Throwing Away Holiday Leftovers

You know food is important during the holidays, so let’s go over some food safety tips to protect your food.  Let’s talk about the 1…2…3..’s of keeping your food and family safe.

1. Remember hot food should be kept hot and cold food should be kept cold.  Food can be held at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.
2. Keep a clean kitchen.  Use soap and hot water or disinfecting wipes to clean the area where you are going to cook in the kitchen.
3. Wash your hands. You should always wash your hands before and after handling food, especially raw foods.

If you are finished cooking your food and it is not ready to be served until later in the day, make sure you store it properly.  Store hot food in small containers in the refrigerator. 

Poultry/Meat

Turkey is a common food served during the holidays.  Here are tips on how to avoid food poisoning when preparing a turkey.

1.     Wash your hands with warm water and soap before touching the poultry.

2.     Cook the meat/poultry to the ideal temperature between 165 degrees Fahrenheit. To check the temperature, use a meat thermometer. 

3.      If you have leftovers, try to divide the meat into small portions so that it can cool faster.  Remember to refrigerate within 2 hours!

4.      When reheating your leftovers, make sure it is covered properly so it can be completely heated to 165 degrees.

Remember food safety first!  To learn more about the recommended temperatures of foods, visit the Internal Food Temperatures Chart.  To learn how to use a food thermometer, visit our How to Use a Food Thermometer page on our website.