Introduction

The guests who couldn’t come, the sons who are not so hungry, or just a miscalculation. By all means, we don’t want leftovers, but sometimes they are unavoidable and we surely don’t want to throw them away. To manage leftovers, however, requires planning, being careful, and using your imagination to ensure that the food is going to be as safe and tasty as possible. 

Planning 

Think in advance of what you are going to do if there are leftovers. Are you going to give it away? Or are you going to keep them for another meal? In any case, you need to ensure that leftovers are well-preserved and safe for eating. That may require using some smart tricks during the preparation and serving of meals. For example, instead of seasoning salads, serve the sauces on the side and let people season their own portion. That will ensure that the excess salads can be kept in the fridge for the next meal or day. Avoid overcooking food, so if you must reheat it, it can still keep tasty. If you are serving a perishable food, like seafood or mayonnaise, keep it in the fridge until mealtime, serve small portions, refilling when needed, and, particularly on hot days, where possible, serve on top of ice in a bowl or dish. Ensure that you have enough containers and fridge space to adequately store any leftovers. 

Be Careful!

Some leftovers are more perishable than others, so always observe the recommended conservation period and temperature. For meat, fish, seafood, and prepared food containing mayonnaise or similar sauces, refrigeration is mandatory. If properly refrigerated, seafood leftovers can be safely kept for 24/48 hours, and meat and fish up to 72 hours. Leftovers shouldn’t be frozen, but if you decide to use this method, ensure that you consume that food in a maximum of 8 days, for temperatures from -10 to -18ºC; to 15 days, for temperatures lower than – 18ºC. A perishable food that was exposed to room temperature for more than 2 hours shouldn’t be kept, as it may have been irreversibly contaminated with harmful microbes. Always store leftovers in clean containers and label them with name, quantity, and date to consume so you can always track and use them within the recommended preservation period. Never keep leftovers from leftovers.  

Use your Imagination

Some food, such as stews, cooked rice, and pasta, can usually be reheated in the microwave or on the stove in proper containers, without too much effort. But if you think of reheating boiled or grilled fish, it might not be as tasty as you’d wish. Today, there are millions of recipes available on the internet to recreate leftovers, but aside from that, small tricks and imagination can do wonders for scraps that otherwise would be looked at askance. For example, seasoning and sautéing boiled fish and vegetables, making a frittata with grilled meat and roast potatoes, or cooking quiches, puddings and empanadas out of different food remnants can transform leftovers into new savoury meals. 

Conclusion

Leftovers are often not desirable but can be made to be delectable. Throwing food away must always be the last resort. Before cooking, try to calculate quantities as accurately as possible but if that fails, use your cooking skills and imagination to reorganize and transform leftovers into your next meals.

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