Many individuals start their day with a pot of oatmeal or overnight oats. But those of us who don't like oatmeal may cook a batch and forget about it until later in the week. Everyone makes oatmeal mistakes, but improper storage can be harmful.
You can store cooked oatmeal and overnight oats in the fridge for three to five days, but take precautions. We hear a lot about preserving raw or cooked ground beef but not prepared cereals and grains.
You want your oatmeal to be fluffy and chewy and not be infested with bacteria or mold. Grain softens and forms a gelatinous block when refrigerated.
Trust your nose and eyes to make sure the oatmeal is still edible. If it discolors, it may be mold, so toss it out. Slimy or extremely soft oatmeal is harmful. Any off smell—sour, rotten, or weird—may indicate bacterial growth, so remove it.
Once cooled, put cooked oats in an airtight plastic or glass container and refrigerate. No added ingredients are best for storing oatmeal in the fridge for more than a day or two. Dairy, fresh fruits, and sugars are temperamental and speed up oatmeal spoilage.
Pour water or milk over oatmeal and microwave or heat on the stove. Thorough stirring and heating should restore its beauty.
Try heating plain refrigerated oats on the stove with a little milk, adding honey and cinnamon, and topping with fresh fruit. Leftover oats can be frozen in an airtight jar for six months.
Dry oats can become bad, therefore using old oats may be the cause of your bland oatmeal. Though bacteria and mold can still contaminate dry oatmeal on the shelf, boiling stale oatmeal can yield a poor outcome.
Keep your oats fresh on the shelf and in the fridge to start each morning with chewy, hearty delight.