How to store leftovers in summer?

In the hot summer, many things are difficult to preserve. If you are not careful, they will easily spoil. Every family will have leftovers in the summer. Most families are very frugal. It would be a pity to throw away leftovers. However, if they are not properly preserved, they will easily breed bacteria and cause spoilage. So how to preserve leftovers in the summer? Here are some ways to preserve leftovers in the summer.

How to store leftovers in summer

1. Keep the refrigerator clean and at a suitable temperature

Leftovers are undoubtedly best stored at low temperatures, but you can't just put them in the refrigerator. Since bacteria can easily breed and multiply inside the refrigerator in summer, which is the biggest nemesis of food preservation, the refrigerator must be cleaned. Secondly, the temperature inside the refrigerator should be adjusted to an appropriate temperature. If it is too high, food will be difficult to preserve, and if it is too low, food will freeze.

2. The temperature of food entering the box should be low

Any leftovers must be cooled thoroughly before being placed in the refrigerator. Hot food suddenly entering a low-temperature environment can easily undergo a qualitative change, causing the food to become moldy and endangering human health.

3. Do not leave leftovers for more than 6 hours

Leftovers should not be stored for longer than one meal, because the longer the food is stored, the more the bacteria in the food will multiply, and even produce toxic chemicals, which cannot be completely eliminated even at high temperatures.

4. Don’t store leafy vegetables overnight

Because vegetables contain high levels of nitrite, they may gradually turn into toxic nitrite due to bacterial activity during storage, which can easily cause food poisoning.

5. Do not place leftovers in aluminum containers.

Aluminum easily forms aluminum oxide film in the air. If leftovers are stored in it, chemical changes will occur, causing adverse effects on the body. You can put it in porcelain, wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.

6. The second meal needs to be thoroughly heated

Leftover rice needs to be thoroughly heated before being served as the second meal. It should be noted that it should not be heated multiple times, as this will not only cause loss of nutrients but also endanger health, which is not worth the loss.

How to preserve leftovers in summer? Avoid the following two situations

1. Treat the refrigerator as a universal storage box.

Even if the refrigeration temperature is appropriate and the storage method is correct, it does not mean that the food can be kept fresh for a long time once it is thrown into the refrigerator and frozen. Leftovers in the refrigerator should be kept for a maximum of 3 days. If they are not finished, throw them away and do not eat them. This is to prevent the food from being left for too long and causing bacteria to grow and spoil, which may lead to problems if you are not careful.

2. Reheat leftovers

Leftovers should be reheated once at most. If they are not finished, it is best to discard them. Do not reheat them again and again, as this will increase the risk of food spoilage. When reheating leftovers, make sure they are fully heated. When reheating leftovers, the core temperature of the food should reach above 75°C. (There are thermometers available on the market that can measure the temperature of food).

No matter what kind of food it is, the longer it is left at room temperature and the later it is put in the refrigerator, the greater the "base number" of microorganisms will be, and the less safe it will be after storage.