How Long Do Mashed Potatoes Last – When Do They Go Bad?

The best side dishes include mashed potatoes. With or without gravy, garlic, or even just a little butter, the warm, starchy comfort food pairs well with both steaks and casseroles.

While raw potatoes only last about 24 hours, mashed potatoes can be stored for three to four days. If you intend to use mashed potatoes after five days, you can freeze them.

Don’t be concerned if you find that there are huge piles of mashed potatoes still in the pot after a while. To save extra mashed potatoes for future meals, just use these simple strategies.

How Long Are Leftover Mashed Potatoes Good For?

Leftover mashed potatoes are good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to 12 months in the freezer.

However, you must take care to handle and store them properly.

When starchy foods are kept at room temperature for too long, like mashed potatoes, bacteria can grow and spread. And these may cause food poisoning, diarrhea, and vomiting.

You could develop botulism, a serious form of food poisoning if you consume bad potatoes. If you notice any of the symptoms below after eating mashed potatoes that could have gone bad, seek medical attention right away:

How to Spot a Badly Mashed Potato?

The time that potatoes stay fresh it depends on certain factors, like

• How the mashed potatoes are stored.
• Whether or not the mashed potatoes have been prepared.

It’s hard to spot when cooked potatoes have gone bad.
Cooked potatoes occasionally have a fetid smell, which is a sign of spoilage. This kind of potato may also contain bacteria covertly.

Because they are cooked and contain some protein, mashed potatoes pose a risk for bacterial growth that can result in food poisoning.

In order to kill any bacteria that may have formed, it is best to consume cooked mashed potatoes within 3 to 4 days of cooking and to a temperature of 165°F.

The best way to tell if a potato has been improperly mashed is to smell and visually inspect them; avoid tasting any that have an off scent or appearance.

How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes?

You shouldn’t let mashed potatoes sit for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

However, you should store the potatoes as soon as you can if you’ve added dairy products like butter, sour cream, or cream cheese.

These add-ins make the potatoes less stable and more likely to breed bacteria quickly.

The “danger zone” for cooked foods is between 40°F and 140°F. So you should try to keep your food hot, or chilled to prevent bacteria growth.

Stick to cold temperatures below 40 degrees in the refrigerator and 0 degrees in the freezer for the best quality and safety.

For the Refrigerator

If you plan to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, use a shallow container so the potatoes cool evenly with no warm spots. You risk having spoilage sooner if you don’t.

Additionally, a closed container must be used. Using shallow airtight containers will:

• Keep the potatoes from absorbing other smells from the fridge
• Stop them from drying out too quickly
• Prevent contaminated potatoes from spreading to other foods

Aluminum foil and plastic wrap won’t provide as much protection for your food. Try to use plastic containers or resealable plastic bags, with as much air removed as possible.

You should also place the potatoes as close to the back of the fridge as possible for best results. The refrigerator’s coldest place is here!

For the Freezer

Make sure to portion out your leftover mashed potatoes before storing them in the freezer. You will only defrost what you actually need in this way.

To prevent freezer burn, flatten the bags as much as you can and use freezer-safe bags like Ziploc bags. This will help them fit better on the shelf.

Ensure the potatoes cool to room temperature before putting them in the freezer. If they don’t, the food around them might heat up.

Tips for Reheating

When reheating leftover mashed potatoes, there are a few guidelines to remember.

1. Before reheating, make sure to let frozen mashed potatoes defrost in the fridge. This will take several hours. So, plan to move them to the refrigerator the night before you need them.
2. On the stove, reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat. You can also include a small amount of liquid if they are a little bit dry. Good options are milk, chicken broth, or cream. Start with 1/4 cup or so, and add more until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Additionally, you can reheat cold leftover mashed potatoes in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. or until the body temperature reaches 165 degrees. Prior to reheating them in an oven-safe baking dish or casserole dish, just be sure to combine them with a little bit of liquid.

How to Tell When They’ve Gone Bad?

Always inspect your potatoes before reheating them!

Even if it hasn’t been the full 3-5 days, your potatoes may go bad. So, if the potatoes have an unpleasant smell or you notice a sour taste, stop eating them and throw them away.

Additionally, keep an eye out for other deterioration indicators like moldy, dry, or glossy-appearing areas.

Conclusion

When properly stored, mashed potatoes can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Before putting them in the refrigerator, you should make sure they have cooled to at least 140°F.

It is also important that they are in a sealed container or covered with plastic wrap to prevent bacteria from entering from other contaminants.

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