Clean Out Your Leftovers!
Hopefully your Thanksgiving was full of family, friends, food, and laughter. Now that the celebration is over, I’m sure your refrigerator is overflowing with leftovers. Tomorrow, November 29th, is National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day, a day dedicated to safely handling leftovers. While leftovers are great to have in the house for quick meals, especially when they include Thanksgiving treats, it is crucial to be aware of basic food safety practices.
Food safety begins as soon as you bring your groceries home. Start by washing your hands and kitchen surfaces thoroughly. This will help wash away existing bacteria before you begin preparing your meal. Avoid cross contamination during cooking by washing your hands frequently and separating utensils, cutting boards, and appliances between foods. Raw meat, fish, and poultry should be used with designated cutting boards and utensils that are separate from fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Once food has been prepared, it must be stored properly in order to safely be eaten again another time. If a food is not being eaten when it is first prepared, store it in a clean, sealed contained in the refrigerator or freezer. Within the first two hours after preparation, the food temperature should be reduced to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. After two hours, bacterial growth can contaminate your food and make it dangerous to consume. Remember that the temperature danger zone is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When reheating leftovers, use a food thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is recommended that leftovers be stored for a maximum of four days in the refrigerator. If you don’t think you will finish the leftovers within four days, store them in the freezer right away. This way your leftovers will be preserved until you know you are ready to eat them and they can easily be thawed and reheated.
Keeping leftovers for too long can be hazardous and make you ill. Even when kept in the refrigerator, food will grow bacteria over time. You cannot always see or smell when your food is past date. Make it easy to know when to throw out your leftovers by labeling all your containers with the date each food was prepared and when to eat it by.
These tips will not only keep you and your loved ones safe during the holidays, but all year long.
Your turn to take action: This weekend, take the time to clean out your refrigerator. Throw out the leftovers which are past date and label your Thanksgiving leftovers with an “eat by” date. Get creative…what did you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers?
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