Christmas Leftovers? 5 Ways to Avoid Poisoning Your Family and Friends

Once again, you were stuffed before the stuffed turkey ran out. So what should you do? We looked to Food Service Warehouse for some answers.

1. Follow the two-hour rule. You may be tempted to take a break after the meal is over, but hot, perishable food that sits out longer than two hours is considered unsafe to eat and should be tossed. After two hours, the food has cooled to the point that it’s in the food danger zone – 40 degrees F to 140 degrees F – an that’s when bacteria can rapidly reproduce and contaminate the food.
2. Be careful about sending leftovers home with guests. Sure, you can save room in your refrigerator by packing it in containers and sending it away with guests, but the two-hour rule still applies. You don’t want to send them home with salmonella risk, too. Ask your guests to bring coolers and ice along with them – or fill inexpensive Styrofoam coolers with presents and stick a bow on them, giving your guests an insulated container so they can get leftovers home safely.
3. Store the leftovers immediately in the refrigerator or freezer. Turkey stored in the refrigerator is good for three to four days; if you’re freezing it, eat it within six months. It will still be safe to eat after that period of time, but freezer burn will have begun to set in.
4. Use shallow containers. Why? Because the smaller the container, the quicker the leftovers cool and the less time they spend in the food danger zone.
5. Store the stuffing and the turkey separately. When stored together, there’s a risk of salmonella bacteria contaminating the stuffing. Again, use shallow containers and follow the two-hour rule.

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Photo via Shutterstock

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