Ok, it’s guilty confession time. We love nothing more than keeping a slice or two back from the night before. Cold pizza is one of life’s little luxuries. There’s something about the fact that the base seems to soak up all of those flavors and turns a little bit chewy. We love it! We’ve often had the dilemma where we forgot about our pizza, and we were wondering how long is pizza good for in the fridge? Well, we will share the benefit of our detailed research with you today and give you all the information you’ll need. Enjoy your pizza!
How Long is Pizza Good for in the Fridge?
The short answer? About 3-4 days as a maximum.
Why?
To understand, you have to know how a fridge keeps food fresh. Here’s a super quick explanation…
Bacteria are around us, everywhere. All day, every day. On our bodies, in the air, and on our food. It is these bacteria that eventually cause food to go bad.
They like fairly warm temperatures. When it is hot enough, they get all frisky and begin to breed.
Lots of bacteria is a bad thing.
However, when they are kept cold by a refrigerator or freezer, their growth is inhibited.
In a nutshell, that is how a fridge works.
However…
Fridges don’t stop them from breeding completely. It just slows them down. After 4 days (even in the fridge), bacteria can reach the same dangerous levels as they would in warmer temperatures.
When you get to that stage, it is time to yeet that pizza in the trash!
We tend to find after two days, the quality begins to suffer anyway. The cheese on top becomes all hard, the sauce makes the base soggy, and overall, it is tough and stale. Better make (or order tee hee) a fresh one!
How Can I Tell if Pizza is Bad?
Not sure if your pizza is good here are 4 signs that it has seen better days, and you should consider leaving it: –
- Degraded quality – A tough and dried-out pizza shouldn’t be appealing anyway. Suppose the quality has begun to suffer, or your pizza has taken on a cardboard-like texture. In that case, it might be time to consider eating something else.
- A bad odor – This one is one to watch for. When food starts to go bad, it will smell funny. This is actually a hard one to miss. If you take a sniff of your pizza and find yourself recoiling in disgust, then it is time to say maybe next time to your Margherita!
- Mold Spots – Mold spores can be really dangerous. Keep a careful eye on your pizza, especially the crust at the edges, any black, blue, or green spots, and it’s time to fold your pizza and throw it in the trash. Also, keep a lookout for white fur. If this is present, eating your pizza is a massive no-no.
- Collections of liquid – This is another sign that shows your pizza isn’t just off. It is rotten. As gluten and all ingredients are broken down by bacteria, they turn into a sludgy mess. Throw your pizza away, clean the shelf and ask yourself why you even considered eating it if it has got to this stage!
Related: Does hummus go bad?
How To Know If Your Pizza is Bad
To know whether food is safe to eat, you need to understand the ‘danger zone’ concept.
What is the ‘danger zone’?
Essentially, this is a ‘window’ of temperature that bacteria find the easiest to breed in. the longer your food remains in the danger zone, the more likely it will become full of bad bacteria that will make you sick.
The danger zone is located between 40°F and 140°F. If your food sits between these two numbers for an extended amount of time, it will go bad sooner.
Wait, what?
Yup.
If you have let your food sit in the danger zone for a while, it won’t stay good for as long in the fridge.
Want to avoid the danger zone? Here’s what to do.
Don’t leave food out for any longer than necessary. As soon as you are done eating, refrigerate it. This means it will rapidly shoot through the danger zone without too much harm being done.
But…
Avoid putting piping hot food in the fridge.
Why?
Because it could cause the fridge temperature to rise over 40°F. Meaning that all of the food in the fridge is now in the danger zone!
Try and avoid leaving food warm for too long. Things like chafing dishes and plate warmers are good for an hour or so, but you are flirting with danger after that.
Related: How long can jello shots last in the fridge
Can I Eat Pizza if Left Out for 4 Hours?
In truth?
No, we wouldn’t bother. Room temperature is around 68°F. Look at the ‘danger zone’ again. Does anything stand out?
Yup, that’s slap bang right in the middle of the dangerous window. And 4 hours is plenty of time for those pesky bacteria to breed. Do yourself a favor. Don’t chance it. It is better to do without a few slices of pizza than to feel ill for days with food poisoning!
The reason you are asking is that you probably ordered pizza last night and forgot about it…
Are we right?
Yeah, we’ve done it too! This is definitely not safe to eat! Throw it away and live to eat another day!
FAQs
-
Does Pizza Go Bad?
Yes pizza can go bad if you leave it longer than 4 days, even when you place it in the fridge. Where possible, eat your pizza fresh and on the same day you made it.
-
Can you eat a 1 week old pizza
No, you shouldn’t eat pizza beyond 4 days.
Conclusion
How long is pizza good for in the fridge. Well, a maximum of 4 days is about as good as you are going to get, and that is assuming that you stored it promptly and correctly when it was fresh. In truth, any more than two days, and we are likely going to have second thoughts about demolishing a double pepperoni! What’s the biggest pizza you’ve polished off in one sitting? We’ve never managed a family-sized pizza on our own! Let us know below!
