Reheating food is a very common practice in many households but are you sure you are reheating food the right way. Here are the mistakes that you might be making when reheating foods. It is important to carefully read the article so as to get a better understanding of why you should avoid those practices.
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Letting food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours
This is one of the common mistakes you might be making when reheating food. This is because the temperature of the food starts to drop and the food becomes vulnerable to bacteria. The bacteria that affects food usually goes for food that ranges between 40F to 140F, thus you should not leave it exposed. Furthermore if you are thawing your leftovers it’s advisable to do that in the refrigerator and not at room temperature. This is because if you leave your food to thaw at room temperature it becomes exposed to bacteria. When you reheat your leftovers make sure you eat them immediately to avoid getting sick.
Reheating food more than once
Reheating food more than once is also a mistake you might be making when reheating food. If you reheat your food once then that’s fine but if you find yourself putting back reheated food in the fridge then reheating it again for a second time then that’s totally wrong. Cooked food should only be reheated once because if you reheat it a lot of times you will be exposing it to bacteria and also it ends up losing its texture and flavour. Therefore in order to retain the texture and flavour of your food reheat it once.
Reheating food that has been in the refrigerator for more than 5 days
If you are storing your food in the refrigerator then you need to eat it within 2 to 3 days. This is because if you keep it for a longer period of time it might actually turn bad. If you intend on storing food for a longer period of time then store it in the freezer it can last for some months. If you usually forget about the date in which you placed food in the fridge then it’s best to always label it so that you can keep track of when it likely to turn bad.
Not reheating food thoroughly
Food should be reheated until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. This is because bacteria breeds on foods that are below that temperature. In order to check the temperature of your food always use a thermometer it always provides accurate results. Use the thermometer to read the temperatures of reheated foods like pork, eggs and chicken. If you are reheating soups or gravies make sure that you bring them to a boil on a stove, this will help to kill all unwanted bacteria. The other method that you can use to ensure that the food reheats evenly is by using a spoon to continuously stir the food. This will help heat to really circulate.
Not covering your food when reheating
This is one of the most common mistakes you might be making when reheating food. The reason why food should be covered is so that heat can really circulate around the food so that it reheats evenly. When reheating soups the other purpose of covering the pot is so that when the soup starts boiling it doesn’t splatter everywhere and create a mess in your beautiful kitchen.
Covering your food with plastic wrap when using the microwave to reheat food
This is one of the most common mistakes that people make. You should avoid plastic wrap as some of the plastic wraps contain chemicals which may be harmful to health. In order to guarantee your safety you can just cover the food with wet paper towel or cloth or even use a lid.
Using the same microwave plate for reheating foods and defrosting foods
This is one of the most common mistakes you might be making when reheating food. It’s a bad thing to use the same microwave plate for defrosting and reheating foods as there can be cross contamination. Raw meat carries bacteria which can affect cooked foods therefore if you want to protect yourself from food poisoning then it’s best to use separate plates. You should have 1 plate for reheating foods and the other for defrosting your meat.
Reheating fried foods in the microwave
This is one of the mistakes you might be making when reheating food. The microwave radiates a lot of heat and when you use it to reheat fried foods it makes them soggy. The best way to reheat fried foods is by re-frying them on the stove or you can place them in the oven. Although the microwave is suitable for reheating a number of foods it doesn’t produce good results when used to reheat fried foods.
Forgetting to sprinkle water on your food
When reheating foods like rice, pasta and vegetables you need to add a few drops of water. This will help the food to reheat properly without having to stick to the bottom of the pot. If you do not add water when reheating rice and pasta the texture will change the rice or pasta will become stiff or rubbery which is something you definitely do not want to happen.
Leaving the food unattended
When reheating food make sure that you baby sit it not to just leave it there. Although the microwave does all the work for it is important to keep a close eye on your food. You need to give it a stir here and there just to make sure that it reheats evenly.
Reheating foods using the wrong appliance
This is a mistake that you might be making when reheating food. The best way of reheating food is by using the same appliance that cooked the food. This means that if your food was cooked in an oven they you should use the oven to reheat the food. There is now an over reliance on the use of the microwave when reheating foods of which there are some foods that do not come out well when reheated in the microwave.
