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If you planned well, you cooked enough turkey on Thanksgiving to satisfy not only your guests, but to enjoy leftovers. But before you start planning what recipes to use, make sure you know how to store leftover turkey!
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How to Store Leftover Turkey
- Making sure you've stored your leftover turkey properly means you can enjoy it for days, or months, to come without needing to worry about whether or not it's safe to eat.
- Refrigerate or freeze cooked turkey within two hours of taking it from the oven.
- Make sure your refrigerator's temperature is between 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit, so the turkey stays below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure your freezer's temperate is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below. This ensures it's cold enough to properly preserve your turkey!
- You should eat refrigerated leftovers within four days.
- If you don't think you can eat the turkey within four days, freeze it instead of refrigerating. Frozen turkey stays good to eat for four months.
- Carve your turkey before refrigerating or freezing it. You want to remove all meat from the bones. An uncarved turkey won't chill quickly enough.
- Remove any leftover stuffing from the turkey, and refrigerate it separately. You should eat leftover stuffing within two days!
- If you have a lot of leftover turkey, start carving it up after it's been out of the oven for an hour and a half. That way you can safely get it into the fridge within two hours.
- If you know how you're going to use the turkey, carve accordingly: slices for sandwiches, diced turkey for soup, etc. This will save you a step when you go to use the turkey later!
- You can also refrigerate or freeze the bones to make stock later.
- Place your leftovers in 2 inch deep containers or plastic bags. The shallower container allows the turkey to cool faster, preventing bacterial growth.
- If you're placing the turkey in the freezer, wrap it in freezer paper, aluminum foil or other freezer-safe packaging to prevent freezer burn.
- You may want to coat the turkey with chicken broth, so it doesn't dry out in the refrigerator. Be aware that doing so will reduce the time it will keep to two days, instead of four.
- Place containers in the refrigerator or freezer, with space around them so the cold air can circulate.
Resources for How to Store Leftover Turkey
- Mayo Clinic: Food safety: How long can you keep leftovers?
- WebMD: Safeguard Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
- University of Arizona: Storing Leftover Turkey
- WeightWatchers: Safe Thanksgiving Storage
- USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
- University of Minnesota Extension: Tips for Storing and Reheating Thanksgiving Leftovers
- Health.com: Safe Food Storage and Preparation (November, 2005)
- PreparedPantry.com: How to store leftover turkey
- Colorado State University Extension: Tips for safe and tasty turkey leftovers
