Will it keep?
Everything can be refrigerated if you follow the golden rule: cooked food (meats, sauces, etc.) should be stored away no later than 2 hours after the end of the meal (in the summer, it's 1 hour).
Forget what your grandmother told you about food going bad if it's refrigerated while still hot. On the contrary, what's important is to never expose food to the "danger zone" (between 4°C/40°F and 60°C/140°F) for longer than 2 hours.
So, your aim is to lower the temperature of the food as quickly as possible, while ensuring that you don't raise the internal temperature of your refrigerator. Here's how:
- Quickly transfer the food into containers so it can cool more rapidly.
- Favour several small, shallow containers (5 cm/2 in. in height) to accelerate cooling.
- If you need to use large containers, place them in a bowl of ice to cool the food more rapidly. If possible, stir the contents to dissipate the heat.
- Avoid stacking containers with hot leftovers in the refrigerator: you want air to circulate around them.
- Leave containers with hot food partially uncovered until contents cool completely, then seal air-tight.
- Eat stuffing and gravy within 2 days. All other leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Will it freeze?
In general, you can freeze just about anything except eggs, dairy products (and, hence, meals that contain them), foods prepared with mayonnaise, and vegetables commonly eaten raw, such as lettuce, radishes or tomatoes.
- Some foods, such as ham or cheese, become waterlogged if they're frozen whole. However, grated parmesan and chopped ham respond well to freezing.
- With the exception of creamy sauces, all sauces can be frozen. When thawed to room temperature, the fat they contain tends to separate. Simply reheat the sauce, stirring occasionally, to recover its original taste and texture.
- When food is poorly wrapped or kept in the freezer for too long, dry, discoloured patches begin to appear on its surface. This is known as freezer burn. The food is still edible, but its taste and texture may be compromised. It's up to you to decide whether to discard it, or re-use it for a stew – after you dispose of the burnt parts.
- Most cooked foods that have been frozen should be eaten within 3 months.
Remember, leftovers can be fun! Use your cooked meat to transform a garden salad, and get creative with your ham. Here are a few suggestions:
- Cannellonis or crepes stuffed with ham, béchamel and cheese
- Vegetable ham quiche
- Ham mousse with herbs and crackers
- Ham and olive frittata