How Long Can Cheese Pizza Sit Out Before Going Bad
How Long Does Pizza Last In The Fridge? Enjoy Your Leftover Pizza After Reading These Tips
With delivery and takeout being the primary ways to "dine out" these days, it's not uncommon to order an extra pizza for delivery — especially when you can get Pequod's Pizza delivered nationwide. When you have leftover pizza, put it in the fridge for leftovers. Who doesn't love snacking on pizza the next morning? Some people even prefer to eat it straight out of the fridge without heating it up. So how long can you keep that extra pizza in the fridge? Can you eat leftovers for more than one or two days? Here's what you need to know about keeping that leftover pizza in the fridge.
How Good Are Pizza Leftovers Good For?
Meredith Carothers, a technical information specialist at the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, shares her insight on leftovers. In general, she says all cooked foods and leftovers can be kept in the fridge for no more than three or four days. After that, they could start to spoil and contain bacteria. Jeremy White, editor-in-chief of Pizza Today, shares the same sentiments as Carothers. In fact, he says four days could be pushing it. Eating refrigerated leftover pizza beyond four days could cause you some intestinal turmoil.
Storing Your Pizza and Keeping It Fresh Longer
Storing your refrigerated foods correctly is also important. If you don't, they could start to develop bacteria even sooner. Always make sure to place foods in airtight containers or ensure they are tightly wrapped and sealed in resealable storage bags. You want your cooked foods to retain moisture while keeping out bacteria that could make you sick.
Be sure to refrigerate leftovers immediately after cooking or reheating them. If something has been sitting out for over two hours, you should immediately discard it, especially any food that contains meat or cheese. Pizza contains both in most cases, making it more important to get the pizza in the fridge before you put that next movie on television or fall asleep.
To keep your pizza fresh longer, consider putting it in the freezer instead. Use special heavy-duty freezer bags or airtight freezer containers. You can also wrap your pizza tightly in freezer wrap or aluminum foil. In the freezer, your pizza will remain at its best quality for a month or two. It will be safe beyond then as well, just not as fresh.
The important thing is to ensure your pizza doesn't sit out for hours at room temperature. Bacteria can grow quickly whenever pizza remains at a temperature between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is known as the danger zone. The risk of growing bacteria increases dramatically in a short period of time. For example, the number of foodborne illnesses could double for every 20 minutes that food sits out at a temperature within the danger zone.
Wondering how to tell whether your leftover pizza has gone bad? Look for mold or any other odd appearance. If you smell something off or it tastes weird, discard it to be safe.
How To Reheat Your Cold Pequod's Pizza Deep Dish Pizza
Getting Pequod's delivered to your home somewhere in the United States? You need to know how to reheat pizza to make it just like you're used to when you dine in. There are three main ways to heat it up: skillet, toaster oven, and oven.
Reheat In a Traditional Oven
The recommended option for reheating a pizza is the conventional oven. For a normal pizza preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit first. This is a crucial step because you want to reheat it, not burn it. While your oven is heating, cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a light layer of cooking spray on the foil so your pizza crust doesn't stick.
If you are reheating a thawed Pequod's Pizza you will want to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the lid and place the pizza on the middle shelf of your oven and let it cook for about 15 minutes. After that you will be ready to enjoy your Pequod's pan pizza!
You always want to spray a light mist of water on top of your pizza. This light mist of water helps your pizza crust to expand rather than become tough, chewy, or even too soggy. Place another piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pizza. This second layer of foil will help keep moisture from escaping during the cooking process and will keep the pizza from burning.
Once your oven is heated, put the pizza on the lowest oven rack. Bake time should be between 20 and 30 minutes. Set a timer for 20 minutes so you can start checking on it every five minutes until it reaches your desired temperature.
Reheating Pizza in a Skillet
If you are reheating your pizza in a skillet, turn your stovetop burner on at medium-high heat. Coat your skillet with a light layer of olive oil and warm it up on the burner. Once the oil warms up, reduce the heat to medium. Place your leftover pizza in the skillet and be sure to cover it.
You need the cover because it's a crucial step. The cover helps the cheese melt and the toppings to get warm. Plus, it will help maintain the right balance of moisture. You should cook your pizza for three to six minutes once covered.
Reheating Pizza in a Toaster Oven
A toaster oven is another popular way to reheat your Pizza. Don't heat your pizza in the microwave, as it will be soggy and possibly unappetizing. Instead, heat it in the toaster oven, which will preserve your pizza's signature qualities. Put the toaster oven on medium power and put your pizza inside. Try one cycle and see how it is. You may want to heat it for a second cycle to prevent the crust from becoming mushy or soft.
Reheating Frozen Pizza
To reheat frozen pizza, you should cook it in the oven, as well. Put your oven rack in the center and bake the pizza for 35 or 40 minutes. If the crust turns golden brown, it's done.
For a Pequod's frozen pizza, you will want to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the lid and place the pizza on the middle shelf of your oven and let it cook for about 35-45 minutes.
Now that you know how long to keep your pizza leftovers, how to store your pizza in the fridge, and how to reheat it, who's ready to order some deep dish pizza delivery? Pequod's is now available for delivery nationwide through Goldbelly. Order today and get your favorite deep dish pan pizza shipped directly to your home.
How Long Can Cheese Pizza Sit Out Before Going Bad
Source: https://pequodspizza.com/blog/how-long-does-pizza-last-in-fridge/