Do you have leftover food from a party or a big batch of cooking? If yes, then instead of letting it go to waste, you could always reheat food [อุ่น อาหาร, which is the term in Thai]. In this article, we are going to give you the correct tips on reheating leftover food so that it becomes appropriate for consumption. There are several recipes that you can follow to give the leftovers a revamped taste. If not cooked properly, leftover food can cause food poisoning. Therefore, one needs to be extremely careful while packing and reheating leftovers. 

Proper Storage Techniques

If you know for a fact that you are making a large batch of food and leftovers are inevitable, then start packing and storing the excess food immediately in the refrigerator. Once the food is cooked, remove it from the hot pan and keep it away from any other forms of heat. 

Transfer this food to a flat or shallow container that allows heat to dissipate. If the food is gravy-based or liquid, then stir it from time to time to remove the residual heat. Refrigerate afterward.  Make sure not to leave out the food for too long or overnight. 

Cooling Before Refrigerating

Let your food cool down before putting it into the refrigerator. If you keep hot food inside your fridge then the temperature inside the fridge increases. A higher temperature means higher chances for bacteria to multiply. This not only impacts the leftovers but other food items in the fridge. Ideally, the temperature inside the fridge should be less than 5ºC.

Tips For Storage

• Have airtight containers at hand to store your food in. You can also use freezer bags to make more space in your refrigerator. 
• Keep the different leftover dishes separate, this prevents any cross-contamination. Seal them properly. 
• Make sure to properly cover foods such as seafood, eggs, and dairy products as they are prone to cause food poisoning if they go bad. 
• Freeze the food after cooling it.

Tips For Reheating

To properly reheat food, follow the following steps:

Firstly, eat your leftovers within two days. Defrost your food before reheating. This can be done by keeping it in the fridge or by using a microwave. While reheating, make sure that the food is spread out evenly and heat it until it’s hot. In case you are reheating using a microwave, stir it at regular intervals.