Leftover turkey and stuffing. Baked ham and mashed potatoes. Eggnog and cookies. The only thing better than the Christmas meal itself is feasting on the leftovers the next day!
So how long can you safely keep Christmas leftovers and what's the best way to store your leftover turkey, ham or duck and all the fixings? To make the most of your leftovers, you’ve first got to ensure that they’re being kept in a safe storage environment. Most Christmas leftovers will stay fresh and tasty for at least a few days in the refrigerator and a month or more in the freezer.
Some general tips:
•Refrigerate leftover turkey, ham, goose and other meats, stuffing, gravy and other cooked dishes within 2 hours of serving.
•Carve leftover turkey meat off the bones before refrigerating. Place the meat and stuffing in separate containers.
•Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate or freeze in covered shallow containers for quicker cooling.
Follow the guidelines below to enjoy the maximum taste from your Christmas leftovers:
|
|
Storage Time |
||
|
Item |
Pantry |
Fridge |
Freezer |
|
Turkey, Goose or Duck — whole, cooked |
|
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
|
Ham — baked at home, leftovers |
|
3-4 days |
3-4 months |
|
Gravy — homemade |
|
1-2 days |
2-3 months |
|
Cranberry sauce |
|
10-14 days |
1-2 months |
|
Stuffing — cooked |
|
3-4 days |
1 month |
|
Mashed potatoes or yams; green bean casserole |
|
3-5 days |
10-12 months |
|
Cookies — homemade or bakery-purchased |
2-3 weeks |
5-7 days if frosting or filling contains eggs or dairy products |
8-12 months |
|
Fruitcake — baked |
1 month |
6 months |
1 year |
|
Eggnog — homemade |
|
1 day |
6 months |
|
Apple pie — baked |
2 days |
2-3 days after pantry storage |
1-2 months |
|
Wine, red or white — opened bottle |
|
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
|
Bread — soft-crusted |
4 -5 days |
|
2-3 months |
|
hard-crusted |
1 -2 days |
|
2-3 months |
|
|
|
|
|
*Freezer time shown is for best quality only — foods kept constantly frozen at 0° F will keep safe indefinitely.
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