If you made a fresh batch of empanadas and then proceeded to forget about them until the next day, you may be disappointed to find out that they’re no longer safe to eat. Empanadas are considered perishable food and should always be stored in the refrigerator.
Empanadas that have been left on the countertop overnight have entered a dangerous temperature level that encourages bacterial growth. The risk of eating them is great and food experts recommend that you toss the leftover food that’s been sitting out for more than two hours.
When you want to store extra empanadas, there are a few key tips for storage. You can choose to either refrigerate them or freeze them if you want to keep them for a longer period. They can keep for several days or up to six months.
How Long Can Empanadas Sit Out At Room Temperature?
Similar to most perishable foods, empanadas can safely sit out at room temperature for up to two hours. After this point, they should be refrigerated and kept at a temperature of under 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the best preservation results.
If empanadas have sat out on the countertop for a longer period, they have entered a dangerous territory of bacterial growth. Empanadas that have been left out overnight should be tossed the next day.
Even if the food looks okay to eat, if they’ve been out for several hours you’re taking a risk with your health if you consume them. This is often not worth the risk, as a bout of food poisoning can last several days.
Once your empanadas have cooled, you should put them in the fridge. Extra empanadas store well in both the fridge and freezer if packaged properly, which you can read more about below to ensure you’re keeping your leftovers fresh.
What Causes Empanadas Go Bad?
All foods are prone to spoilage at some point or another. With empanadas, the dough can spoil more quickly if it was made with eggs and dairy products. The filling also has a time frame for when it should be enjoyed, which can range from 1-3 days.
Most empanadas are filled with a mixture of protein and vegetables. Some use fish as the protein source, which is more likely to go off quicker than say, beef or chicken.
As soon as the meat spoils, the rest of the empanada has gone bad as well. Even if there are just a few spots of mold on the dough, you’ll want to throw the whole container away as it has penetrated deeper than just the crust.
Excess moisture can speed up the process of empanadas going bad, as it can make them soggy. The longer your food sits in excessive moisture, the quicker it will go off.
The best thing to do is to keep them as dry as possible, which can be achieved by lining the container with a paper towel.
What Happens If You Eat Empanadas That Have Gone Bad?
Fortunately, mold is often not a huge health threat. However, it can certainly make food look incredibly unappetizing. If you’ve accidentally consumed an empanada with evidence of mold, you don’t need to panic about becoming disastrously ill.
You may begin to experience symptoms such as nausea and potentially vomiting as well. This is the body’s natural reaction to eating something that it wasn’t supposed to consume. The larger concern is eating meat that has gone bad, as this can have a stronger detrimental effect on your health.
If the empanada filling hasn’t been cooked thoroughly, raw meat may still be present. This can pose a danger to consumers.
If there is any undercooked meat, the empanadas will quickly take on an unpleasant smell after a couple of days in the fridge.
Symptoms such as a high fever or intense stomach cramps should be treated by a doctor. Other than that, increasing your water intake is recommended as it helps your system fight the infection and flush out the bad bacteria.
How Can You Tell If an Empanada Has Gone Bad?
From a visual standpoint, if you see any mold on the empanada then this means it has already gone bad. Instead of trying to cut off the piece that has mold, you want to toss the entire batch that was sitting in the same container with the spoiled one.
Not all bacteria are visible, so you may not be seeing the entire picture.
If you open the container of empanadas and immediately smell a sour or unpleasant smell, this is another sure sign that the food has gone bad. Neither the dough nor the filling should smell sour at any point.
When empanadas get overly mushy, they’re often not very pleasant to eat anymore. It’s unlikely that they can be revived through a reheating method at this point. Even if you were to fry the leftover empanada to try to make it crispy, it would likely just fall apart.
Any discoloration on the outer layer of dough should be taken as a sign of caution. If it’s a darker spot from the cooking process, then this is normal. However, if it’s any type of abnormal color then it’s more than likely mold spores that have grown on the surface.
How Should Empanadas Be Stored?
When you have just a few leftover empanadas, the best method is to refrigerate them. You can place them in an airtight container, lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Make sure you get to them within a few days or they may begin to go bad.
If you don’t add a paper towel, your leftover empanadas may begin to get soggy. The food should be completely cooled before you put it into a piece of Tupperware or else the steam will create unnecessary liquid and moisture within the container.
Another method for storing empanadas is using the freezer. This works best when you have a large batch of leftovers, as you can freeze and store them in a plastic bag. When you’re ready for a snack, you can simply pop out one or two and reheat them.
For shorter-term storage, the fridge is the easiest way to go. Many people don’t have an issue with eating a few empanadas within the best-by timeframe within the refrigerator.
Once you’re ready to eat your empanadas, you can simply take them out of the fridge and either reheat them using the microwave, the oven, or the stovetop. If you have an air fryer, you may find that this provides the crispiest results.
How Long Do Empanadas Last In the Fridge & Freezer?
If you plan on storing your empanadas in the fridge, plan to eat them within three days. After this point, they will lose flavor and the overall quality will begin to decline. In the freezer, they can easily last for several months, depending on the filling ingredients.
When freezing your empanadas, you’ll want to allow them to cool completely beforehand. Once they’re cooled, you can place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Ensure that they’re not touching each other or else they’ll freeze like this.
Once the empanadas are frozen solid, you can place them in a freezer bag. Remember to put a date on the plastic bag so you remember when you originally cooked and froze them in case they end up pushed towards the back of the freezer.
Keep in mind that once empanadas are frozen they’re prone to losing their flaky and crispy texture. You can defrost them before pan-frying them to regain some of the lost texture. Empanadas that have been reheated can taste just as delicious as they were before if you take the proper steps for reheating them.