SAFELY STORING THANKSGIVING #LEFTOVERS

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for those of you living in the U.S. One of the great things about Thanksgiving is leftovers—especially leftover turkey and stuffing (not to mention pumpkin pie!) However many people don’t store leftovers safely or store them for too long and wind up at best with nasty intestinal problems or at worst with a trip to the emergency room. So just in time, here’s a reminder about the safest ways to store your leftovers.

Turkey

If the turkey was stuffed, make sure you remove all the stuffing. Cut the meat from the bones. You can use the bones for making turkey soup. Wrap the meat well and refrigerate for no longer than three days. You can also freeze turkey meat for up to a month.

To keep turkey from drying out, microwave the sliced meat in a small amount of turkey broth or water or bake in the oven until the meat begins to steam.

Stuffing

After removing from the turkey, place the stuffing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for a month. To reheat, drizzle a little broth or gravy over the stuffing and microwave or back until heated through.

Potatoes and Cooked Veggies

Place in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to a month.

Salad

Salad should only be saved if it’s not dressed. Store covered in the fridge for no more than two days.

Pies

Really? You think there will be anything beyond crumbs left? Maybe if there’s a blizzard and half your company is stranded at the airport. If that happens, cover the pies and store in the fridge. I seriously doubt they’ll last beyond breakfast the next morning. We all know about those Thanksgiving midnight snacks.