It’s always better to have a clear idea about the shelf life of food leftovers so that you can plan how you should buy foods next time in order to prevent them from going to the garbage bin needlessly. In this post, we particularly focus on Chinese food and its shelf life. So, how long is Chinese food good for? You are about to find out. Let’s get started.
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How Long Is Chinese Food Good For?
It all comes down to how you store left out Chinese food. Anyway, it’s not the answer you expect, right? So, how long is Chinese food good for? Usually, Chinese food does not last that long, and you should consume the leftovers within 3-4 days.
However, as we said, the way you preserve it has a lot to do when it comes to the shelf life of Chinese food, and we have decided to explain it a wee bit in the below section of the article.
How Long Does Chinese Food Last In The Fridge?
How long can I keep Chinese takeaway in the fridge? Yesterday, we received this query from one of our frequent followers. With proper storing conditions, you can expect Chinese food to last a maximum of four days in the refrigerator. However, we highly recommend not to wait till the fourth day as the quality of the food usually tends to deteriorate at that point in time. It would be best if you consumed it on the second day after the storage date.
The deterioration we speak about might not be visible to the eye but will lead you into unwanted circumstances. Also, make sure to mark the date of storage so that you can keep track.
How Long Is Chinese Food Good For In The Freezer?
As we know, storing stuff in the freezer helps to provide us with an extended preservation time for future use, and it’s the same with Chinese food. Moreover, the ingredients of Chinese food have the capability to retain their edibleness and quality well in the freezer. Chinese food will last three months in the freezer with suitable storing conditions.
The best part of freezing Chinese food is that there will be hardly any difference to notice in terms of taste and appearance when kept in the freezer.
How Long Does Chinese Food Last Unrefrigerated?
Ideally, store-cooked food items must be consumed within a couple of hours to stay on the safe side. You may not have control of the temperature all the time, and exposing food to higher temperature levels will not help when it comes to shelf life, Indian and Chinese foods in particular.
So, yeah, unrefrigerated Chinese food will last only a few hours after being cooked. Further, eating cold Chinese food is something you want to avoid at all costs; it doesn’t feel good, guys!
How Long Does Take Out Chinese Food Last?
As we mentioned above, store-bought Chinese food will last only for a couple of hours, especially when exposed to higher temperature levels. The leftover Chinese food will last around four days in the fridge when you transfer it to the fridge without delay.
If you want to preserve Chinese food for a prolonged period of time, freezing would be the best option. In a freezer, Chinese food will last around three months if you provide the best-storing conditions.
How to Know If Chinese Food is Bad?
It’s more or less the same as how you identify other food types. Let us guide you through some of the evident indications that say your Chinese food has gone bad.
Change in Color: Take a minute and ask yourself whether the color of food is the same as it was when you cooked or bought it from the store. If you notice any change, don’t eat.
Change in Smell: Chinese food has a distinguished smell to it, and when that appetizing smell is not there, it’s better to double-check before the bite.
Change in Texture: Chinese food is often a mix of a considerable amount of ingredients, and when they are slimy or the texture has the slightest change, the dish deserves nothing but the garbage bin.
Gut Feeling: It’s no rocket science to detect stale food. So, if you feel there is something wrong with the Chinese food that you want to eat, don’t go forward with it. Food poisoning can bring you tons of problems!
How to Keep Chinese Foods Fresh?
How long can Chinese food keep? How long is Chinese food good for after making? You now have sufficient info to answer these questions. However, in order to cook leftover Chinese food safely; first, you have to ensure you keep them fresh when storing. Here are some tips from us for you.
Transfer Them to The Fridge As Quickly As Possible
Leaving unused food on the counter is something you need to stop doing if you want it to preserve and use later. Transfer the food to a container and keep it in the fridge at your earliest. Do not keep it under room temperature for too long.
Using Proper Containers
Whatever food you store in the fridge, it is essential to use airtight containers for the best results. For example airtight casserole dishes good for any type of food. The less air on the food is better when it comes to preservation. If the air gets the chance to contact with food, it will promote bacteria growth, which will eventually spoil the dish.
The Temperature of The Fridge
Maintaining a consistent temperature level inside a fridge is critical. 32°F is the temperature that you want to have inside your refrigerator.
Smaller Portions
When storing, divide the food into smaller portions if possible. Smaller portions mean the ingredients have the opportunity to cool down quicker and minimize the threat of bacteria growth.
FAQ
Is Week Old Chinese Food Good?
No, not at all unless you take it out from the freezer. Chinese food lasts no more than three-four days in the fridge, even if you provide the best conditions in the fridge. So, one week is way beyond the edible level, and one should not get tempted to consume Chinese foods that are more than four days old.
Is It Safe To Eat Leftover Chinese Food?
Consuming leftovers is something that you need to do with utter comprehension. If not, there will be issues coming your way. Yes, it is safe to eat Chinese food, but it has to be consumed within the time periods we explained earlier. For your easy reference, we have mentioned them below again.
Unrefrigerated Chinese Food: You must eat unrefrigerated Chinese food on the same day it is cooked, ideally within a couple of hours.
Refrigerated Chinese Food: The shelf life of leftover Chinese food in the fridge is four days. However, as we stated earlier, it is best enjoyed when reused within two days after the storage date.
Frozen Chinese food: You can expect frozen Chinese food to retain its quality for up to 3 months. It can even go past that and remain edible for a month or so as well, provided you have a high-quality freezer with you.
Can I Eat Week Old Chinese Food?
No! We would not recommend eating Chinese food that is older than four days in the fridge. Ingredients of Chinese food such as rice and meat do have the ability to last comparatively long, but not more than four days. So, it’s better to throw away Chinese food that is one week old.
Can You Microwave Overnight Chinese Food?
Now you should know eating overnight Chinese food is not an issue as long as you keep them under appropriate storage conditions. However, how can you reheat Chinese food? Is using the microwave an option?
Well, following the correct method to reheat Chinese food is super important, and it has to be mentioned that the microwave, unfortunately, isn’t the easiest method of doing so. That said, yes, you can try your microwave to reheat Chinese food.
Keep in mind not to reheat Chinese food with its takeaway containers. More often than not, they are not microwave friendly and can melt inside the machine and bring you various problems, therefore we recommend to use chinaware for microwave purpose. In that sense, the most recommended method to reheat Chinese food is on a stovetop. Yes, it can be a time-consuming job, but you have full control with you, and you will definitely love the results.
Conclusion
Can I freeze my leftover Chinese food? Absolutely, you can freeze it and enjoy it later whenever you need it. In this guide, we have tried to explain the shelf life of Chinese food, and we gently touched the reheating side of it later in the article. All in all, Chinese food lasts no more than four days in the fridge, a few hours unrefrigerated and three months in the freezer. So, next time you have some leftover Chinese food, don’t throw it as you now precisely know the answer to this question “how long is Chinese food good for.” Cheers!