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How to handle Turkey leftovers safely

How to handle Turkey leftovers safely

Leftovers may not be particularly exciting, but store them safely and they’ll help feed the family long after the Christmas festivities are over. This handy guide outlines some important points to remember – follow these and you should be fine, but if you have any doubts, please check the government’s food safety guidelines

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  1. Two-hour limit: allow leftovers to cool at room temperature after your meal, but ensure that they are wrapped or covered and placed in the fridge/freezer within one-two hours. (Remember to store raw foods on a separate shelf from cooked and ready-to-eat food.) Don’t keep any leftovers that haven’t made it into the fridge or freezer before the two-hour limit is up.
  2. Smaller is better: if you can, split each type of food into smaller portions (small tubs or zip-lock bags are useful) as you refrigerate or freeze it. Reducing the portion size allows the food to chill quickly and evenly, and also means you can freeze/defrost only what you need for future dishes.
  3. Three-day/four-month rule: leftovers that have been refrigerated need to be eaten within two days (within one day for rice dishes). Frozen food will keep its flavour for up to four months, so aim to eat it before then.
  4. Freezing meat: you can freeze cooked turkey, other cooked meat and meals made from cooked and frozen meat. But, once defrosted, you should eat the food within 24 hours.
  5. Defrosting properly: when you want to use frozen leftovers, be sure to defrost them properly. The best way to do this is in the fridge overnight, but if this is not possible, use a microwave on ‘defrost’ setting.
  6. Reheating: always make sure reheated leftovers are steaming hot, all the way through. Food should never be reheated more than once, and leftover gravy should be brought to a rolling boil before serving.

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