Whether cooking at home or eating out, leftovers are inevitable, and many people will choose to put them in the refrigerator for storage and continue to eat the next day.
But there is a question that has been widely debated, is it better to put meals cold in the refrigerator, or to put them hot while they are hot?
Many elderly people have established the view that "meals should be put in the refrigerator when they are cold" in the way of passing it down from generation to generation: hot dishes in the refrigerator will affect the efficiency of the refrigeration system and shorten the life of the refrigerator.
But there are also people who are opposed, arguing that putting it in the refrigerator while it is hot can ensure the health of meals.
Which statement makes more sense?
The meal is cold and put in the refrigerator,
Or put it while it's hot?
1
Leave the meal cool, bacteria multiply rampantly
At 5 °C ~ 60 °C, the activity of bacteria is the most rampant and fast, so 5 °C ~ 60 °C is also known as the "dangerous temperature zone" of food.
The process of cooling is a great opportunity for bacteria to multiply, especially in summer, and it is more likely to grow at an exponential rate.
So, the shorter the time before a meal goes to the refrigerator, the better. One more minute at room temperature is one more bit more dangerous.
The US Food and Drug Administration has also recommended that food should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and at higher temperature room temperature (above 32 ° C) should not be left for more than 1 hour.
2
Hot dishes are put directly into the refrigerator with negligible losses
Hot meals and hot dishes put into the refrigerator will briefly increase the temperature of the refrigerator, but the refrigerator refrigerator is equipped with a temperature sensor, and the sensor will immediately start the cooling process when it feels the temperature rise, so that the cold room can return to a low temperature state.
Although hot dishes in the refrigerator will slightly increase the burden on the refrigerator and consume a little more electricity, they are all within the normal operating range of the refrigerator. Instead of bacteria breeding and causing food to spoil, it is not a pity to spend more on electricity, after all, safety is the most important thing.
Hot meals and hot dishes will gradually cool down in this process, and the specific time may vary depending on the amount of meals, but the leftovers of the average family can cool down quickly.
Tip: Eat food in the refrigerator as early as possible to avoid nutrient loss and bacterial multiplication.
Do these 4 things well,
Eat leftovers, leftovers healthier!
1
Rather leftover meat dishes, not vegetarian dishes
Plant foods naturally contain nitrates and nitrites, especially dark green leafy vegetables, which will be higher. Although it is far from poisoning and carcinogenic after being left overnight, it is always better to eat fresh.
Moreover, after long-term storage and reheating, vegetables lose more nutrients, change their taste greatly, and are more prone to deterioration; Although meat (excluding seafood) will also lose some B vitamins, nutrients such as protein are mostly retained, and the taste is not much different, relatively speaking, it can be stored for a long time.
Therefore, it is recommended that when you are destined to have leftovers in a meal, you should give priority to eating all the vegetables, and then try your best to solve the problem of seafood such as fish, shrimp and crabs, and the meat and meat dishes can be saved for the next meal.
(1) Green leafy vegetables: storage time 0 days (cold mixed vegetables should be eaten as soon as possible);
(2) Seafood meat dishes: storage time 1 day;
(3) Livestock and poultry meat dishes: storage time does not exceed 3 days;
(4) Staple food: storage time 1 to 2 days.
2
Divide in crisper boxes
Leftovers and leftovers are best sealed with a lid in a crisper box, one to avoid cross-infection, the other to prevent cross-flavoring, and compared to large and small plates, the fresh-keeping box can also help save refrigerator space and look neat and beautiful.
When packing, you can divide the leftovers into several portions, so that you can directly take the appropriate amount each time you eat it and avoid the problem of repeated heating.
3
Try to put on the top of the refrigerator
Raw and cooked foods in the refrigerator need to be separated.
Microbes also settle, that is, bacteria go down. Cooked food has fewer bacteria, so it should be sealed with plastic wrap or crisper box to put the upper layer, and put semi-cooked food and raw food in turn, which is conducive to avoiding bacterial cross-contamination. Whether it is a cold room or a freezer, this principle should be followed.
In addition, all kinds of food should also pay attention to leaving gaps when placing them, not too tight.
4
Heat thoroughly before eating
Be sure to heat leftovers thoroughly before eating, especially meat. Thorough heating refers to heating the dish as a whole to 100°C and keeping it boiling for more than 3 minutes.
In order to avoid uneven heating, you can use chopsticks, forks and other tools to look at the inside of the food and make sure that the inside is hot before coming out of the pot.
Author: Rice Xiaoji
Source: CCTV Home for Dinner