Tips for storing and enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers safely

There are many times when people cook food and not all of it is used or eaten, and they want to save it for later. For example, after Thanksgiving, the family may eat leftovers for a week. It is also important to remember the seven-day rule for keeping prepared food, which means that the food is only safe to be eaten within seven days and should be thrown out after that. Food that has been cooked and is stored for leftovers is often not cooled properly for storing. This is dangerous because it allows the bacteria to grow and multiply in the temperature danger zone. If it is cooling improperly, it could increase the time the food is in the temperature danger zone, which increases the risk and growth of bacteria. This puts the food at risk of foodborne illness. 

3 ways to properly cool food for storing

1. Small containers: This is beneficial for food to cool quickly because it splits it into smaller, shallow containers that allow more surface area.
2. Ice water baths: Place the container into a pot or the kitchen sink and fill it with ice water. Then stir the food to help the cooling process.
3. Ice or cold water as an ingredient: This is another convenient way to cool food quickly. Recipes for soups or stews can be prepared with less water than usual, then cooled after cooking by adding the remaining water as cold water or ice.  

When using these processes to cool food it is important to keep time in mind. There is a specific requirement for temperatures and time when cooling food. The food should be cooled to 41℉ within six hours. This is done in two steps. The first step is to cool the food to 70℉ within two hours. If it exceeds that time the food must be reheated, and the process must start all over again. The next step is to cool the food to 41℉ within four hours. Following these steps helps to prevent foodborne illness and keeps food safe.

A popular Thanksgiving food item is mashed potatoes. This food can be difficult to cool to the correct temperature within the given time and putting it in the fridge will not lower the temperature fast enough. This food is very thick and is good at holding in heat, so the best way to cool is to spread it into a shallow dish, which creates more surface area. The turkey from Thanksgiving can also be divided into smaller containers to cool it faster. Following these steps will ensure that leftovers can be enjoyed safely. 

Caitlin Kerry is a junior in the dietetics program at Central Michigan University. To learn more about the nutrition and Dietetics program and course offerings, please get in touch with the program director Dr. Najat Yahia at yahia1n@cmich.edu.