Leftover Tips by Suz

Some candida sufferers are so sensitive to molds in leftover foods that they do better if everything is freshly prepared. If you are okay eating leftovers here are some helpful tips on storage in order to maintain freshness.

• Try to eat up most foods within 24 hours, up to 3 days maximum.
• If you have a freezer make large batches of a recipe and freeze it in smaller portions.
• Keep leftovers from someone's plate separate from any extra portions that were not served with the meal, and store them in a separate container as well. Why? As soon as food is touched by our mouths, even with a utensil that has a bit of our saliva on it, it begins to break down any foods with which it has contact.

To store small amounts of leftovers in the fridge or the freezer, use any of the following:

1. Glass container with glass lid.
2. Glass container with plastic snap-on lid (don't let the food touch the plastic).
3. Ceramic or glass bowls with a ceramic or glass plate on top as a lid.
4. Stainless steel container with a good fitting lid.

Choose the smallest container possible which will leave the least amount of airspace.

For a pot of stew, chili, or soup, I usually keep it in the pot I made it in, let it cool and place it in the fridge. If the pot lid makes it too high to fit on the shelf I turn the lid upside down, or I will use a plate that fits nicely over the top of the pot as a lid instead.

When re-heating leftover soup, stew or chili, spoon out as much as you will need from the original pot, and re-heat it in a smaller pot. Return the original pot to the fridge.

For thick stews and chili, after you've spooned out what you are going to re-heat from the original pot, use the spoon to flatten the surface again, instead of leaving a "hole" in it, before returning the pot to the fridge.

If you are going to prepare salads, crudites,* or cook veggies in advance, remember that those vegetables will begin losing nutritional potency as soon as they are cut open, or sliced up, so try to find the time to prepare foods fresh whenever possible.

*Crudites (a french word pronounced "kroo-deh-TAY") – raw cut-up veggies (veggie platter for dipping or munching).

Although salads are best when fresh, they can be prepared up to one day in advance, if necessary, and kept in one of the above mentioned storage containers. Only add the dressing when you are ready to serve it and make certain all of the ingredients are dry by patting them well with paper towels (moisture increases chances of mold growth). Put heavier ingredients in the bottom of the container (sliced veggies, chicken, etc.) then add lighter greens on top. This will help keep the greens fresh, and prevent them from wilting.

Salad dressings and condiments are also best when freshly made, but some stand up to storage longer than others. Homemade mayonnaise will keep quite well for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, but again, it tastes best and is nutritionally more potent when first prepared.

Homemade mustard, especially when made raw with apple cider vinegar, will keep well for a few weeks, as long as a clean utensil is used every time some is taken from the jar. This is the same for homemade ketchup (stevia sweetened).