Time to Toss That Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is always great, and the leftovers leave us stuffed for days afterwards, but Thanksgiving can’t last forever, and unless you enjoy food poisoning, any leftovers in your fridge from Thanksgiving should probably be thrown out now.  According to StillTasty, a website dedicated to cataloging shelf-life for foods, that leftover turkey has got to go!  Here’s a handy chart to let you know how long the rest of it can last:

STORAGE TIME
 
    Item
Pantry
Fridge
Freezer*
Tips
•     Turkey  — whole, cooked
        3-4 days
      2-3 months
Cut whole bird into smaller pieces before refrigerating.
•     Gravy — homemade
1-2 days
2-3 months
Bring leftover gravy to a full boil before using.
•     Cranberry sauce
10-14 days
1-2 months
Store leftovers in covered plastic or glass container.
•     Stuffing — cooked
3-4 days
1 month
Remove stuffing from turkey before refrigerating.
•     Mashed potatoes or yams; green bean casserole
3-5 days
10-12 months
Mashed potatoes freeze well; whole baked potatoes don’t.
•     Pumpkin pie — baked
3-4 days
1-2 months
Keep refrigerated. Texture may change after freezing, but taste shouldn’t be affected.
•     Apple pie — baked
2 days
2-3 days after pantry storage
1-2 months
To freeze, wrap pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag.
•     Wine, red or white — opened bottle
3-5 days
1-2 months
Freeze leftover wine for use in cooked dishes such as sauces and stews.
•     Bread  — soft-crusted
4 -5 days
2-3 months
Refrigerator storage is not recommended, as bread will quickly dry out and become stale — for longer-term storage, freeze bread instead.
                  hard-crusted
1 -2 days
2-3 months

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About Mike Glenn

Mike is the founder and publisher of Save Newport and Chair of Government Relations for the Elks Lodge. He writes, shoots photos, and edits, but much of the time, he's just "the IT guy". He can be reached at: Google+, Facebook, or via email, at michael.glenn@devion.com