After Thanksgiving, you may find yourself with pounds of left-over turkey, potatoes, or stuffing that may get thrown away or goes bad before you are able to eat it all. Finding ways to store leftovers in the fridge, freezer, or even for delivery to nearby friends and family may help you reduce your food waste this holiday season. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection service, it is very important that consumers keep food out of the “Danger Zone”. This zone is the range of temperature between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. With this being said, cold food left out at room temperature should be thrown away after it sits out for more than 2 hours. It is also important to cool food rapidly so that it reaches 40 degrees F or below. The best way to do this is by transferring food into smaller-shallow storage containers. Regarding time kept, it is best to keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and food in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Once you store your leftovers properly, it is also very important to reheat them safely.
When reheating leftovers, food should reach 165 degrees F and should always be covered to retain moisture and heat the food evenly. Sauces and soups should be reheated to a boil. If you have frozen leftovers it is best to thaw the food in the refrigerator, cold water, or the microwave. If the food is thawed using the refrigerator or the microwave you are able to refreeze the food if you do not consume it all! Simply, remove the container from the freezer, use the refrigerator or microwave to thaw, remove the portion you would like, and then place the remaining leftovers back in the freezer!
Below are a few of the important tips for storing and reheating leftovers safely this holiday season:
- The “Danger Zone” for food is 40-140 degrees F
- Try to cool foods below 40 degrees F as fast as possible
- Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days
- Keep leftovers in the freezer for 3 to 4 months
- Reheated leftovers should reach 165 degrees F
