Lifespan of Lunch Meat and Leftovers
I may be over cautious but I put a strict 3 day limit on lunch meat and leftovers. Incidence of stomach trouble has dropped dramatically in the family. But I am curious how long do most people keep stuff (not talking about cheeses, fruits and veggies or bottle sauces). Focusing on that 1/2 pound of shaved turkey, the opened package of sliced smoked ham, the half eaten meatloaf, the chicken parmesan cooked last night etc. etc.
Thanks - comments ?
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13 Comments:
leftovers usually get tossed after the next day if not eaten... lunch meat I tend to keep around 3-4 days, except for roast beef, that's got a 2 day limit for me, then it goes in the circular file.
Southern_bella at 10:28PM on 10/16/08
If you want to keep it longer, buy it unsliced and slice it yourself.
For some items, the shelf life is astonishingly long, I mean, some of those cured meats are purposely aged for many months. And those big logs of lunchmeat? I can remember when I was a kid, and mom went to the store about every day, and I'd watch the bologna or whatever shrink day by day. If the end got a little dry because no one bought it the day before, they'd take a slice off and toss it so it looked better.
dbcurrie at 11:05PM on 10/16/08
Goodness. I guess I've always "pushed the envelope" with leftovers and lunchmeat.
Cooked meats, especially beef and/or pork roasts I keep up to a week. Chicken, maybe four or five days, depending on how it was prepared. With saltier marinades and/or seasonings, I keep stuff longer. I remember my mom dousing poached chicken pieces with salt, and marveling at how deliciously transformed the meat became, far beyond just "salty." And it kept for quite a while!
Lunchmeat, depending on the cure, I keep for up to a week as well.
Everything gets the "sniff test" anyway. No problems so far.
hungryinhouston at 12:48AM on 10/17/08
I am a food smeller. After 2 days, I smell and decide. On day 3 it is out of here regardless.
izatryt at 8:29AM on 10/17/08
@hungry & @ iz- Sometimes bad food cooties hide behind the guise of ok smelling food. I don't take chances anymore with any lingering food.
Southern_bella at 10:04AM on 10/17/08
4 days. I do my shopping for the week on Sundays. I regularly buy turkey and cheese for my lunch sandwiches for the week. The last sandwich gets made for Thursday's lunch. I've never once had it go off in that amount of time.
VerasTastyFreeze at 10:34AM on 10/17/08
When lunchmeat starts to get that slimy film on it, that's when it's past the point of no return. Usually that happens on about the 6th day after purchase...and only really for turkey and ham. Salami and other cured meats can last longer.
juliebugsmama at 10:45AM on 10/17/08
In restaurants, food has a 7 day self life for most things - maybe not for leftovers, but for prepped food. Lunchmeats in delis are basically kept until they are all sold, with the fronts being "faced" daily, so throwing it out at home after 3 days is kind of pointless.
eatingoutwest at 1:56PM on 10/17/08
Eatingoutwest is right. I'm not sure what's going on that most things *have* to be thrown out on the third day because if it's cooked and kept cold, it'll keep a week easy.
That observation depends on:
*how cold you keep meat. (meat drawer or on the shelf?)
*how you store the meat (airtight ceramic or glass helps)
There are some corner cases where a week doesn't apply, but lunch meat certainly isn't one of them....
mpapet at 3:47PM on 10/17/08
I only buy enough cold cuts for a few days, leftovers 3 days max. There is always a bunch of different cheeses, yesterday I counted 8 kinds of cheese! Am I crazy. I used some to make a couple of quiches.
joanpieroni2 at 7:19PM on 10/17/08
yeah, back to me having the happiest dog on the planet...
she gets any lunch meat that survives after 3 days, minus cured salami and pepperoni.
she gets any leftovers, chopped and mixed into her dry kibble and warmed gently on half power in the microwave before serving to her. Id say she eats 70% of the kibble. She gently eats any real food off of each piece and spits it onto the tile for me to sweep up later.
bitch of a dog, I tell ya.
ChelleyD01 at 10:17PM on 10/17/08
The store I buy my lunch meat from actually recommends that the sliced cold cuts be eaten within 3-5 days. I stick to the five day recommendation and have never had a problem. That said I have a friend whose motto is
"it says best before, not do not eat after"
Sweetie at 10:54PM on 10/17/08
I'm shocked at how long US lunch meats and cheeses stay edible after purchase. Lunch meat I buy is still good after seven days or more.
Foodie Penguin at 4:00PM on 10/25/08