How can I make home made microwave meals?

hana57

If I make macaroni cheese like it says here bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/macaronicheese_83521 can I make a lot and store them in plastic containers in the fridge for several days, then just take out, microwave and eat?
or what needs to be done to make a microwavable meal like you get from supermarkers that are just pierce lid and microwave for 4 or 5 minutes?

Owain_Moneysaver

I would freeze rather than fridge, if keeping for longer than a day or two.

Commercially produced ready meals are made in almost sterile conditions and usually contain additives to help preserve their taste and texture during extended storage.

hana57

I only have a fridge not a freezer. I want to make batches only once a week.

I hve a tub that says we haven't added any artificial preservatives, flavours, colours or hydrogenated fat so are the unartificial preservatives I can add?

redfox

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

valk_scot

Macaroni cheese won't keep in a fridge for a week, it would be unsafe to eat by the end not to mention a horrid texture. Commercially processed foods do contain preservatives and many of them are "natural" ones, like high levels of salt and sugar. Plus there are stabilisers etc that are natural, like gums and setting agents that are natural or made from nature identical ingredients. You can't get most of these for home use.

Mainly though they're prepared under near sterile conditions, packed in vacumm packs or using inert gases and often cooked in their sealed containers. You can't do much of this at home either. You can bottle home prepared foodstuffs using a special bottling/canning system that's like a giant pressure cooker, or sterilise three or four jars of foodstuffs using a domestic pressure cooker but it would be a real faff.

Anyway, it takes twenty minutes tops to make macaroni and cheese from scratch and that includes grating the cheese. It would certainly keep two days in the fridge in microwavable containers too. So why bother otherwise? Or if you really don't have time the tinned stuff is okay in emergencies. TBH though there are other meals that store and cook really quickly, things like baked potatoes with toppings, omelettes, stir fries and things on toast. Much better for you than seven straight days of macaroni cheese!

spike7451

The same would apply to rice,a deadly bacteria begins to grow on cold rice,that's why if you get a Chinese Take Away,Fried Rice is a safer bet than boiled rice.
When my freezer broke a year ago,I used to store my food at the bottom back of the fridge where it's coldest & whack the temperature right down,the fridge got so clod that stuff at the back actually froze so I was able to keep frozen peas at the back!

thriftyniftyme

spike7451 wrote: »

The same would apply to rice,a deadly bacteria begins to grow on cold rice,that's why if you get a Chinese Take Away,Fried Rice is a safer bet than boiled rice.

It's not cold rice that's the problem. As long as rice is very hot (on the stove) or very cold (in the fridge or freezer) there is negligible risk.

It's everything in between very hot and very cold that's a problem, including room temperature (any temperature between 10-50C) as that's when the bacteria grows. Once the bacillus cereus (bacteria) has taken over, the toxin isn't killed by reheating or freezing.

It is most common with rice, as a lot of rice has bacillus cereus present as a matter of course. But it has been known to be present in lots of other foods too: soups and sauces, pasta and even potatoes.

As long as you use good practise in cooling foods down promptly and storing it appropriately, there is negligible risk. Of course you can never say 'no risk whatsoever' but just breathing creates some risks!

And as for the takeaway... believe it or not, in the USA bacillus cereus is often referred to as 'fried rice syndrome'. If the rice has been incorrectly stored before being fried, frying it ain't going to help. In fact, the oil helps it along nicely when it's back in that 10-50C danger zone! In other words, if the boiled rice has got it, so has the fried rice

I'm not trying to have a go, it's just that so many people read this forum and might be alarmed if they don't have the full information.

fishbiscuits

Have to agree with thriftyniftyme, bacillus cereus is one of the few types of food poisoning that can resist high temperatures, once it has taken hold. Thats why it's important never to reuse rice that has been left out at room temperature. As long as it has been cooled quickly after cooking and kept refrigerated or frozen, though, there shouldn't be a problem.

thriftyniftyme

Forgot to add, this is also why it's so vital to make sure you reheat your rice properly as well.

The bacteria is always there, you can't get rid of it, it is the toxin it produces that is poisonous rather than the bacteria itself. Bacteria needs water and warmth: rice in bags has the warmth but not the moisture. So the goal after you introduce the liquid (by cooking it) is to minimise the amount of time it is in the zone between 10 and 50C when it can breed and produce the toxin.

If it's incorrectly heated and is allowed to stay 'in the zone' too long the bacteria will be allowed to grow again. If you heat it properly and make sure it is piping hot you minimise the length of time that it is 'in the zone'.

gibson123

3 days maximum for macaroni cheese, to stop it going rubbery, half the quantity of cheese in the sauce and after you microwave it, put some fresh cheese on the top and then pop under the grill for a moment.

Lasagne improves in the fridge and mince based meal such as cottage pie will last longer if you don't add onion.