The Finest Approach to Retailer and Reheat Thanksgiving Leftovers, Based on Meals Security Consultants

It’s a common reality of Thanksgiving dinner: There are sure to be leftovers. 

However these meal remnants have taken on a fandom of their very own, with a slew of recipes devoted fully to creating good use of what’s left after the vacation. When you’re most likely on prime of meals security whereas cooking Thanksgiving dinner, the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) simply dropped a helpful reminder to be secure about meals “all through the whole Thanksgiving course of.” Which means, these beloved leftovers could make you sick, too, should you’re not cautious. 

Given how a lot of a meal Thanksgiving is and the number of meals featured in it, it’s comprehensible to have questions on how one can safely retailer the leftovers. With that in thoughts, we tapped 4 meals security consultants for his or her recommendation on how one can get essentially the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers — and how one can keep away from getting sick within the course of. 

Which dishes make the most effective leftovers?

It’s tempting to toss all the things within the fridge and hope for the most effective, however some dishes are going to make it by means of higher than others should you go this route. The consultants we consulted agree that these dishes are the heartiest in terms of leftovers:

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Cranberry sauce
• Vegetable sides
• Gravy

These “sometimes make glorious leftovers as a result of they retailer properly and could be reheated or repurposed into different meals,” says Darin Detwiler, L.P.D., creator of the guide Meals Security: Previous, Current, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern College. “Dishes with sauces or gravies retain moisture higher when reheated, which improves their texture and taste,” he provides. 

What’s the easiest way to retailer leftovers?

Earlier than we dive into that, it’s necessary to level out that meals that’s been hanging on the desk or counter at room temperature for greater than two hours ought to be tossed, per the USDA. In any other case you run the danger of bacterial development, which may make you sick. 

But when all the things checks out, you’ll be able to go forward and retailer these leftovers within the fridge. Hermetic containers or zippered baggage are possibility for leftovers, says Christine Venema, a meals security educator at Michigan State College Extension.

Meals security professional Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Secure Plates program at North Carolina State College, additionally recommends that you just keep away from crowding or stacking dishes within the fridge should you can. In any other case, there could be points with all the things getting and staying chilly sufficient. “Prepared-to-eat meals — meals that don’t should be cooked earlier than being eaten — similar to minimize fruits or greens, charcuterie meat, cheeses, and many others., ought to be saved on the highest shelf to forestall cross-contamination,” Shumaker says. 

Detwiler says cranberry sauce does properly in an hermetic container within the fridge. “It holds properly because of its excessive acidity, which helps inhibit bacterial development,” he says. Detwiler additionally recommends refrigerating greens and starchy sides like mashed potatoes or stuffing in small, shallow containers to permit for quicker cooling. “This prevents micro organism from multiplying through the cooling course of,” he explains. 

How lengthy do leftovers final within the fridge?

It’s necessary to examine leftovers for indicators of spoilage, no matter whenever you dive into them. However, typically, leftovers could be saved for 3 to 4 days earlier than you toss or freeze them, says Janet Buffer, M.P.H., senior institute supervisor for the Institute for Meals Security and Vitamin Safety at George Washington College. The one exception to that is cranberry sauce, which can final for one to 2 weeks, Venema says. 

Be strategic about reheating.

You probably have leftovers after reheating your meals, it’s tempting to toss them again within the fridge to reheat once more later. However for meals security and meals high quality, it’s greatest to solely reheat meals as soon as. “Repeated reheating will increase the danger of bacterial development,” Detwiler says. 

That can assist you get essentially the most mileage out of your leftovers, Shumaker suggests solely reheating the quantity you want at any given meal. Any remaining meals out of your reheated leftovers ought to be dumped within the trash. 

The right way to inform in case your meals has gone dangerous

There’s sadly no method to inform in case your meals is contaminated with micro organism by eyeballing or sampling it. “You can not see, style, or scent a pathogenic organism or toxins in meals,” Buffer says. “This is the reason following meals security steering is necessary.” 

However spoilage — which implies the standard of the meals goes downhill — is a special story. “You’ll know if a product is spoiling as a result of you will notice adjustments within the look,” Buffer says. That features sliminess, off or disagreeable odors, and potential coloration adjustments. 

By the way in which, if there may be mildew in your cranberry sauce (or some other meals), don’t eat it — and don’t attempt to eat round it. “The fuzzy a part of the mildew fungi is the flower of the plant,” Venema says. “The remainder of the plant is buried a minimum of one inch into the meals.”

Some stuff could be frozen for later

If you understand there’s no method you’ll work your method by means of all of your leftovers in time, think about freezing a few of them. “If the leftovers are going to be frozen, they need to be saved in moisture/vapor-proof containers and freezer baggage,” Venema says. “If utilizing freezer baggage, all of the air must be squeezed out.”

Think about these hacks from Detwiler when freezing sure meals:

• Turkey: Freeze this in small parts with gravy to take care of moisture. It may be saved for as much as 4 months.
• Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy: Retailer these in hermetic containers. They are often frozen for as much as three to 4 months. 

Cranberry sauce, sadly, doesn’t thaw properly. “It turns into very watery,” Venema says. However general, should you comply with common meals security tips, you’ll be able to take pleasure in these leftover sandwiches by means of previous the vacation weekend.