Are you ready for the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers? Before you dig in, the Department of Agriculture encourages everyone to handle food safely to avoid illness. USDA Food Safety Expert Meredith Carothers urges everyone not to leave perishable food out for long periods.
“We recommend that everyone follow a two-hour rule. Set that timer for yourself as you sit down to eat to get those leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours after they have been served.”
Every year food bourne illnesses cause 48 million cases, 128 thousand hospitalizations, and three thousand deaths according to USDA.
Carothers says it’s important to cool food fast so it reaches the safe refrigerator storage temperature. To do this, she recommends dividing or cutting large amounts of food into smaller containers.
“If you have that big dish of mashed potatoes and stuffing, that’s to break that out in smaller, shallow containers so it cools properly. Similarly, with a whole turkey, you want to carve the entire turkey and get it into smaller portions.”
Food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours or more than an hour in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit is unsafe according to USDA.
Carothers urges everyone not to eat leftovers that have been in the refrigerator for more than three or four days. But you can freeze some leftovers for up to four months.
“Leftovers freeze really well, especially Thanksgiving leftovers. And the quality will differ on how long they’re frozen for. They’re safe indefinitely but usually, about three to four months is the best recommendation for quality when it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers.”
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