From turkey, to stuffing experts explain how to store your dinner leftovers and when it is best to let them go and cut your losses

Airtight tips! How to keep your leftover Christmas dinner fresh for DAYS (but you’ll need to act fast)

The day after Christmas is celebrated in many different ways, but Christmas dinner leftovers is a staple in every household. 

From Boxing day, people across the UK will be eating up the excess food for up to several days. 

From gammon pies to turkey curries Christmas leftovers have been jazzed up over the years. 

However, it only works if you store the food correctly, and experts have shared some of the best hacks to try this year. 

From turkey, to stuffing experts explain how to store your dinner leftovers and when it is best to let them go and cut your losses

From turkey, to stuffing experts explain how to store your dinner leftovers and when it is best to let them go and cut your losses

Lifestyle guru, Martha Stewart has shared the best ways to wrap up your favourite festive foods to keep them fresh for as long as possible.

She explained that after two hours at room temperature, food will enter the temperature ‘danger zone’ (between 4 and 6 C), where harmful bacteria can quickly grow and multiply to ‘unsafe amounts’, The Express reports.

To avoid this, she has said that ‘all leftovers should be stored in the fridge within two hours of being cooked or heated’, though the exact shelf life will vary depending on the ingredients.

HOW TO STORE COOKED TURKEY

Putting a full turkey away in the fridge is not advised, even if it is the best place to store it if you plan to use the leftovers quickly. 

What you should do is separate the meat into smaller portions using airtight containers to ensure it cools properly in the fridge, and they will be goof for three to four days. 

Kimberly Baker, director of the Clemson Extension Food Systems and Safety Program Team explained that freezer-safe bags or containers are best if you choose to freeze leftover turkey, adding that the most important storage tip is to ‘limit air space in the package to prevent freezer burn’.

As an alternative you can use tinfoil followed by cling film to keep cooked turkey fresh as this helps to prevent freezer burn and the plastic wrap retains moisture.   

HOW TO STORE STUFFING

As a general rule, the shelf-life or stuffing is seven days from the day of preparation if stored in the fridge

As a general rule, the shelf-life or stuffing is seven days from the day of preparation if stored in the fridge

From typical sausage meat to your Paxo sage and onion veggie alternative, there are many kinds of stuffing to have on your plate or stuffed in your turkey. 

Kimberly explained that as a general rule, the shelf-life or stuffing is seven days from the day of preparation if stored in the fridge. 

However, if it contains ingredients that were prepared before cooking the stuffing, the shelf-life will be seven days after that ingredient was prepared.

For example, sausage stuffing using meat that was prepared three days before being added to the stuffing should be eaten or disposed of from the day the pork was cooked.

HOW TO STORE POTATOES

To freeze cooked roast potatoes, place them into a freezer container, either all together, or in separate single-serve portions for up to four months

To freeze cooked roast potatoes, place them into a freezer container, either all together, or in separate single-serve portions for up to four months

One of the most important aspects of Christmas dinner for many is the humble potato. 

You can have your spuds mashed or roasted and served up alongside your turkey and other trimmings. 

They are one of the easier components of Christmas dinner to store and enjoy at a later date, as they will store well in airtight containers for three to four days in the fridge.  

To freeze cooked roast potatoes, place them into a freezer container, either all together, or in separate single-serve portions for up to four months.

READ MORE:

From turkey fried rice to mince pie ice cream.. How to transform Christmas leftovers like a Michelin chef 

Wondering what to do with your Christmas leftovers? Femail reveals 8 zero-waste recipes – from sprout bubble and squeak to PARSNIP ice-cream 

Kentucky Fried Christmas! While you tuck into turkey, KFCs across Japan will be packed with diners who have ordered WEEKS in advance 

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