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Safely storing holiday leftoversBy Luann Boyer CSU Family and Consumer Extension Agent, Morgan County Your holiday dinner went off without a hitch, but as you clean up, you wonder what will you do with all those leftovers? Whether you planned the meal to enjoy some leftovers or it just happened, you need to make sure you store them properly. Any large quantities of dense foods such as potatoes or dressing needs to be divided into smaller containers. A dense food should be no more than 2 inches deep in the container so it can chill thoroughly within 2 hours. More liquid items such as brothy soups or gravy can be no more than 3 inches deep in a container. For leftover turkey, take all meat off the carcass and cut into smaller pieces. Don't try cooling or freezing a whole piece of breast meat or a large drumstick. If you are going to freeze the food immediately, you still need to chill it to at least 70 degrees before putting in the freezer. It is better if you can chill it to 40 degrees so the freezer doesn't have to work so hard. Never cover foods in the refrigerator until they have reached 40 degrees. Covering the food keeps the heat in the container and allows great incubation time for bacteria. If you have freshly made custard, pumpkin or pecan pies, they also need to be stored in the refrigerator because of the eggs and diary products used in those recipes. A fruit pie like apple or cheery can be stored at room temperature for a few days. Hopefully by that time it will be all gone. Foods should not be stored in the refrigerator very long. Turkey and stuffing should be eaten within 3 to 4 days, gravy in 2 to 3 days, deviled eggs in 2 days, and pumpkin or custard pies in 2 days. If you freeze foods, you can keep them longer but it is recommended you use within 6 months. That's in a food freezer. If you are storing in the freezer part of a refrigerator, 2 to 3 months is maximum for good quality. When reheating any leftover, it must be reheated to 165 degrees. That temperature will destroy any bacteria that might be on the food. Again, the only way to know the temperature is by using a food thermometer. I have been surprised many times when I'm sure an item has reached 165 degrees because of the steam and then found it has not. If the item can be stirred like potatoes, do that before checking temperatures to distribute the heat. For liquid items like gravy, bring to a boil. If heat any item in a microwave oven, it must be 165 degrees. Follow these simple rules and you'll be able to safely enjoy those leftovers. For any questions about holiday food preparation or food safety, call the Colorado State University Extension office in Morgan County at 970-542-3544.
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