To finish eating or not: how long to store food prepared on New Year's Day

Salads, aspic and all kinds of sandwiches are often not completely eaten on New Year's Eve and migrate to the refrigerator. How long can they be stored and what should you do to avoid getting poisoned by your favorite dishes?

Aspic

This dish can last in the refrigerator for quite a long time - from 36 to 72 hours. However, you should be careful with it. “Jellied meat and aspic are the most favorable environment for the development of microorganisms,” notes technologist Dmitry Bystrov.

Salads

The shelf life of salads in the refrigerator directly depends on the ingredients. So, Olivier and other salads with boiled vegetables and eggs will remain in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours. But if mayonnaise is already added to them, then the shelf life is reduced to 6 hours. It is worth noting that if the salad contains onions, then you should not store it in the refrigerator at all - the dish will become hazardous to health. It’s better to do this: finely chop the onion in advance and store it separately, adding it to your portion of the salad as needed.

“If we talk about salads with poultry or smoked meats, such as Caesar, their shelf life is from 12 to 18 hours, depending on whether the salad is seasoned with sauce or not,” adds Bystrov. But salads with fish and seafood, in his opinion, should not be left “for later” - the fish spoils in a matter of hours, so it’s better to eat such snacks right away.

Slices

Cheese and sausage slices, as well as sandwiches, can be stored in the refrigerator under certain conditions - the temperature should not exceed 5 degrees, and the food should be packed in a tightly closed container.

Hot

Hot dishes can be finished and stored in the refrigerator for a couple more days after the New Year. They just need to be warmed up better. “And if you find mold on a dish, do not eat it under any circumstances, but dispose of it immediately, as this is fraught with poisoning,” warns nutritionist Elena Doronkina.