How long can pizza last in the fridge?
You may have asked yourself how long your pizza can last in the fridge especially if there are leftovers. Most times, we order a large size of pizza even when we know medium size is enough, this can be caused by hunger. Other times, there may be leftovers if everyone wants different toppings.
Sometimes, if you try to finish all the cuttings of your pizza in a sitting bit it may not be possible so you have no other choice than to store the leftover. Read on to learn how long your pizza can stay in the fridge, how to store and reheat leftover.
WHAT IS PIZZA?
Pizza is a dish that originated from Italy. It is made of leavened wheat-based dough and topped with tomatoes, cheese and other ingredients like meat, sausages, mushroom, vegetables and other ingredients of your choice. It has a round shape and divided into wedges. There are many varieties and styles of pizza depending on origin and country. Pizza contain high amounts of fats and salt, it is also very high in calories.
HOW LONG DOES PIZZA LAST SITTING AT ROOM TEMPERATURE?
You are to eat leftover pizza that has stayed in a room temperature for 2 hours. If your pizza has been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours, you are advised not to eat the pizza again as it is no longer safe. Also, a pizza is only safe to be eaten after one hour in a sitting room temperature of over 90°F.
The above recommendation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not only concern pizza but all other perishable foods like baked goods. Eating the pizza slices after 2 hours of sitting at room temperature can be risky for your health. In fact, it is not advisable to reheat leftover pizza after 2 hours of sitting at room temperature. If you want to store your pizza leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge within 2 hours .
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HOW LONG CAN PIZZA LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
The first question you need to ask yourself is when the pizza was stored when it cooled down to room temperature. After making or receiving your pizza, it can sit at room temperature for 2 hours and if you want to store in the fridge, it must be within the 2 hours. If your pizza has been in the box for more than 2 hours, you should not bother storing it in the fridge or freezer. Just dispose it!
If you stored your pizza in the fridge within 2 hours, it can last up to 3 to 4 days. When your pizza stays longer than 3 or 4 days, there is a risk of bacterial growth and food borne disease.
Apart from the number of hours your pizza stayed at room temperature, another factor that will determine how long your pizza can last in a fridge is the type of topping used for the pizza. If there are toppings like shrimps, you should use the leftover the next day or within 24 hours, this is because there is a high risk of bacteria developing on the dish.
While your pizza is in the fridge within 3 or 4 days, you should look out for things like:
- Bad smell
- Discoloration
- Mold growing on the pizza
- Slimy toppings
- Hard and dry crust
- Bad and awful taste
The above signs will help you know if your pizza is still good even while it is in the fridge. If you want your pizza to last for a longer time, you should store in a freezer. Pizza can last for about 2 to 3 months, some can even last for 6 months if properly frozen.
HOW DO YOU STORE PIZZA IN A FRIDGE?
The way you store your pizza will determine the length of time it will last. Even if you store your pizza in the freezer but not in the proper way, it may not last for months before spoiling.
Here are some ways to store your pizza:
1. Cover Your Pizza
Whether you are storing in the fridge or leaving it on the counter for two hours, you should cover it up. This will help avoid insects from being attracted to your pizza, it will also prevent your pizza crust from becoming hard and dry. You would not want your pizza to have hard and dry crust.
2. Wrap in a Paper Towel
You should make sure your pizza is cold before storing in the fridge or freezer. The next thing is to wrap your pizza in paper towel, this will help to retain the taste and I prevent your pizza from becoming soggy. Placing your pizza in a fridge or freezer without lining in a paper towel will make your pizza so wet and mushy that reheating the slices will not help with the result. You can replace paper towel with parchment paper
3. Stack the Slices
You should not place your pizza in your fridge with just the box. Get a container, place a paper towel on the container and stack your pizza slice by slice till the container is full, then place another paper towel on top. Do not squeeze in the slices to fit a container, you can use many containers depending on the number of slices your pizza have.
4. Cover the Container
After you are done stacking your pizza, you should cover the container with a lid. This will help your pizza remain fresh for consumption. You can use a plate if there is no container, however wrap the plate very well before keeping in the fridge. You can use the above steps if you want to store your pizza in a freezer. You can also use store your pizza in a plastic bag and wrap with aluminum foil but this should be done if the pizza will not stay for a long time.
HOW TO REHEAT PIZZA IN A CONVENTIONAL OR TRADITIONAL OVEN
- Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, remember to stick to this degree because you are only reheating your pizza and not baking or burning.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray little oil on the cool, this will help your pizza not to stick to the foil.
- When you are done preheating your oven, place the pizza slices on the aluminum foil.
- Sprinkle very little amount of water on the pizza, this will help to prevent your pizza crust from becoming hard and tough, it will help your crust to expand.
- Place another aluminum foil on the pizza to retain moisture and prevent burning.
- Place the baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and allow to preheat for about 20 to 30 minutes.
HOW TO REHEAT PIZZA USING A SKILLET OR FRYPAN
Follow the steps below:
- Turn your stove burner on medium-high heat.
- Cover your skillet with a small amount of olive oil, place on the stovetop burner and allow to get warm.
- When you notice the oil is warm, reduce heat to medium heat.
- Place the pizza slices in the skillet and cover. The cover will help the cheese to melt and all areas of the toppings will get warm as well.
- Cook for 3 to 6 minutes.
HOW TO REHEAT PIZZA WITH A MICROWAVE
You may want to use a microwave to reheat your pizza but this is not recommended as your pizza may turn out to be soggy. However, if you want to use a microwave for your pizza, you should reheat the pizza slices between 15 to 30 seconds. You can check if the slices are warm enough, if they are not, you can reheat again. You should not forget to place a glass of cold water in the microwave as you reheat, change the water after few seconds to avoid boiling.
HOW TO REHEAT PIZZA USING AN AIR FRYER
Using an air fryer to reheat your pizza is a faster method as it can reheat your pizza very well in about 3 to 6 minutes. Place a parchment paper on the air fryer basket and place your slices of pizza inside. Set your air fryer temperature to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the pizza to cook for 4 minutes, check if it is hot. If it is not, you can reheat for additional 2 minutes.
HOW TO REHEAT FROZEN PIZZA
Follow the steps below to reheat your pizza using a traditional oven:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F
- Cover oven sheet with aluminum foil and place your slices of pizza on the foil. You can spray little mists of oil on the aluminum foil to avoid your pizza crust from sticking to it.
- Place the oven sheet on the rack of your oven and allow to cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
CONCLUSION
Pizza is one food that have leftovers, this may be because we order more than we can finish at a time or our friends needed different topping. Well, you do not have to discard your leftover pizza within 2 hours of sitting at room temperature and staying in the fridge for r days. If you properly store your pizza in a fridge, it can still be good for consumption for 4 days. After that, you can toss out the leftover.