Foods have a specific length of time that they can be consumed safely with acceptable quality. The duration depends on several factors, but above all we are talking about their nature, whether they have been subjected to a certain type of cooking and whether the storage conditions have been adequate or not. Although we must keep in mind that even with the best storage conditions and correct cooking and handling, they end up going bad if we do not consume them on time. Does cooking food give us more time to consume it?
The kitchen and its disinfectant mission with the destruction of pathogens
Certain cooking methods, such as boiling, baking or grilling, help us extend the shelf life of certain foods. Although cooking a meat steak does not extend the expiration date, it allows us to destroy possible pathogens that could have developed on its surface, allowing us to save more time and be able to preserve this steak cooked for a few more days. This tip allows us to extend the life of food.
According to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), we can cook food until midnight after the use-by date stated on the product, then cool it and store it in the refrigerator.
According to experts, this is possible because cooking kills pathogens present in food, such as Salmonella, E.coli And Listeriaand gives us more time to use them. But this is only possible if cooking reaches 70°C in all parts of the food (although it is also true that some pathogens cannot tolerate temperatures above 55°C).
How do we know if we have reached these temperatures? The Spanish Food and Nutritional Safety Agency (AESAN) gives some clues: the meat must have a grayish color and, in the case of chicken, it must lose its pink color; In the case of eggs, the white and the yolk must be well set; and the fish has firm, white flesh that is easily separated with a fork.
But be careful of the previous FSA tip, which only works if the food container is unopened and we have stored it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Otherwise, it may have already gone wrong.
This rule also doesn’t work if the expiration date has already passed, since most likely the pathogens have accumulated to the point that cooking cannot combat them.
As for fruits and vegetables, it is clear that the more we let them ripen, the more they lose their benefits. But since it is likely that many of us will not be able to go shopping every day, sous vide cooking is one of our great allies because it allows us to extend its life without altering its texture or flavor. flavor and even allows us to eliminate bacteria (except unlike freezing, which only keeps food dormant).
Let’s not forget that cooking also offers us other benefits, such as improving the availability of certain nutrients and aiding digestion.
How long does cooked food last?
Although, in general, cooked foods can be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of four days, it is true that this duration varies depending on the food, the type of cooking to which it has been subjected and the way in which we store it. we manipulated.
For example, once cooked, legumes can be kept for about two days in the refrigerator, a little longer for vegetables and meat, which will keep well cooked and in the refrigerator for between three and four days. On the other hand, it is best not to leave cooked pasta and rice in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours, just like cooked fish or seafood. However, the ideal is to consume rice immediately after cooking, as it is a high-risk food that promotes the growth of bacteria.
If we cook the eggs and don’t peel them, the time they give us until we can use them is longer, up to a week in the refrigerator.
Meat, regardless of its type, is considered a highly perishable food due to its high moisture content. In general, cooked meat can stay in the refrigerator for up to four days, a length of time that can vary depending on previous handling and the type of meat in question. Chicken, for example, can last longer than raw chicken if cooked, between three or four days (compared to one or two days for raw chicken), because cooking inactivates all potential pathogens present in the meat. poultry and allows it to stay fresh for longer.
In the case of ground meat, the same thing happens with chicken. Once cooked, minced meat keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four days – beyond this period we increase the risk of food poisoning. If uncooked, ground beef, including hamburgers, stays fresh for a day or two after refrigeration. It should be borne in mind that ground meat undergoes a process that exposes various areas of the meat to external factors, such as air or knives.
All this is of no use if we have left the cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours. In other words, if after cooking them we do not put them in the refrigerator almost immediately, we will not have saved time since we will have exposed them to the danger zone in which they risk being contaminated.
What signs tell us that the food is bad? You should pay attention to signs such as the appearance of bubbles around food, excessive leaching of water, surface discoloration, the appearance of mold, the formation of a slime layer on the surface or a bad odor.
