How long will those Thanksgiving leftovers last? Experts weigh in
While everyone is preoccupied preparing a feast during Thanksgiving, a lot of questions surround what to do with the leftovers after all is said and done? Or rather, what’s their shelf life?
Experts weigh in on how long you should keep certain leftovers once your family is finished stuffing themselves the night of the big turkey day.
What should be done Thanksgiving night to preserve the deliciousness
Always make sure you throw away any perishables that are doomed to keep overnight – like already made salads, since they’re most likely to wilt quickly, the Food Network recommends.
They also suggest removing the stuffing from the turkey cavity in order to store separately.
Pack all the leftovers in plastic bags and small containers so you’re able to minimize the space in your refrigerator and freezer.
Eat This, Not That! says that it’s best not to wait more than two hours to pack away the leftovers.
“Leaving your cooked leftovers at room temperature for more than two hours can result in contamination by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, which is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning,” Eat This says.
Different shelf lives
Things like breads and rolls will quickly dry out, so Food Network suggests that you freeze dinner rolls or “prep into cubes or crumbs; wrap rolls in foil first, then plastic wrap, so the rolls can go straight into a preheated oven once the plastic wrap’s removed. Store in plastic bags with all the air forced out; even frozen, bread has a short shelf life (no more than a month.)” Any longer than a month, and you’ll be able to taste the freezer burn on the bread.
Now for the big stuff(ing).
Here’s what Still Tasty says is the shelf life of popular Thanksgiving Day dishes.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer |
Turkey (whole) | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
Homemade gravy | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
Cranberry sauce | 10-14 days | 1-2 months |
Stuffing | 3-4 days | 1 month |
Potatoes, yams, green bean casserole | 3-5 days | 10-12 months |
| Baked pumpkin pie | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |
Open red or white wine | 3-5 days | 1-2 months |
According to MarketWatch, Americans tend to throw out billions of dollars of uneaten food every year, “$293 million of which happens with Thanksgiving turkey alone,” which it’s why it’s best to preserve as much as you can after the table has been cleared.
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 6:10 PM with the headline "How long will those Thanksgiving leftovers last? Experts weigh in."