I don't like to reheat if I can avoid it, so if I have leftovers from a meal, I'll leave it out for a couple hours and then eat it.
How long can I leave different types of food out? I imagine also I should cover it in seran wrap or something. What's the best way to cover the food?
2007-02-01 19:53:08 · 8 answers · asked by burritohat 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Bread and other "dry" foods you can leave out, Cooked meats and other "wet" foods an hour or two at most. The critical thing is the temperature. From 40 degrees F to about 165degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal bacterial growth temperature range. So the best thing to do with hot food is either keep it hot (165+) or cool it down quickly to below 40. The leftover pizza thing...well, you luck out sometimes, pizza is largely bread, tomato sauce is fairly acidic, and the processed meats like pepperoni, salami, ham, bacon, tend to have nitrites, nitrates and salt, all of which also can cut down on bacterial growth. Good luck!
2007-02-01 20:15:28 · answer #1 · answered by itslikenoonatnight 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a really generalized question. Different foods, different methods.
More than a few hours is probably too long, especially since you don't want to use the refrigerator.
I suspect aluminum foil is your best bet, since it retains the heat.
Or better yet (maybe), stick it back into the oven. What I mean by that is this... Food was cooked in the oven. The oven is still slightly warm after you finish eating and have leftovers. Put the leftovers in the still-warm oven and they will be sort of warm when you take them back out to eat them.
I don't know that saran wrap would help, unless you're trying to keep bugs/people out or something.
God bless.
2007-02-01 19:58:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bad idea.Best policy is to put it all away right after you are thru eating it to avoid food poisoning. Having the irritation of having to reheat it is a small price to pay to avoid the discomfort of food poisoning.Cover with seran wrap b4 you put it away & then you can reheat it on the plate.You don't want to use foil on it because the reason you put it in the fridge is to cool it down as fast as possible.
2007-02-01 20:14:02 · answer #3 · answered by bruceallmighty20030000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rule of thumb I beleive is three hours. That is how long it is before bacteria start to gro unless kept above or below a certain temperature. I would be more careful with meats though. i remember leaving pizza out all night and eating it the next day and I am still fine.
2007-02-01 19:57:38 · answer #4 · answered by Rick R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really shouldn't leave food out on the counter for too long. It's the perfect temperature for bacteria to grow.
If it's just cooked, leave it out long enough for it to cool down before you put it in your fridge. Yes, do cover it.
Some things obviously have a longer shelf-life, and can be left out on the counter for longer. Say you forgot to put away a bowl of cooked rice for a few hours... that won't kill ya. But meat/chicken/fish... put it in the cold right away.
2007-02-01 19:58:09 · answer #5 · answered by catwomanmeeeeow 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should not leave prepared food of any kind out for more than an hour or so, or you run the risk of bacterial contamination, as well as attracting bugs.
2007-02-01 19:58:35 · answer #6 · answered by Vakari 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this depends on your requirement you see some poltitions are
living more days with out any food at the time of strike
2007-02-01 20:07:46 · answer #7 · answered by ramesh l 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can use this plastic coveres know as "cover upz"
2007-02-01 20:01:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋