You CAN reheat rice! How to store and reheat your leftovers to avoid food poisoning
You should never leave food out of the fridge for more than two hours or you're asking for bacteria to grow
LEFTOVERS not only taste better the next day, they are also a great way to save money on lunch and eat healthier.
But the way you store and reheat your food could be promoting the growth of dangerous bacteria, putting your health at risk.
Luckily, this handy guide on how to store and reheat everything from meat to vegetables and even dairy, can help dodge a dodgy tum.
It reveals you should never store leftovers for more than three days - something most of us are probably guilty of.
When transferring your food from the dish you cooked it into a plastic container, make sure it's shallow so the food can cool quickly,
And never leave it out of the fridge for more than two hours or you're asking for bacteria to grow and multiply.
You shouldn't reheat food twice, so make sure you put the leftovers into individual portions you can reheat one at a time when you're ready to eat them.
And always stir the food during the reheating process to make sure it heats through thoroughly.
The foods you need to be EXTRA careful with
The rules for reheating food apply to all leftovers.
But there are some foods that can pose more of a risk than others.
1. Rice
You probably already know that rice comes with a food poisoning risk if you save your leftovers.
But the problem is actually with the way you store it, not the way you heat it, according to the NHS.
Uncooked rice can contain the bacteria bacillus cereus and it can survive even when the rice is cooked.
And they can even multiply and produce toxins that lead to food poisoning.
Rice should be served as soon as it's cooked and, if it's being left to chill, it needs to be cooled as quickly as possible.
You should keep it in the fridge for no more than a day and make sure it is piping hot the whole way through when you reheat it.
2. Chicken
We all know chicken can cause some nasty cases of food poisoning - after all, it needs to be cooked thoroughly the first time you cook it.
You should make sure the chicken is cooled to room temperature before it goes in the fridge, and it should be kept for no more than three days.
It also needs to be piping hot the whole way through before you can eat it.
3. Red meat
Leftover red meat is actually one you don't need to reheat, as long as it was cooked properly the first time.
But if you are reheating it you need to bring it up to room temperature before heating it again.
If you are reheating, make sure it is hot the whole way through.
4. Green veg
You'd be forgiven for thinking green veg can only ever be healthy, but the European Food Information Council has previously warned that reheating nitrate-rich spinach and other leafy vegetables can lead to the production of nitrosamines - a chemical linked to cancer.
But newer research has found that reheating green veg is safe and so is eating them cold if you fancy them in a salad.
5. Dairy
It's always a good idea to keep your cream, yoghurt or whatever other dairy product you buy in its original packaging.
But that doesn't always look good at dinner parties.
So if you have served it in a nice jug or something similar, leave the product in there and simply wrap it up tight with cling film before it goes back in the fridge.
MORE ON FOOD SAFETY
6. Canned food
Sometimes you only need to eat half of a can of corn or peas, but you shouldn't leave the rest in the can when you store it.
That's because metal from the rim can leach into the food and leave a metallic taste.
You should put it into a separate container and cover it before leaving in the fridge for up to three days.
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