How long do you keep leftovers?

Caveat: we are vegetarian so I'm really talking about non-meat/fish/fowl items, but everyone else may be interested in branching out!

When I make food at home, I generally have leftovers.  DH and I very rarely eat the entire dish of whatever it is I've made.  Consequently I often have remaining food that I chuck in the fridge which I try to make sure we eat within a day or two.  However, that doesn't always happen.  For instance, right now I have some cooked beets that I made on Sunday that are still sitting in my fridge.     I'm wondering how long most people would store leftover, homemade food.  Obviously we don't eat anything that smells off or has visible signs of badness.  I guess because I don't have the worries that go along with meat, etc., I'm not terribly bothered about eating stuff that's been in the fridge for a while.  But I'm still thinking if it's been longer than 4 days, it should be pitched.

Thoughts?

I'm scrupulous about meat and fish, but veg, pulses and the like I'm more laid back about. If it smells OK (I have a VERY good sense of smell) and tastes OK, then I'll give leftovers a few days grace if they've been fridged.

Rice, however, is another matter. Rice has to be refrigerated straight away and I'll bin it after 2 days.

I think 4-5 days on veg is about my max. If it's curried for some reason I feel like that's helped preserve it a bit! If it's not, I usually go less. For example, we have some dal curry in the fridge right now that is about 4 days old and I know Mom will eat it tomorrow or bin it.

Veggie stuff, probably about 4-6 days. Some things I know I have kept longer. Meat dishes, sometimes maybe 4 days. I'm sure I've probably gone longer. I figure if it gets heated long and hot, I'll be ok.

Rice - I had heard ages ago that rice should never be reheated but tell that to the Burmese. Most do not have ice boxes and usually make a huge pot of rice in the morning. My wife and her family cook rice in the morning and leave in the pot all day (unheated) and scoop from the pot throughout the day and reheat it as necessary. And in the morning, if any is left over they will eat it. They don't have an ice box.

I used to always treat rice the same as other staples, then there was this revelation and I stopped keeping rice but then I went to Burma and now I do keep rice and will eat it the next day too. Never experienced any problems. Now between the experience of dw's rice habits and the fact that rice pudding is kept and reheated, I can't find fault with it. But how dangerous is reheating rice? Is it still consider a no-no? How dangerous is not refridgerating rice?

The rice thing has been discussed here before.  It seems like only the UK really has a big thing about reheating rice.  It can be dangerous, but only very rarely.  Rice is cheap though, so I'd rather just make some more of it.

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/keepingfoodsafe/asksamcooking/

Second question on the page.

thanks bookgrl

rice is cheap? Tell that to my wife. LOL

I'm a huge fan of this site: http://stilltasty.com/

It probably leans a bit on the conservative side, but it's a great reference tool.

I usually will eat things within a week OR I'll freeze them so I don't have to have the same thing over and over.  I find freezing things works out better for us because then Tim can pull something out to take for Lunch.  He actually found Pork & Sauerkraut buried in the back of the freezer a few weeks ago from last January! He ate it, and said it still tasted fine!

Veggie stuff, probably about 4-6 days. Some things I know I have kept longer. Meat dishes, sometimes maybe 4 days. I'm sure I've probably gone longer. I figure if it gets heated long and hot, I'll be ok.

Rice - I had heard ages ago that rice should never be reheated but tell that to the Burmese. Most do not have ice boxes and usually make a huge pot of rice in the morning. My wife and her family cook rice in the morning and leave in the pot all day (unheated) and scoop from the pot throughout the day and reheat it as necessary. And in the morning, if any is left over they will eat it. They don't have an ice box.

I used to always treat rice the same as other staples, then there was this revelation and I stopped keeping rice but then I went to Burma and now I do keep rice and will eat it the next day too. Never experienced any problems. Now between the experience of dw's rice habits and the fact that rice pudding is kept and reheated, I can't find fault with it. But how dangerous is reheating rice? Is it still consider a no-no? How dangerous is not refridgerating rice?

Reheating rice isn't a problem (ready meals curries have pre-cooked rice in them) but you're "supposed to" refrigerate it straight away due to the bacteria that just loves to grow in it.

I should add, I haven't always been that strict about it and have never once been ill because of  rice kept at room temperature.

I guess it's like the idea you're supposed to cook turkeys at 190c. I always cook mine at 160c.


Good link, bookgrl! Bob, I suspect your wife probably has a good natural immunity to the problem bacteria, but then, to my knowledge, I've never been made ill by rice.

My fridge is so rubbish that things either freeze or don't get cold enough - so we probably waste a lot more food than we ought to.

I've been trying not to cook huge amounts of things - so I'll either just cook two portions of something, or maybe a bit more and I'll have the leftovers for lunch the following day.

Cooked meat (we only ever have chicken) is something I'm probably a bit too fussy about. I don't like it sitting around and the mere thought of it sort of puts me off. We often end up plating some for my MIL's cat.

I'm a huge fan of this site: http://stilltasty.com/

Thanks for that Abby Normal!!  

Usually, cooked refrigerated leftovers need to be eaten in my house within 3 days, or they get tossed.   It isn't a big deal to us because we usually do eat it all.  What I am much less cautious about (and I think where more of the waste happens in the UK and probably the US for different reasons) is the "use by" dates for things like produce and cheese.  I think they tend to be way too conservative here IMO.

That is really interesting about the rice.  I was wondering when I made curry the other day why there was such a stern warning about rice on the package.

Bob, I suspect your wife probably has a good natural immunity to the problem bacteria, but then, to my knowledge, I've never been made ill by rice.

She can eat things that would probably hospitalise most of us 

is the "use by" dates for things like produce and cheese.  I think they tend to be way too conservative here IMO.

I agree. I was actually saying the other day to someone how it was easier when we didn't have those dates. Now it's like OH better throw that, past it's USE BY DATE. I suppose they have to error on the side of caution.

Cheese - does anyone else just cut off the moldy bits and eat the remainder? I do and have done all my life but others are shocked that I do this. I must add, I only 'break' the rules for myself. I would never subject the kids or friends with the outdated items.

I am glad to hear others have eaten rice without being affected. But it is such a guilt trip sometimes so I never let the boy eat 'bad' rice.

I'm pretty meh about use by dates, too. I let my nose do the deciding most of the time, but if there is any doubt, I'd rather toss it (or give it to the cats/dog).

Yes, I cut the manky bits of cheese off, not least because I hate waste but because it's so bloomin expensive!  :lol:

The whole use-by/sell-by date thing really irks me. We throw collosal amounts of food away in this country, and supermarkets HAVE to bin food that's passed its sell-by date. They can't even give it away to the homeless or shelters or anything like that. Why are we SO WASTEFUL!