By following these basic food safety guidelines, you and your family can be feasting on Christmas leftovers for days and weeks to come:
Wash your hands
Before handling leftovers, wash your hands in warm, soapy water to prevent the spread of bacteria.
Label and date
Avoid playing leftover roulette: Label and date everything with permanent marker and masking tape or adhesive labels.
Chill out
Bacteria can increase at room temperature, so it’s important to quickly cool your food. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze foods within 2 hours of cooking, and toss anything that has been sitting out longer than that.
Store leftovers in 5cm shallow layers in containers (don’t pile too high to avoid trapping heat) and use an ice bath to rapidly cool hot liquids, like soup, before refrigerating or freezing.
Follow our guide for properly storing these common Christmas leftovers:
- Turkey: Carve all the meat off the bone and cut into smaller pieces. Divide the turkey into small portions and store in shallow storage containers or freezer bags in the refrigerator or freezer. If the turkey has stuffing in its cavity, remove it and store separately.
- Mashed potatoes and stuffing: Before refrigerating, place the leftovers in a shallow layer in an airtight storage container and cover. Or store leftovers in freezer bags in the freezer.
- Cranberry sauce: Remove the remaining sauce from the can and store in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Pie: Wrap the pie tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.
Note: Cooked egg whites, cabbage, lettuces, custards and puddings do not freeze well.
Reheat the right way
Solid leftovers should be heated to 75°C. Soups and other liquids should be brought to a rolling boil.
Use the 4-day rule
| Food | Refrigerator | Freezer |
| Cooked meat and poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
| Soups, stews | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Salads (potato, pasta) | 3 to 4 days | Not recommended |
| Gravy, meat broth | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |