Thanksgiving may be over, but the leftovers are ready to take the spotlight. It may be too soon to think about eating again, after a day of indulging in turkey, pie, sweetened yams, and anything else you could cram in.
But for many, the dishes left behind are an entirely separate phenomenon. Indeed, the legendary Thanksgiving sandwich took a starring role in a Friends episode, in which Ross waxed lyrical about including a ‘moist maker’ – a slice of bread dipped in gravy.
That said, adding food poisoning to your hangover is not the ideal way to spend a holiday weekend.
However you want to consume them, it’s best to be aware of each dish’s shelf life. Here, we have broken down the longevity of the top Thanksgiving dishes based on guidelines from the US Agriculture Department.
How long does each dish lasts? It depends how you left it last night and how you store it now
ON THE DINING TABLE: 2 hours
Bacteria starts to grow and multiply rapidly on anything between 40F and 140F.
After a couple of hours, it will begin to smell a bit sour and develop a slimy texture.
REFRIGERATED: 3 days
To maximize the life of your leftover turkey, pop it in the fridge within two hours of dinner.
You should remove any stuffing, to store that separately.
It will stay safe to eat, and flavorsome, for longer if you carve it up and store the slices in shallow airtight containers, or wrapped tightly in aluminium foil.
To maximize the life of your leftover turkey, pop it in the fridge within two hours of dinner
WHY YOU MUST STORE FOOD IN SHALLOW CONTAINERS
Hot or warm food can be placed straight into the refrigerator.
FROZEN: 3 months
This figure is more about flavor than safety.
Food kept constantly frozen at 0 degrees will not become unsafe, it will merely become tasteless.
As with refrigerating, the turkey should be stored in slices, tightly wrapped, to maintain its flavor for longer.
Can you refrigerate after defrosting?
That depends.
If you thawed the meat by moving it from the freezer to the fridge, that is fine. It will be good for one or two days.
You can also refreeze the meat if that’s the method you chose.
That is because the meat will not have risen to a temperature above 40F, when it is susceptible to bacteria.
However, if you thawed it in cold water or the microwave, your time is up.
Both of those methods likely bring the turkey above 40F, meaning it will almost certainly start to gather bacteria.
Note: Never thaw a turkey in hot water or on the counter, since the exterior will reach 40F quicker than the rest, and will have to sit – exposed to bacteria – for much longer than would be advisable.
GRAVY (HOMEMADE)
At 0 degrees, turkey gravy in a heavy-duty freezer bag will keep for months. However, after three months it will begin to lose flavor
ON THE DINING TABLE:2 hours
The warm sauce will quickly start to gather bacteria, even if it has a loose lid on the pot.
To maintain its flavor and safety, it needs tighter coverage and a cooler temperature.
REFRIGERATED: 1-2 days
Place in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.
After a couple of days, it will start to smell sour.
FROZEN: 2-3 months
At 0 degrees, turkey gravy in a heavy-duty freezer bag will keep for months.
However, after three months it will begin to lose flavor.
How do I reheat it?
You must bring it to a rolling boil before serving.
CRANBERRY SAUCE
The warm sauce will quickly start to gather bacteria, even if it has a loose lid on the pot
ON THE DINING TABLE: 2 hours
The warm sauce will quickly start to gather bacteria, even if it has a loose lid on the pot.
To maintain its flavor and safety, it needs tighter coverage and a cooler temperature.
REFRIGERATED: 2 weeks
Place in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.
It will keep for 14 days, helped a great deal by the sugar inside it.
FROZEN: 2 months
At 0 degrees, cranberry sauce in a heavy-duty freezer bag will keep for months.
But as a fruit, it loses its flavor quicker than some other sauces, like gravy.
Within a month or so, it will taste strange.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS (COOKED)
Brussels sprouts in a heavy-duty freezer bag will keep for a year in the freezer
ON THE DINING TABLE: 2 hours
To maintain its flavor and safety, it needs tighter coverage and a cooler temperature.
REFRIGERATED: 5 days
Place in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.
FROZEN: 1 year
At 0 degrees, brussels sprouts in a heavy-duty freezer bag will keep for a year.
However, after 12 months they will begin to lose flavor.
PUMPKIN PIE
Loosely wrap in cling film to put in the fridge, or tightly wrap to put in the freezer
ON THE DINING TABLE: 1 hour
Bacteria will start to grow on pumpkin pie within an hour. Since it is an egg-based dessert, it can carry serious health risks if eaten after being left out for too long.
REFRIGERATED: 4 days
Loosely wrap in cling film or aluminium foil, and put in the fridge.
You will be able to tell if it’s gone bad by smelling and taking a small taste.
Off pumpkin pie will begin to taste sour and develop a lumpy texture.
FROZEN: 1.5 months
To freeze, wrap tightly in aluminium foil.
Flavor will begin to fade within two months.
Before that, it will taste the same, but will likely have a grainy, hard texture when defrosted – whether within days or weeks.
CAKE (NO FROSTING)
When adequately covered, unfrosted cake is fine to leave out for a couple of days
ON THE DINING TABLE: 2 days
Cake, when adequately covered, is fine to leave out for a couple of days – if it doesn’t have a butter and egg frosting.
REFRIGERATED: 1 week
Kept at a low temperature, the cake will be protected from bacteria build-up.
That means a banana bread or yellow cake will be fine a whole week later.
FROZEN: 4 months
The best thing to do is to slice it up into small pieces, wrap individually, and freeze.
That way, the slices will maintain their flavor for longer.
However it may have a different texture when thawed.
CAKE (WITH FROSTING)
The flavor of frozen cake will begin to fade within two months. Before that, it will taste the same, but will likely have a grainy, hard texture when defrosted – whether within days or weeks
ON THE DINING TABLE: 1 hour
Due to the dairy-based ingredients of a frosting, a frosted cake becomes quickly susceptible to dangerous bacteria build-up.
REFRIGERATED: 3-4 days
The best thing to do is to cover the cake tightly in plastic wrap – ideally broken down into portions.
FROZEN: 2-4 months
To freeze, cut it into pieces and wrap tightly in aluminium foil.
Flavor will begin to fade within two months.
Before that, it will taste the same, but will likely have a grainy, hard texture when defrosted – whether within days or weeks.
RED WINE (OPENED)
Full-bodied reds (Merlot, Syrah) will stay tasty for longer than lighter types (Pinot Noir)
ON THE DINING TABLE: 1 day
You should re-cork it or cover it with cling wrap if you’re leaving the wine out overnight, otherwise it will quickly go bad.
REFRIGERATED: 3-5 days
According to StillTasty.com, refrigerated wine will stay tastier and fresher for longer.
Full-bodied reds (Merlot, Syrah) will stay tasty for longer than lighter types (Pinot Noir).
After a few days it will start to turn brown and smell foul.
FROZEN: 6 months
You would only really freeze wine if you wanted to keep it for cooking purposes.
The best way to do that is to pour the wine into an ice cube tray.
Once frozen, those cubes can be moved into a heavy-duty freezer bag.
The wine will keep its flavor for about half a year.
