How long do Thanksgiving leftovers last?

Thanksgiving is over and the race is on – not for the best Black Friday deals, but for the big batches of turkey, mashed potatoes and pie before they go bad.

Properly storing food in the days leading up to Turkey Day and preparing the meal with food safety in mind are two ways to prevent digestive distress—but safe food practices don’t end with the meal.

According to the Department of Health, leftovers should be put away within two hours of cooking and consumed within three to four days of refrigeration.

However, these are very general guidelines. Read on to learn exactly how to store and reheat leftovers, and how long you can safely eat turkey and sides, according to food safety experts.

Even with proper food storage, you can only eat Thanksgiving leftovers for so long.

“Leftovers from the refrigerator should be consumed within three to four days,” said Wade Syers, DSocSci, food safety extension specialist at Michigan State University Health.

Freezing leftovers can make them last a little longer – they will last up to three to four months, but not all foods freeze well.

“Some foods freeze better than others,” Syers said. “While a pumpkin pie will last one to two months in the freezer, cooked turkey or meat can last two to six months in the freezer.” Syers added that he wouldn’t recommend freezing salads, custards, foods with milk sauces or homemade eggnog .

It is also important to warm up these chilled or frozen foods – ideally in smaller portions.

“For both warm and cold dishes, I recommend placing small quantities on the table or serving counter and leaving the rest (…) in the refrigerator,” says Dr. Darin Detwiler, associate professor of food safety at Northeastern University. told Health.

When reheating refrigerated leftovers, you want the food to return to a safe temperature before eating. All leftovers should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees; and sauces, soups and gravies should come to a boil when reheating.

And when it comes to desserts, those that can be stored at room temperature should be thrown away after a few days, while refrigerated desserts will probably last up to a week, Syers said.

As soon as your Thanksgiving meal comes from the oven (or fridge) to the table, the timer starts: That’s because bacteria can grow quickly in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (also known as the “danger zone”).

Hot or cold food at room temperature should not be left out for more than two hours – at temperatures above 90 degrees, that number drops to one hour. If food has been left out for more than two hours, it’s best to throw it away.

But refrigeration isn’t the only step – food needs to cool quickly to prevent bacterial growth. Therefore, it is important to divide larger portions of food into smaller pieces or containers and seal these containers.

“If you put large amounts of food in the refrigerator in large containers without dividing it into smaller containers, the food in the center of the pot or bowl may not cool quickly enough and allow bacteria to grow,” says Ellen Shumaker, PhD , director of public relations for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University, said Health.

The shallower the container, the better: “Shallow containers with a product depth of less than 2 inches allow food to distribute heat more quickly than deep containers,” says Carla L. Schwan, PhD, assistant professor and food safety specialist at the University of Georgia .

The temperature of your refrigerator is also important – the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a safe refrigerator storage temperature of 40 degrees or lower.

Knowing how to store pies and other Thanksgiving desserts can sometimes be difficult.

“With apple pie, for example, the high sugar content and acidity of apples slow the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, making it safe to store at room temperature,” Shumaker said. “However, if sugar substitutes are used, the cake should be refrigerated for quality reasons.”

Storing pumpkin pie is no picnic either: “It depends on whether it was store-bought or homemade,” says Shumaker.

“Store-bought cakes are baked at a (specific) time (and) temperature and often contain preservatives that prevent bacterial growth,” Shumaker added. “Unless the packaging says otherwise, it’s not risky to keep it on the counter.” However, homemade pumpkin pie should be stored in the refrigerator.

Baked goods like bread and cookies can be stored at room temperature, but it’s a good idea to cover them to prevent contamination, Shumaker said. And if your baked goods contain cream, custard, cheese or meat, they should be refrigerated.

Food doesn’t necessarily have to look or smell bad to make you sick – foodborne illness is the biggest risk when eating food that hasn’t been stored properly or leftover food that’s been kept for too long.

According to Schawn, you can become infected with any of the following bacteria: Salmonella, Escherichia coli, ListeriaAnd Bacillus cereus. These infections most commonly cause digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, but can also lead to more serious complications.

Food poisoning is not uncommon: Each year in the United States, 48 ​​million people become ill with a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die—and everyone is at risk.

“Anyone can get sick from a foodborne pathogen,” Detwiler said. “The most vulnerable populations – the very young, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women – are the ones most likely to be hospitalized and even die.”

The good news: Food poisoning is largely preventable through proper food preparation, storage, and reheating—and proper food safety is especially important around the holidays when entertaining family and friends.

“While this is rarely something people request (during the holidays),” Detwiler said, “no one wants to be reminded of a family holiday gathering for the wrong reasons.”