You never satisfy yourself after eating too much of the comfort food, the love just evolves. Eating the whole pizza is not everyone’s job, there still remain a few slices that you just do not want to waste. What to do with that? How to deal with the leftover pizza? How long is leftover pizza good for?
Questions like these are often asked and search to satisfy the mind before eating the piece of heart, we mean the leftover pizza. Let’s just embark a journey how to deal with the leftover pizza, know the journey from fridge to furnace and from fork to your mouth followed by tips and techniques to save the left over part.
Table of Contents
- Enjoying Fresh Pizza
- Heroic Efforts: Finishing the whole Pizza
- Leftover Pizza: Unfortunately Something Leftover
- Reasons of Storing Leftover Pizza
- Preventive Measures for Storing Pizza
- Strategies: Storing the Leftover Pizza
- How to keep long Leftover Pizza Good For - Tips to Follow
- Signs That the Pizza Has Spoiled
- Side Effects of Eating the Spoiled Pizza
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Comfort food or fast foods are a type of addiction or we can assume that they are in need in the very lethargic situation. You often have the idea when wondering with friends to grab a pizza and enjoy it in its very fresh condition with the warmth.
There is nothing satisfactory than enjoying a fresh, crispy and hot pizza with your friend. The extra topping on it just double the taste, we know it is just mouthwatering in going through the sentences. All the satisfaction vanishes if there is something leftover in the pizza.
Heroic Efforts: Finishing the whole Pizza
There are two ways of enjoying the pizza, the first one is mentioned in the previous section while the second one if you are partying in your house and you order some fast food. We were at the point that the enjoyment vanishes when you notice something remaining, still you make some heroic efforts and beg your stomach to expand a little bit of more to place the leftover pizza if your stomach, the first graveyard for your pizza, refuse then you start thinking of the another graveyard, the refrigerator.
Related Reading: How to reheat burrito
Leftover Pizza: Unfortunately Something Leftover
If still there is something left you start thinking of storing it in somewhere, the first answer to the question in your mind, how to store the leftover pizza, rings your consciousness to move ahead towards the refrigerator. Meanwhile, it is also to be remembered that if the storage of the leftover pizza is done well; then question how long the left over pizza can be good to eat.
Take into considerations that never ever dare to keep the pizza for two hours in open or in room temperature, for there are the other enemies of the cheesy food, the bacteria. They start attacking and growing in the room temperature, if you still make an effort of covering it in the card box that is of no use.
Reasons of Storing Leftover Pizza
There are simple two or three reasons that why should you store the leftover pizza in freezer refrigerator. The first and foremost is that it has cheese and other fermented things that are more prone to get bacteria and grow in it very rapidly. So it is all about your health that how to save your health from the effects of the spoiled pizza.
The bacteria grow very rapidly on the pizza if the temperature is in between 40 and 140 Fahrenheit. In addition to it, the following two reasons are given below.
A). No Insulation Box to keep leftover pizza good
The reason why should you store the leftover pizza in refrigerator is the non-insulation box in which they serve it. They card box is non-insulator and air goes in very easily to the pizza, same is the case of bacteria, they can also enter without facing any barriers. The card box is neither for storing the pizza in open air nor for the refrigerator. So always wrap it either in plastic or in aluminum foil to get the best results for even a month but you should not wait for that long.
B). Bacterial Growth
The every obvious reason which is discussed for more than three times is the protection from bacterial growth. If the leftover pizza gets bacteria and your eat it you may get food poisoning. it has cheese and other fermented things that are more prone to get bacteria and grow in it very rapidly. So it is all about your health that how to save your health from the effects of the spoiled pizza. The bacteria grow very rapidly on the pizza if the temperature is in between 40 and 140 Fahrenheit. In addition to it, the following two reasons are given below.
Preventive Measures for Storing Pizza
There are still some preservative measures that how to store the leftover pizza in freezer or refrigerator. Storing pizza is not that simple that just put the card box in and there will be no harm in that. The first thing to notice that be aware of the inner environment of the refrigerator and see whether there are vegetables like onion, garlic, etc. not wrapped.
If there is something like that it may get the smell and also other stinking effects. What should you do is wrap the leftover in a plastic or in an aluminum foil to save it from stinking and getting the unpleasant smells. You can also keep it in the airtight container to preserve it effectively. Also remember the first one strategy, the two hour rule that if you have kept it in the room temperature for two hours than waste it instead of eating.
Strategies: Storing the Leftover Pizza
If the run of your thoughts reached to the target of storing the pizza in the refrigerator and not in the room temperature, there are some strategies how to keep the leftover pizza fresh for a couple days to eat. Follow the following strategy to keep your leftover fresh.
Storing the Pizza in Freezer or Refrigerator
The first one is store the leftover pizza in either a refrigerator or in freezer, both are good choices for preservation.
Never keep it in room temperature, bacteria start growing in that food every rapidly and you may get food poisoning. The temperature of the refrigerator must below than 40 degree of Fahrenheit then it will start freezing. The best strategy should be keeping the temperature very low to keep the crispy nature not going. It will then last fresh for four to five days but it would be better to consume it within two days.
How to keep long Leftover Pizza Good For - Tips to Follow
Along with the questions how long is leftover pizza good for and how to store the leftover pizza, the most important one is how to make possible eating the leftover pizza again? You can make possible eating the leftover by storing frozen and then by reheating it. You can reheat it in oven, frying pan, air fryer, skillet and microwaves.
i). Reheat in Oven to keep it good for long
The first method of reheating the leftover pizza is through oven. Just bring it out of the freezer and unwrap it. First of all smell it, if its smell is good and not stinky then you are directed to keep it in oven.
Raise the temp of the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit before placing the pizza in it. Grab an aluminum foil and cover the baking tray with it. Now place the leftover pizza in the oven on the tray for 10 minutes, check it after sometime to not burn. Your pizza is all set to eat, just wait for a while to cool it, though the taste will not necessarily be the same.
The simple method, if you are out of reach to the oven just follows this simple manual method but you can only reheat one or two slices in it. Make sure if the pan is wet add oil or water slightly to stop the slice from sticking to the pan. Give a proper amount of heat and observe till the cheese soften. If the pan is not clean or the temperature is too much high it may burn your pizza, just have keen observation of both the factors.
iii). Reheating In Skillet
Reheating the leftover pizza in skillet is also the good idea, it has the same method as that of the frying pan. You need olive oil in very little amount and give to lubricate the base to avoid the sticking of pizza to it. Just maintain the medium temperature and place the pizza in the skillet to reheat it. Observe it to soften the cheese, give it only 5 to 8 minutes. Exceeding the time may burn your pizza and you will be only left with regretting.
iv). Reheating In Air Fryer
This one method is a bit unique and the most effective, all you need is the foil to cover the base. Spray oil in there and place your leftover pizza there. Do not use too loo or too high temperature, just maintain it at 350 degree Fahrenheit to get the same crispness and best results. There is no guarantee of taste it depends on your preservative measure, it may change.
v). Reheating In Microwave
Last but not the least; reheat your leftover pizza in the microwave that you have frozen overnight. We have already given a detailed account on Reheating Burrito through Microwave, which is the most effective method that chiefs recommend to reheat the leftover pizza.
It is the quickest method, you can get the results in just 45 to 60 seconds. Place your slice of pizza in the microwave-safe plate and start microwaving. To remain and keep the crispiness the same as that of the fresh pizza, you need to get a mug of water and place next to the slice of pizza.
Signs That the Pizza Has Spoiled
What are the signs that the left over pizza has spoiled? There are some obvious signs if you notice something like that then there are high chances that your pizza is not good to eat and have gone bad.
First of all observe the crust, if it is dried out and turned hard it is the sign of spoilage. You can also determine it from smell, if it stinks then keep it aside and waste it. If your pizza has some extra topping and the topping is now turned slimy you will it gooey. The slime is the indicator of spoilage for the pizza. Last but not the least, the beigest symbol is if there is any mold present on the surface of the pizza, do not ever dare to eat it.
Side Effects of Eating the Spoiled Pizza
What are the side effects of eating the spoiled leftover pizza? If you ever dare to eat or just mistakenly eat the rotten or spoiled pizza you may get food poisoning. Your stomach might not resist the spoiled food and there are chances to be affected from any of the given diseases.
Conclusion
To sum up the discussion, how long is leftover pizza good for, it is very obvious that firstly do not keep the leftover in open air for 2 hours. Remove the card box which is not a barrier to air and bacteria, they grow in room temperature on pizza very rapidly.
Get an aluminum foil or airtight container and freeze it overnight. After freezing, you can use that frozen slices for 4 to 5 days but it would be better to eat within two days. Using that frozen leftover pizza again, reheat it in oven, frying pan, skillet, microwaving, air frying etc. If the slices stink, have dried out and have mold then waste, eating the spoiled pizza may cause you food poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat leftover pizza after 5 days?
Yes, you can use it for 5 days if it is stored in freezer. Remove the card box which is not a barrier to air and bacteria, they grow in room temperature on pizza very rapidly. Get an aluminum foil or airtight container and freeze it overnight. After freezing, you can use that frozen slices for 4 to 5 days but it would be better to eat within two days.
How do you know if pizza has gone bad?
There are some obvious signs, first of all observe the crust, if it is dried out and turned hard it is the sign of spoilage. If it stinks then keep it aside and waste it. If your pizza has some extra topping and the topping is now turned slimy you will it gooey. The beigest symbol is if there is any mold present on the surface of the pizza, do not ever dare to eat it.
How long can Dominos pizza last in the fridge?
Dominos pizza last up to 5 days if it is stored in fridge. Remove the card box which is not a barrier to air and bacteria, they grow in room temperature on pizza very rapidly. Get an aluminum foil or airtight container and freeze it overnight. After freezing, you can use that frozen slices for 4 to 5 days but it would be better to eat within two days.
How do you keep leftover pizza good?
You should wrap the leftover in a plastic or in an aluminum foil to save it from stinking and getting the unpleasant smells. You can also keep it in the airtight container to preserve it effectively. Also remember the first one strategy, the two hour rule that if you have kept it in the room temperature for two hours than waste it instead of eating.