There’s no doubt that Christmas leftovers are completely delicious — Christmas dinner sandwiches, turkey curries, and bubble and squeak are all platefuls of utter joy. But you do need to make sure that you’re storing everything correctly.
TURKEY
Put your turkey in the fridge as soon as it’s cooled down. It should be eaten or frozen within two days of being cooked. If you freeze it, it should last for around three months. If you want to warm your leftover turkey that’s fine — but only once! If you reheat it multiple times you can kill off bacteria, but not toxins.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
In the unlikely event that you have any of these tasty morsels left, as soon as they have cooled, wrap them in foil or cling film, put them in the fridge and eat them within three days.
STUFFING
The shelf life of stuffing depends a bit on what’s in it. If it contains sausage meat then you’ll need to eat it within three days, but if not then it will last for about four days.
CHEESE
A lot of cheese will last reasonably well, but that doesn’t mean you can keep it for months. It’s generally considered fine to slice an odd bit of mould off a hard cheese (just make sure you get rid of any discoloured bits), but that’s a definite no-no with soft cheeses — these need to be thrown away if they’re mouldy. To preserve them for as long as possible, only serve what you think you’ll eat as leaving them out at room temperature for too long could make them go off more quickly.
POTATOES AND VEGETABLES
These will last in the fridge for around three to four days, but you could also freeze them. In the freezer, they’ll keep for about 10 months.
SMOKED SALMON
Always keep your smoked salmon in the fridge, and use it within three days of opening (or by the ‘use by’ date if that’s earlier!). To stop it drying out, keep it in the original packaging then wrap it in cling film or put it in a sealed plastic bag. Smoked salmon can also be frozen for up to three months.
CHRISTMAS CAKE
A Christmas cake can last up to a month if you keep it in an airtight container. Put it in the fridge and it will last up to six months, but chuck it in the freezer and you’ll be able to enjoy it for up to a year.