Knowledge Base > Eric Wynkoop - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)
Eric Wynkoop - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)
This event was on
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 11:00 am Pacific, 2:00 pm Eastern
Join Chef Eric Wynkoop in his virtual office as he welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to Ask Anything – from cooking techniques to co… Read More.
Question:
How long can leftover food be stored?
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Answer:
You know, the general guideline is about a week. So let's call it five to seven days, right? As a place to start. And it really depends on a number of variables too. And number one is the food item itself. Um, some things, uh, will last longer than other things. Um, also it'll depend on how that food item has been handled before going into the refrigerator. So, for example, if it's been, uh, in the, so-called Temperature Danger Zone, uh, which is 41 degrees to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. So think of it basically as ambient temperature, you know, in your, in your house, in your office, um, at your picnic, um, wherever you happen to be, um, outside of the refrigerator, um, that's gonna be, uh, falling into the temperature danger zone. And what that name implies is that that condition is warm enough that, um, um, microorganisms are encouraged to grow. And if they're on the food, they have a food source. And if the food source is moist, then they have the all important, um, water, uh, or water activity level, uh, that will all come together and encourage the growth of the microorganisms. And the, the most common issue is, or, or microorganism, is gonna be spoilage bacteria. And, uh, so you know, what we would see if these food items are left on the table or on the kitchen counter for, you know, some, uh, period of time is that the spoilage bacteria will multiply before it goes into the refrigerator. And in the refrigerator. The growth slows down, but it does not stop. So that will contribute to a shorter shelf life in the refrigerator. Okay? Um, and so, you know, those are, you know, some contextual, uh, issues to keep in mind as you think about the shelf life of a particular food item. And, you know, as you, uh, put something in the fridge and maybe you go to, to grab it again a couple of days later, um, inspect it, you know, using all of your senses, of course, visually, uh, look for any, uh, changes that, um, might be suspicious. It could be, you know, some sort of a, a bloom, uh, that would be white in color. Anything that's green or blue is, is sometimes more obvious change to us that, uh, equals mold of some sort. Um, also texturally, uh, things will become slimy or sticky on the surface with, uh, excessive, um, bacterial growth. Uh, of course there's smell that changes and, um, uh, you know, ultimately, um, I tell my students to, um, to taste it. And you don't have to grab a big spoonful and gobble it down, but, uh, you can taste a little bit if you're not sure if, if the other, um, sensory tests didn't yield any change. But you're still kind of wondering, just give a little taste and, um, you know, you don't have to swallow it. Uh, you can always expel that, uh, that food sample. But, uh, then you can start to pick up, uh, any changes. And, uh, you know, uh, an obvious one is that the bacteria will feed on sugars. And so foods will start to develop, um, bitterness and, uh, these off flavors that are farther away from the sweet end of the spectrum. Okay? And, uh, so, uh, approach your food in that manner. Um, uh, keeping in mind that there's potentially a wide range, um, of, of acceptability. Okay? Other thing to keep in mind is that as food sits around and it ages, no matter what the food is, whether it's in your dry pantry, whether it's in the refrigerator, or whether it's in the freezer, it will go through a decline over time. And that means that where you pick up that food and, and consider consuming it, um, is gonna be up to you in terms of, of what you tolerate. Okay? Some people that might have a very sensitive nose or palette, you know, they might find that food just as it's, you know, um, not too far on the decline. Uh, it's gotta be pitched. Other people might be more tolerant. And, uh, that's just gonna be up to you okay. To, to pick that up.