Reheating leftovers

Yes, we have just bought a thermometer. I wouldn’t reheat twice.

Using a meat thermometer is a good idea to make sure the reheated food has reached a high enough temperature.

We don’t usually have leftover food because we cook what we know we will eat, but if there is anything left over we refrigerate and usually eat within 3 or 4 days, or else freeze it if I know we won’t eat it. You can freeze almost anything, then it’s perfectly safe to eat.

When my freezer broke down it was full of food, mostly meat and fish etc which was defrosting. I panicked first then cooked it all and froze it. We were fine.

I read some years ago that the average amount of food thrown out every week by every family is valued at £20. W ell someone else has my share, we just don’t do it. Never have.

I use my judgement rather than rules. It depends what it is, and how it will be reheated. If it looks and smells ok, and can be heated to piping hot I'll eat it.

Generally rule for me is two days, and never do I ever reheat anything twice. I am on my own these days, and when making stews, soups, roasts/corned beef etc. I pack three quarters in containers, place in the fridge once cool, then I freeze. It saves a heap on power. I usually plate two meals. One meal same night, and another for the following day, or the next days lunch.

I only ever re-heat food the day after it was originally made.

If I know I won't want to eat it the day after it has been made, I freeze it immediately. Otherwise, I re-heat it the day after and put it in the freezer once that is done.

Can't think of any food I ever reheat. If I ever have any left over meat/poultry then I would eat it cold the next day.

It’ll depend very much on what it is, but I rely on sight and smell. Very little ever gets binned here - any waste of food really bothers me.

It is an accomodating cat.
And anything it doesnt eat, there are 3 cats that wander through that are happy to finish anything off.

OP must have a very accommodating cat. None of mine would have lowered themselves to eat leftovers although they would condescend to share the Sunday chicken.

Still happy to take a layer of mould off jam (if it is a thin layer) plus a centimeter or 2 of the jam below it. I would only use it in cooking - as it needs to get very hot/boil I understand.

If it’s covered and in the fridge, 5 days. No ill effects. I remember my mum scraping mould off things and then serving it to us!

Like others I'm quite happy to keep left over food in the fridge but my grandchildren are HORRIFIED and tell me I should dispose of it asap!!!

Was it not Morrisons that was taking the date off bottles of milk, to save on waste?
Then I thought about people who had loss their sense of taste & smell during Covid. (milk, bottled sauces, jams, etc, I write the date of op on the bottle)
That’s what I rely on my smell. I have had homemade soup in the fridge three days still smells & looks ok but will throw the bit that’s is left.

I lived in the days before fridges. We seemed to survive. I can’t ever remember upset tums etc.

Perhaps women had more common sense back then?

By the way, sour milk and cream I'd usually cook with.

No need to bin it.

I don't have a "number of days". It depends what it is.
We are vegetarian so no meat or fish to worry about. I do eat eggs though.

As 99% of what we eat is made fresh I am happy to eat leftovers several days later.. logically if I make something on (say) Monday, it will still be OK (if not so delicious) on Tuesday Wednesday Thursday, probably Friday and using my superpowers of smell and vision, it may be OK on Saturday and Sunday.
Houmous for example, make with freshly cooked chick peas on Monday will be fine right through the weekend as I'll keep it covered with a layer of olive oil in the fridge.

We eat a lot of chopped/torn salads with lots of different veg in them. They are OK for a day but I admit I prefer those freshly made.
I would never serve yesterday's salad to anyone other than my husband and me - not becauseIthink they are off but because lettuce often oxidises a little and looks less exciting. I might squash it in an avocado sandwich though!
I'd happily serve left over quiche or pasta sauces to adult children or grandchildren if they happened to be here.

2 days for me( in the fridge). I don’t fancy it after that. I chuck anything we have had out for more than 3 hours away, except cheese . It tends to be fairly warm here ,though, so you have to be careful with things like cream etc.

I have eaten leftovers up to 4 days later…. So far, so good. The only food poisoning I’ve ever had is from a pre-prepared salad from the most popular food-hall.😫

I also totally ignore use by dates, my eyes and nose are pretty good at detecting when something has gone "off".

About four days here too, but cooked veg and potatoes could go 5/6, we very rarely throw food out - no pets.

Blimey, anything that's been in my fridge for 4 days I consider "only just bought".

Totally depends on what the leftovers contain and whether I am reheating or not. No hard and fast rule but I very rarely throw any food away or give it to the dog for that matter as he's fussier than OH!

No rules here, just basic instinct really.

A week!

Goodness me.

I has assumed all these years I was doing the same as others.
That two days was the standard.