree]

I keep it for a max of 3 days... I try not to eat leftovers except in un-avoidable situations....

[cjscully]

I realize I'm "reviving" an old thread here but the title intrigued me and the posts in the thread almost forced me to write this.

First I'll answer the original question posed. I keep leftovers until they go bad. I trust my eyes and my nose to tell me when that is. A set number of days is not part of the equation at all. If something looks bad or smells bad (or both) it gets tossed. Otherwise I don't have any problem eating it.

I do all the cooking in my house and I cook enough to ensure I have leftovers. Leftovers can save you money.

[scfr]

Unless it has lots of a preservative like vinegar, 2-3 days max. We don't make more than enough for 2 meals, and I'd eat the same thing at every meal rather than keep it around too long.

[justinblake]

It always depends what it is. When it is pasta, I always have a four-hour rule. After four hours, pasta shouldn't be eaten. Unless, of course, if you refrigerate it before that time expires. I am a bit paranoid because we have experienced some sort of food poisoning in the family due to pasta gone bad.

I also think that it depends on how hot or cold it is where you are. I have lived in the tropics, and food there -- like cooked meat -- always don't last long because of the heat.

[AmberLeigh]

Here's an alternative to your leftovers...

Find another couple (work/social circle) to pair up with.
So when you cook you go ahead and each of you package up leftovers and swap.
Most things taste as good or better the next day, and saves you a day of cooking, and one's leftovers is another person's meal.

Just an idea... no wasting.

[mike95910]

lol i like the comment amber. Um how about cutting your ingredient amounts in half then there will be no leftovers

[Frugal]

I agree. I grew up with family and now my spouse that throw away food after 2-4 days. Usually, after no more than three. People don't realize that it depends upon the food. Meat can lose its color and flavor both before and after cooking if it is too old, or sits out too long. With meat, you of course have to worry more about bacteria.

I discovered the other day I had been using liquid dairy creamer for coffee that expired just over a month ago, and it never once made me sick or feel bad. It depends upon the item, and how many preservatives are in it.