Do you find yourself asking what do I do with all these leftover holiday foods? I love the fact of not having to cook the next day or two. Turkey casserole or turkey salad made with leftover turkey is just a few examples. With a little planning, meals with leftover turkey can be as delicious as your original meal. Many people travel or have multiple days of festivities and may not have the ability to consume leftovers immediately. Or there are those that intentionally make more food than is needed so we will have leftovers. Whatever your situation, the following tips will make sure you are safely consuming leftovers.
- Chill your leftovers promptly. While sometimes it’s tempting to let the food sit out as we graze all day, this creates the perfect environment for foodborne pathogens to grow and multiply.
- Place food in food grade, re-usable containers. Usually, the food cools down considerably by the time the meal has ended and is cool enough to place in the refrigerator, but section food into smaller containers if necessary and chill in an ice bath if there is a large amount of hot food.
- If you are not going to be able to eat the food within 3 days, freeze food that can be frozen (turkey, dressing, rolls).
- If you are unsure about whether food is still good to eat, check out the Food Keeper App, created by The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is a great resource for knowing when to eat or throw out a wide variety of food. This is an online resource, or it is an app for your smart phone as well.
- Best practice is to only reheat leftovers one time, so don’t warm up the entire plate of leftover turkey for just one sandwich, only warm up what you will eat.
- Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After 4 days, throw out all remaining leftover food to prevent the growth of certain bacteria like listeria, which can survive in the refrigerator, and clean your refrigerator as needed.
Markaye Russell is an LSU AgCenter Area Nutrition Agent.
