5 Tips for Storing Thanksgiving Leftovers
Thanksgiving Day is for family and friends. But Thanksgiving weekend is all about you and those amazing leftovers! Do you have a plan for your leftovers? Here you'll find 5 amazing tips to keep your leftovers safe to eat later:
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Leftovers should be cooled down as quickly as possible. Pack them into several shallow containers rather than one large one, and make sure you don't stack the containers in the refrigerator (this can trap the heat).
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Instead of trying to make room for a large plastic container in your freezer, consider freezing things like cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing in resealable plastic bags. Make sure all of the air is out of the bag and then lay it down flat on its side. Then, you can place the bags on top of each other for more space-efficient storage.
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You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Try to reheat only what you'll be serving at one time rather than reheating the entire portion. It's safe to heat it all and then re-store what you don't use, but the food will continue to lose flavor and moisture the more it's reheated.
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Once your leftovers are packed away, avoid opening and closing the refrigerator door until the food has had time to cool down.
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If you are having guests for Thanksgiving (and you’re feeling generous!), then you’ll likely be sending them home with some leftovers. Unless you want to track down your nice food storage containers in the following weeks, then we suggest purchasing some that you don’t mind giving away.