![](https://www.plusonline.nl/sites/plusonline/files/styles/pol_carousel/public/gettyimages-148198987_0.jpg?itok=Bzyb0BXs)
Or let it cool down first
Good question! In this section PlusOnline goes in search of answers to nagging questions. This time: should a leftover go straight into the fridge or should you let it cool down first?
It is always difficult to estimate how much food you need. Do you regularly get stuck with a clique? Shame to throw away. But can you just keep everything? And how? And how long can you keep something?
Not all cliques can be saved. Do not keep leftovers from ready meals or takeaway food, because you do not know how long ago they were made and whether they have been properly stored.
Let it cool down first
Prepared food should be cooled as soon as possible, but you should certainly not put it too warm in the refrigerator, because then the refrigerator will heat up too much and you run the risk of other food in it spoiling. It is therefore important to let cliques cool down first. You can do this, for example, by placing it in a closed container in a bowl of cold water (with or without ice cubes), but at colder temperatures you can also put it outside for a while.
Look
By the way, did you know that you can never keep something from a can in the can itself once you have opened it? Then metal can get into the food through a reaction with air. The leftovers can be stored in the fridge at a temperature of 4 to 7°C for about two to three days, in the freezer no longer than a month. Put it in the fridge on the bottom shelf, in the back, that’s the coldest place in the fridge. Not sure if something is still good? Then it is wise to take a good look at it and smell it. Doesn’t it smell good or does it look strange? Then you better throw it away.
Heat up
When preparing a leftover, always make sure that you heat it thoroughly. This kills any bacteria present. Then eat it right away. Is there any left over? Then there is nothing left to throw it away.
Do you also have a good question? Send us a mail.
Sources):