Forums: April 2011 Kickstart Forum: How long does food last?
Created on: 04/17/11 07:12 PM Views: 2735 Replies: 5
CorrieAnn Joined: 04/07/11 Posts: 10	How long does food last? Posted Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 7:12 PM This may seem like a silly question, but I need to ask. How long does the following food last in the fridge once opened or cooked? - quinoa - brown rice - oatmeal (steel cut mostly) - soy milk - tofu - hummus Most of these I make in bulk and eat for a few days, but sometimes I simply can't eat it all (no one else in my household eats these foods). I detest wasting food, but I'm real cautious of food poisoning since I have personal experience with it. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, Corrie Ann The journey begins with a single step. pcosrevolution.wordpress.com www
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Nyssa23 Joined: 04/03/11 Location: Athens, Ohio Posts: 35	RE: How long does food last? Posted Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 9:04 PM Soy milk will last 7 to 10 days after opening. Things with lots of protein, like beans, shouldn't be eaten after about 4 days. You could probably go a bit longer, but I usually don't risk it. If you think it will be longer before you eat it, put it in the freezer. I let my tofu go for a couple weeks sometimes. As long as you keep it submerged in water and change the water every day, it should be fine. Just give it a sniff and if it seems off toss it. Otherwise it might get covered in a slimy film. I just wash or cut that part off and it's good to go. (This is the refrigerated tofu, I don't know about the kind that comes unrefrigerated in boxes.) As for grains, again freeze them if you don't think you will use them all right away. Others may have better fridge life estimate on grains. I usually only let them go 3 or 4 days, too. And if you aren't just eating it cold out of the fridge, make sure you reheat everything to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything between 40 and 140 degrees is in "the danger zone." Foods shouldn't be kept between those temperatures for more than 4 hours. That is the zone where bacteria thrive.
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mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: How long does food last? Posted Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 9:41 PM Brown rice and quinoa (cooked) both freeze really well and defrost quickly, so they're convenient to have on-hand. Hummus, I've had keep for up to two weeks -- that was how long it took me to eat it... might have kept longer? Soy milk, I don't know, but Almond Breeze and the new Silk version of Almond milk both keep for a month or more even after opening. I know they say to use within 7 days, but I regularly keep them 4 weeks, and they've never gone bad. One note, I keep my fridge pretty cold, probably 35-37 degrees. Molly Horn
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069	RE: How long does food last? Posted Monday, April 18, 2011 at 2:34 PM Nyssa23 wrote: Soy milk will last 7 to 10 days after opening. Things with lots of protein, like beans, shouldn't be eaten after about 4 days. You could probably go a bit longer, but I usually don't risk it. If you think it will be longer before you eat it, put it in the freezer. I let my tofu go for a couple weeks sometimes. As long as you keep it submerged in water and change the water every day, it should be fine. Just give it a sniff and if it seems off toss it. Otherwise it might get covered in a slimy film. I just wash or cut that part off and it's good to go. (This is the refrigerated tofu, I don't know about the kind that comes unrefrigerated in boxes.) As for grains, again freeze them if you don't think you will use them all right away. Others may have better fridge life estimate on grains. I usually only let them go 3 or 4 days, too. And if you aren't just eating it cold out of the fridge, make sure you reheat everything to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything between 40 and 140 degrees is in "the danger zone." Foods shouldn't be kept between those temperatures for more than 4 hours. That is the zone where bacteria thrive. I think this refers to the cooked results (true?) - dry beans, lentils, rice, etc can last quite a bit longer on the shelf before they're cooked if they're kept in a cool, dry place (don't store them in the plastic bags they are often sold in - for that matter, it's better not to store most things like flour and cereal in the paper/cardboard boxes they are sold in). --Deb R
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Nyssa23 Joined: 04/03/11 Location: Athens, Ohio Posts: 35	RE: How long does food last? Posted Monday, April 18, 2011 at 2:51 PM This is definitely for cooked food. Dry food can last months and even years depending upon what it is and how it is stored. You want to keep everything in air- and water-tight containers when it is still dry. I keep my dry beans and grains in canning jars or I clean out and reuse applesauce or jam jars, for example, that I bought with food in them. And dry foods don't have to be kept lower than 40 degrees, but keeping it cooler helps to keep bugs out if you are going to keep them for a long time. I don't generally refrigerate my dry foods, except for corn meal.
	Edited 04/18/11 2:53 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069	RE: How long does food last? Posted Monday, April 18, 2011 at 2:54 PM Nyssa23 wrote: This is definitely for cooked food. Dry food can last months and even years depending upon what it is and how it is stored. You want to keep everything in air- and water-tight containers when it is still dry. I keep my dry beans and grains in canning jars or I clean out and reuse applesauce or jam jars, for example, that I bought with food in them. That's what I thought - we buy black beans, chickpeas, wheatberries, and corn in 25 lb sacks and rice, white beans, other grains (rye, buckwheat, oat groats), quinoa, and such in smaller amounts (2 to 5 lbs at a time). They get stored in a variety of containers from pasta sauce, PB, and salsa glass jars to translucent food grade plastic bins. (we mark a re-order line on those so we know when we're down to about 2 week's worth so we can get more before we run out) --Deb R
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