Leftovers? Well, not really - what's wrong with my SOP?

As with many of my gender and marital status, the only long term residents of my fridge are condiments. So I have to wonder - I know people package stuff up to put in the refrigerator - but my long-time practice has been to grill up a big steak and add some veggies, eat about half, and pop the plate in the fridge to nuke for din-din tomorrow night.

Not three or four nights from now - tomorrow night. If something comes up tomorrow, I may wrestle with myself the next night, but after that it’s definitely off the menu.

So, what negative consequences are there to just ploppin’ a plate full of dinner in the refrigerator uncovered, to be nuked and consumed 24 hours later? At best, I’d just be wrapping some tin foil over it, and I don’t know what difference that would make in the time period envisioned.

Well if you were a good housewife (which you’re not ;)) you’d know that if you had more than one uncovered thing in there, all of your uncovered things would exchange odors and your stuff wouldn’t taste as good because it would be smell contaminated.

You also need to worry about bacteria getting to things in there. You DO open the fridge and there IS air in there. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean it’s bacteria-free.

You should get yourself a plastic plate cover, like you might see at a hospital or perhaps a large dinner party where waiters need to stack the plates. You wouldn’t have to bother with foil or any wrapping, and you can rest assured knowing that the bacteria from your festering milk or rotten jelly jar won’t be making its way over to your steak.

Yes, mom. :wink:

Really, thanks, that’s a good idea. Where do you shop for something like that?

Why, Bed, Bath and Beyond of course!

That particular gadget is for covering stuff in the microwave, but it will serve your purpose.

Another hint: try not to put stuff in the fridge while it’s still warm. When I was working in the food industry, the chefs would go nuts when I’d put hot food in the cooler. I guess going from warm - cold is even way worse for bacteria.

And also, if you leave things uncovered in the fridge, they tend to dry out.

You can also get something called GladWare, which are basically the same thing as ZipperJJ’s link. They not only make containers, but have recently come out with tableware: stackable plates, bowls, and glasses, all with covers (I believe they are microwaveable like their regular containers, but you might want to check the package). They’re are pretty inexpensive, and available at most supermarket/grocery stores (so you don’t have to order them from somewhere). Check where such things as Ziplock bags are kept.

I think the problem with putting hot food into the fridge has more to do with raising the temperature inside. I don’t see how rapidly cooling food would make a difference, but if the rest of the food get’s warmed in the process you may have a problem.

Also, it puts a large strain on the compressor and you can burn it out this way.

A plate of warm food is not going to overload your refrigerator. You should not allow food to cool off before putting it in the fridge, that allows bacteria to grow rapidly while it’s still warm. You can let food cool off a bit, but don’t wait until it gets all the way down to room temperature. There is a range of temps where bacteria loooove to grow, the goal is to minimize the amount of time the food is that temperature. Once the food cools off to about 135F or so, bacteria will begin to grow, and fast, get it in the fridge.

Ringo you never heard of plastic wrap? It’ll prevent things from falling into your leftovers, and keep them from drying out. I think it’s better than a plastic cover, cuz you never have to wash it out. If you wrap it tightly with plastic, that’s just about the same as putting it in Tupperware, you should be good to go.

Cheesesteak I agree with you but my point is that something like a big pot of spaghetti straight off the stove will indeed warm the inside, and cause the compressor to run non-stop for hours, shortening it’s lifespan.

Not that it puts a larger strain but it runs it for a longer time.

A boatload of good info here! Thanks, all.

There’s a Bed, Bath and Beyond just up the street. I guess I’ll go, er, uh, “shop.”

Just a plug for Gladware containers. Oooh, they are my dream food containers. Cheap, plentiful, interchangeable lids, and if you find them full of nasty stuff in the fridge, you can just pitch 'em.
They’re at the grocery store and WalMart, too.
Then again, I never pass up a reason to go to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Never know what you might find there!
~karol, lover of all things kitchen-related

Cheesesteak is right. I had to grow up with my mom telling me to let food cool off before putting it in the fridge. Nuh uh. That’s just a holdover from the olden days when fridges weren’t as strong or something. When I worked briefly in the food industry I was told to get things from hot to cool as quickly as possible. Do not let it cool off for a couple hours on the stove – that’s prime temps for bacteria and other nasties to develop. Your friedge will be able to handle it.

That said, I routinely leave things over night on the stove cooling down. Stocks, sauces, meat, etc. Haven’t gotten sick yet, but I wouldn’t recommend the practice. The only thing I’m paranoid about is raw chicken. That stuff is lethal.

Anyhow, plastic wrap and tupperware are your best bets. Also, if you have a freezer, get some tupperware and freeze leftover stews and soups. You’d be surprised at how well many foods freeze. And your steak should be able to easily survive three to four days in the fridge without getting nasty. I just find that foods with milk products or onions tend to go rank more quickly. And, heck, stews taste better on the second or third days.

I love those Saran Quick Covers – basically a little plastic shower cap for your plate. I hate regular plastic wrap because it always sticks to itself before you get it on the dish. But those little Quick Covers pop right on. They come in different sizes and fit almost anything. The medium (blue) ones are just right for a regular-size dinner plate.