How Long Can You Keep Cooked Food? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Can You Keep Cooked Food? ›

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after 7 days, maximum. No leftovers should survive in your fridge for longer than that. Some foods should be even be thrown away before the 7 day mark.

Discard all perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, eggs, side dishes, or casseroles, left at room temperature longer than two hours; one hour in room temperatures above 90 °F. Once leftovers are stored safely, they will remain safe three to four days.

Information. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth.

If ground beef is refrigerated promptly after cooking (within 2 hours; 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F), it can be safely refrigerated for about 3 or 4 days. If frozen, it should keep its quality for about 4 months.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Yes, rice can go bad. In general it's a good idea to dispose of rice that you've had for three to four days. If one or more of the following is true about the rice in your fridge, it's probably time to throw it away. It's hard and dry.

It has a funky, rancid odor.

It's not the most pleasant way to tell if food has gone bad, but if everything looks fine and you're still unsure, give it a whiff. If it smells rancid or pungent, or otherwise worse than when you put it in the fridge, it's better not to take the risk.

Information. All sausages- except dry sausage - are perishable and therefore must be kept refrigerated or frozen. Uncooked fresh sausage can be stored in the refrigerator one to two days; after cooking, keep for three to four days refrigerated (40 °F or less).

Shelf life of potatoes

Once cooked, potatoes last up to 4 days in the refrigerator and 1 year in the freezer, though the quality of cooked mashed potatoes suffers with freezing (4, 5). The chart below details shelf lives for various types of potatoes, including sweet, russet, Yukon Gold, red, and purple varieties.

How fast does cooked food go bad? ›

For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it. And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours. Don't put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator.

If your leftovers smell rancid, they're no longer good to eat. Likewise, if food is discolored, it may no longer be safe or enjoyable to eat.

Although refrigeration slows the growth of most bacteria, they can still grow to unsafe levels and cause a foodborne illness if the food is stored for too long. You should toss leftovers and other cold-kept foods that you open after a maximum of seven days.

Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days. After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. There are two different families of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.

After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

USDA recommends using cooked chicken within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

Leftovers can be stored for up to four days in the fridge and for up to four months in the freezer, according to the FSIS. However, this timeline should serve as a general rule of thumb. For best practices, you should always inspect leftovers for signs of spoilage before consuming.

Food that's properly cooked (meaning no undercooked meat) and stored in airtight containers (not Saran Wrap on a plate) in a working fridge will be safe to eat for up to a week depending on the meal. We generally recommend 4 days.