Rice is a popular carbohydrate food in many countries which is usually cooked either by the way of steaming and boiling. It provides a constant supply of energy and numerous health benefits. The trouble is when you cannot eat all cooked rice in a meal and then you have some left over, you might question how long is cooked riced good for if you store it in different conditions.

In The Fridge or Freezer

Many families, especially busy people, have a habit of cooking rice, cooling it and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Every time they need to eat, they take the rice to reheat. But the dietitian says it should not be left in the refrigerator for too long, only heating it once and should cool the rice within 1 hour after cooking.

The short answer is 2 to 4 days in the fridge and about 4 months in the freezer to lengthen the cooked rice’s lifetime. It is such an ideal solution if you have demand to use cooked rice in a very long time but worry about the texture and savor of steamed or boiled rice.

I guess some of you may doubt whether this method is safe for health or not when prepared food is stored in such a time. Don’t worry because the storage time is considered allowable by the USA Rice Federation, so it will not be harmful.

Although you choose to contain cooked rice in the fridge or freezer, you should cover it by airtight container or resealable plastic bag. The two items help to increase the shelf life of rice and prevent bacteria from entering your staple. In the freezer, remember to store it at Zero degrees to maintain and preserve the quality of cooked rice.

At Room Temperature

In case you don’t have a fridge or freezer to store cooked rice, let it rest at room temperature to use later is not a bad idea. With this method, your pantry staple also maintains fresher and softer than that in the fridge or freezer. The cooked rice should not be stored at room temperature too long, 2 hours is a perfect time. This period of time makes sure bacteria will not grow rapidly in your food; therefore, it avoids you getting sick or food poisoning after consuming. So remember to reheat your rice within 2 hours to guarantee food safety.

You can warm up the rice, but also need to store it properly before doing it. Rice may contain spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which is likely to remain after the rice is cooked and can cause food poisoning. If you want to know clearly signs that cooked rice are going bad to avoid food poisoning, please check this article.

When rice is left at room temperature, spores will grow into bacteria and multiply many times. This process creates toxins, causing people to vomit or have diarrhea.

The longer the rice is left at the outside temperature, the more it will multiply. So, you need to put rice in the refrigerator after cooling as soon as possible, preferably within 1 hour if you intend to reheat to eat.

If there is a lot of rice left over, you can divide into small parts so that the rice will cool faster.

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A refrigerator is a very effective food storage device that most families have, however, how long cooked fished can last in the refrigerator and still be usable or when they need to be thrown away, is a question that not everyone knows. Processed foods will be degraded and the environment in the refrigerator still has some cold-loving bacteria growing so you have limited time to store both raw and cooked foods.

According to nutrition experts, today most families buy refrigerators to store food. Some busy housewives do not have time to go to the market every day, so they buy a lot of fresh food, especially meat and fish, to preserve in the freezer compartment. Or they cook fish and meat before meals so that they can use it many times and save cooking time.

The advantage

Of low temperature storage can help inhibit the reproduction and development of bacteria, keep food fresh, and not stink. However, does not mean that food, fish or meat in the refrigerator will be 100% safe. Many studies show that meat and fish left in the refrigerator as long as they are metamorphosed, reduce nutrient content and produce many substances harmful to users’ health.

The freezing and thawing process loses 1/3 of the fat dissolved in the meat and fish some of which are almost gone. In general, the total nutrient content after each freezing – defrosting is reduced by 20%. People who regularly eat this kind of meat and fish in the long run are more likely to get sick.

As recommended

It is advisable to store the fish in the refrigerator for a certain period of time and then process, not for too long. Depending on the heat resistance of each type of food, such as pork, chicken, and duck, only for 7 days; rabbit meat, dove 5 days; beef and goat can be left for 10 days. Particularly, fish should not be kept for more than 2 days. Food should be drained and then refrigerated.

Cooked fish can last 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you cook fish before storing, it will reduce the fishy smell when stored in the fridge. However, they only reduce the smell of fish so place cooked fish into an airtight container or zip bag to separate them from the environment in the refrigerator.

It should be noted

After defrosting the food, it should be processed immediately and should not be re-frozen to ensure the nutrients are not destroyed, while limiting the invading bacteria. Ideally, only buy enough food for 1-2 days.

Fish has a rather strong fishy smell. So you need to pay attention when storing them, you have to cover them thoroughly with many layers, otherwise it will spread the smell to other foods that make you feel extremely uncomfortable. In addition, you may need to boil the fish before putting it in the freezer or direct cold, if you don’t like the way to boil or cook the fish first, then you can dilute the vinegar and pour it directly on, it will limit the fishy smell of fish.

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Do not think that just a refrigerator you can comfortably store food for many days, especially with vegetables, because they also have a certain lifespan when they have been refrigerated. Therefore, when storing vegetables in the refrigerator, you need to pay attention to certain principles and understand the lifespan of the food so that it can be used properly, avoiding waste and not harming health. It is best to use them as soon as possible.

Broccoli is a green vegetable with a special structure that has edible branches and a thick stem. Broccoli also provides nutritional value including vitamins, folate and potassium which is great for weight loss because of its richness in fiber. These modern days, people seem to be more and more hectic so we often have a habit of buying broccoli for not only eating right away but also storing for days after. But how long does broccoli last in the fridge when you cannot estimate exactly the number of days to store, this article will give you the final answer for both fresh and cooked broccoli.

Fresh Broccoli

For proper storage time, fresh broccoli will keep well for a period of 5 to 7 days in the fridge. If you keep it in an airtight container of a reusable plastic bag, it can last up to 2 weeks. However, for chopped or sliced broccoli, their shelf life is quite shorter, they can last for only 2 days which is not long as the whole broccoli’s storage time. If you want to keep broccoli for a longer time, you should use a freezer. This refrigerated cabinet can maintain the freshness inside the broccoli up to 6 to 8 months.

Another tip to extend the lifespan of raw broccoli, do not wash it unless you are ready to cook, which prevents water from food spoilage.

Cooked Broccoli

Comparing to the storing method of fresh broccoli, cooked broccoli can last for 7 to 9 days in the refrigerator and maintain the best quality for 12 months in the freezer but remain safe to eat beyond that period of time. 0 degrees F will definitely be the perfect temperature for freezing cooked broccoli.

But how long is cooked broccoli good for after being frozen and then thawed? The answer is it has been used for an additional 3 to 4 days after you thaw in the microwave or in cold water. How about at room temperature? Temperature between 40 degrees and 140 degrees can create a good condition for bacteria to grow rapidly; therefore, you’d better reheat within 2 hours before bacteria entering too much into broccoli and causes food unsafety.

To maximize the shelf life of cooked broccoli, cover it with airtight containers, wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap or even plastic bag (not recommended). Some fruits and vegetables (including broccoli) may emit bad odors and affect the taste of other foods when stored. To reduce odors, you can put a box of baking powder in the refrigerator to absorb odors and moisture. Occasionally remove the top layer of baking powder periodically to maintain its effectiveness.

You can learn more things about broccoli and the way to store them properly in here.

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As you know, bacon is the side pork that is the favorite food in many families, especially in Western. Bacon is one of the top favorite foods during the past decade, still an important option in the American diet. It provides fat flavor and texture including two kinds of bacon: dried-cured bacon and wet-cured bacon. These two types have different cooking methods so they can bring special tastes from salty, subtle to meaty flavor.

Although fresh bacon is delicious, if not preserved properly, it can quickly rot and make people sick with Salmonella and E. coli. Every food has its own shelf life, so does bacon. So how can you know the exact number of days that bacon last to serve for a longer time in the future? How long does bacon last in fridge? Here is the answer for you.

How long does Bacon last?

The lifetime of bacon depends on a variety of factors that can be listed as packaging, storage environment, types of bacon, etc… Each factor might affect differently to the maintenance of bacon in multiple conditions.

First, how long is sealed bacon good for? To answer this question, you need to check the expiry date on the packaging if it is safe to eat. You can freeze the bacon in a period of 6 to 8 months safely. Once the expiry date comes closely, you should use the bacon as soon as possible, not over 7 days after purchasing to guarantee that food poisoning will not happen.

For freshly opened bacon, it may be refrigerated for only 7 to 10 days after it passes the “sell-by” date if it is packaged and stored properly. Even it may expire during that time but don’t worry much about food safety and quality. The cooked cured bacon also can be safely consumed after 7 – 10 days of refrigerating. Opened bacon will not maintain in the freezer longer than the unopened one. Time to store is just only 1 to 2 months and remains the best for health beyond that time. At room temperature, 2 hours would be the best for keeping the health benefits of bacon.

But how long does bacon last after being unfrigerated? If you freeze and then thaw bacon by water or microwave, you obviously use within 2 hours to prevent food from being “conquered” by bacteria. However, when you let bacon defrost naturally in the fridge, it will last for 1 to 2 more days before cooking.

Although bacon is opened or unopened, to maximize the shelf life, wrap them in aluminum foil or cover with airtight container will be best. It ensures bacteria not enter easily into food and make it spoil faster.

So to have the best meal with bacon even after you bought it for a long time, remember to store bacon in precise method, environment and time. Besides, you also need to know how to recognize once your bacon cannot use through the signs of smell and visual in here.

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Tortilla is a small, non-fermented round rice cake originating from Mexico. Cakes can be made from wheat flour or corn flour, but according to most diners, the taste of corn flour cake is delicious and easier to eat than bread made from flour. Corn tortillas can be used for baking, frying, soups, rolls, and salads, or as a shell for other cakes such as pizza, Turkish bread … Each type of processing will give a different taste and they are all very delicious. Tortillas are very popular in many countries around the world, especially Spain and Mexico. Mexicans treat Tortilla as a dish that symbolizes their country.

Shelf life of tortillas is dependent on the basic ingredients it is made and how to store them in the refrigerator as well as at room temperature. Many people do not know about it so they can not avoid making mistakes when using and preserving tortillas. So how how long do tortillas last in the fridge?

The way you store your tortillas is also playing a huge role because cooling and freezing food can slow down the deterioration of food at different levels.

Once you have stored them in the refrigerator, keep them in the refrigerator and not store them at room temperature anymore. Another important factor to consider is whether or not your tortillas package is still sealed. Note that once the package has been opened, it will be exposed to air, thus shortening its life.

Because corn is made from starch, they tend to outlast than other ingredients such as spinach. They can survive at room temperature for six to eight weeks if unopened, usually lasting a few weeks longer than other ingredients.

Tortillas are best stored in the refrigerator, so after buying, put them right in the refrigerator. And keep in mind, once you put them in the refrigerator, do not store them elsewhere. Temperature changes will only cause moisture formation and moisture to facilitate mold growth, resulting in damage even before the expiration date.

Freezing tortillas can make it last up to eight months in the best conditions. This will basically ignore the expiration date, so you will have to use your own judgment about their viability when it is time to use them.

Any food, including tortillas when expired, has certain effects on consumers’ health. Many people still subjectively believe that food can still be used when it expires. However, check carefully so that they do not affect your health.

Any signs of deterioration of tortillas such as changes in smell, discoloration, mold spots and any changes you may notice should be taken seriously. If you notice anything is wrong, throw it right in the trash. Food poisoning is definitely not the result of family meals.

To avoid unfortunate consequences, consider some effective way to store tortillas so you can extend them in the refrigerator. Properly preservation methods must be consistent with the ingredients that make tortillas, as well as in accordance with its state. Make sure you have enough knowledge about how long do corn tortillas last in the fridge as well as how to store them to protect your family’s health. Check this article to know more about tortillas!

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