THE smell of freshly cooked prawn curry or grilled prawns can tempt you to eat them all day and night.
But what do you need to remember when reheating prawns?
Prawns can be reheated safely, provided that they have been prepared and stored properly.
Whether raw or cooked, prawns need to be stored either in a fridge or freezer.
Prawns in the fridge will remain safe to eat for two to three days.
But you have to keep the temperature between 0 and 4C.
After you’ve finished eating, always ensure that cooked prawns you want to save for later are refrigerated within two hours of preparing them.
It’s easy to forget about things you’ve bunged in the fridge, so make a note of the date and only reheat and eat them within three days of them first being cooked.
You can also freeze cooked prawns.
If they’ve been defrosted they shouldn’t be refrozen.
They should either be kept in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap to decrease the possibility of bacterial growth.
Remember to always leave your prawns in their shells, until just before you prepare them.
Prawns that have never been frozen can be frozen for up to three months if kept at -18C or below.
Make sure to cook thawed prawns as soon as possible and do not refreeze.
The best – and only way – to reheat prawns is to reheat them to an internal temperature of at least 165F or 74C.
This is the temperature at which pathogens found in them that can make you ill are killed.
You can easily heat them up on the stove, in the oven, microwave or air fryer.
Prawns can be incorporated into a variety of dishes, so whether you’re looking to keep it simple with a touch of olive oil and lemon juice or you’re making a prawn cocktail, there are lots of ways to keep them interesting.
Prawns can be reheated by taking them out from the freezer or allowing them to thaw in the fridge for 6-12 hours prior to cooking.
Tempting as it might be to use up whatever leftovers you can, you should only reheat prawns once.
Seafood is high risk where reheating is concerned.
Eating shellfish that haven’t been stored or prepared safely can lead to food poisoning, including symptoms of diarrhoea, nausea and gastroenteritis.
It can also occur when viruses or bacteria are passed from seafood when kitchen equipment like plates and knives aren’t cleaned sufficiently.
So though they may be delicious, the prawns in the back of your salad drawer probably aren’t worth getting sick for.
Aside from the safety concerns, reheating them will affect the taste and texture of your dish.
Repeatedly reheating prawns renders them tough and inedible, so it’s much better to serve them while they’re fresh.
You should also not leave uncooked or cooked prawns out overnight since they will become spoiled and unsafe to eat.
In fact, prawns should not be left sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours.
The longer they are out, the more they become prone to harmful bacteria.
