How many times can you reheat a casserole?

BG_Porgy

Hi Y'all, interesting thread this

Basically it is down to food safety which is totally different from food quality I am old enough to have lived in the days pre 'fridges etc mentioned by many

It is down to time and temperature

Generally speaking do not leave 'risk' foods out in nice warm temperatures for any length of time where the 'bugs' can grow. They double their numbers every 20 min....do the sums and see how quick you are into the millions. If you want to retain it for use in future days then take what you want then get it back into the fridge asap Trouble is that some sneaky bacteria which grow when it is nice and warm and moist can develop nasties called Toxins which are not then killed off when heated ...even boiling The bugs themselves are killed but not the toxins left behind

The common sense rule that used to apply with stock pots was to boil them up so yes, the food has to be reheated properly ..that is if you are to eat it warm

Bugs have evolved over the years and there are new ones which did not exist or were never detected years ago
As far as frozen food is concerned the risks are minimal if the general rule about leaving it lying about in warm temps fo0r any lenght of time is applied Just think about al the frozen food that has partially defrosted in the back of cars and then been refrozen
It is more one of food quality as food which is re frozen in a domestic type freezes loses quality as a result of the water molecules expanding as they freeze

Same with out of date code foods they have a factor of safety built in so they are generally safe to eat

The business side and the law have to take a much more stringent attitude than what you can apply at home as liabilities come into play
Obviously with the elderly , babies and those already sick or immuno compromised you would err more on the side of caution but hey ..if you are a generally healthy lump then we waste far to much good food

Personally I actively seek out near out of date code foods which are reduced
I reheat and Refreeeze regularly and on more than one occasion.

Watch out for a change in law at the end of 2005 when supermarkets will have to deal with out of date packaged meat products in a more expensive way......to avoid waste charges they will come up with ways to encourage us to buy it at reduced rates.

All of the above is my personal opinion and choice It should not be taken as a recomendation by me or by anyone You should satisfy yourself about food safety

In a recent report it was highlighted that the average family in the UK disposes of c. £400 worth of unused food per year... what a waste

BG Porgy

Queenie

I have made casseroles one day, put it in the fridge overnight, skimmed off the fat and reheated it the next day for the meal; any leftover casserole is then made into a pie for the day after.

I would not do that with chicken or pork - but with beef and lamb, certainly.

Maybe I'm like that because I was brought up with the "Waste not, want not" brainwashing :rotfl: I have yet to have gippy-tum from it.

Thanks for the quote jennyjo - it's important we all know what the Food Agency recommends.

kirstyreanne

I've always thought that you could only reheat meat once - with the exception of Pork which shouldn't be reheated at all.

The easiest way to make it last longer without taking risks would be to just reheat enough in a small pan each time you want some.

elona

Good idea :):)

Miss_Ratty

I reheat pork and chicken twice all the time - but never more than that and I always store it in the fridge in between. I would cry if I thought my leftover meat from a sunday roast wasn't going into a nice curry or chilli the next day - which would last through until the day after too! If I was cooking for others I wouldn't risk it, but for my partner and I we always do.

valk_scot

Id you make a huge casserole again, only reheat what you need for the next meal and keep the rest in the fridge. It will keep for two or three days that way.