How Long To Keep Food In The Fridge

Discussion in 'Recipe Central' started by shravs3, Jun 1, 2018.

  1. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    How long does Indian food like dal, sambhar ,rice , curries ,dosa batter etc last in fridge and until when it is considered to be safe for consumption. Most of the times I don't prefer doing more especially sambhar. Sometimes if we go out for dinner then I store it in fridge and consume the next day. Is it fine to do like tat ?

    Another issue is I always forget to keep dal / sambhar inside the fridge after lunch.But my DH says we need to immediately keep it within an hour and shouldn't leave out for more than two hours. Is it true ? And he hardly eats anything if the food is even 1 day old. But I don't feel like throwing the food if its good and tasty.
    He even tells dosa batter and tamarind extract shouldn't be kept for more than 2 days. I'm surprised since my mom used to keep it for atleast a week .So I'm really confused what is right and wrong?
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2018
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  2. Sweety82

    Sweety82 Gold IL'ite

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    dosa batter can be stored for 4-5 days in fridge because u r grinding the batter for a week. it will be difficult to prepare idli batter within a short period. but generally storing food in refrigerator is not recommended for a long time as it creates food borne pathogens to grow which may upset the stomach. My recent experience. I consumed old adai batter. i got stomach infection and suffered for a couple of days. :)
     
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  3. mangaii

    mangaii Finest Post Winner

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    @shrav3 actually I do meal prep but don't cook the complete meal but rather roast / bake / steam veggies and store them in fridge. I usually use them for 4 days. For Sambhar , I would say the longevity depends on the ingredients like if you add onion the fridge life is shorter. There is no general rule but food prepared with onion , coconut tend to get spoiled sooner . If you want to eat next day I would say store in fridge after the food reaches room temperature. You can also invest some money getting a Instant Pot where you can pretty much make lot of Indian curries without much effort. Hope this helps. Always use a nose and tongue test before eating the food.
     
  4. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    My family doesn't like leftover food, so rarely I store them and that too not beyond a day. I store dosa batter up to 4-5 days. Chutneys can be stored uncovered for a day or two. Boiled veggies/ dal etc for not more than 2 days. Boiled potatoes (with their jackets intact) stay good for 3-4 days.
     
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  5. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks @Sweety82 ,@mangaii & @GeetaKashyap. Many times me and DH will argue over this. How long the food can be stored ? According to him we shouldn't store dosa batter for more than 2 days which irritates me since I have seen my mom and aunts storing atleast for a week and tastes good. Even now we argued for tamarind extract :tonguewink:. He says we should use the tamarind to extract juice only once and asks me to throw it !But I feel still the juice is left and store it in fridge as even this I have seen elders doing this at my home. Normally I don't like wasting food when its in good condition :shakehead:,So I get irritated and end up arguing :facepalm:
     
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  6. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    I extract tamarind pulp and freeze the juice in ice trays. I then store the frozen tamarind cubes in a Ziploc bag in the freezer and it is easy to just remove the quantity needed each time. I do the same with lemon/like juice in summer when the fruits are cheap. Otherwise we keep leftovers for 3 days maximum. Dosa and idli batter can be kept for longer. I remember my mom making dosa when the batter is fresh, then uttapam as it gets older.
    Refrigerators in America are more efficient than the ones I grew up with back home so food safety for vegetarian items is not such a concern.
    If your DH is still making a fuss over storing leftovers invite him to take over the kitchen. :smile:
     
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  7. Sweety82

    Sweety82 Gold IL'ite

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    Uncovered ?? means in fridge?
     
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  8. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Yeah, if you cover the coconut chutney, it spoils faster. By keeping in a open container, the water content evaporates and the chutney dries a bit but doesn't spoil for over a couple of days. You may add water and stir before reusing. Otherwise, it should be stored in the freezer section.

    All the other types of chutneys can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge.
     
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  9. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks I will try this . Are we supposed to heat the liquid or just pour it directly .
     
  10. MalStrom

    MalStrom IL Hall of Fame

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    I soak the tamarind in boiling water, let it cool to touch then squeeze out the pulp adding water a few times till everything is extracted. I pour this liquid directly into ice trays.
     
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