6 On Your Side: Consumer Reports, Safely Store those Holiday Leftovers
(ABC 6 News) – For many, November and December are packed with fabulous family meals and the leftovers from those meals, but this time of year can also be peak season for food poisoning.
But the experts at Consumer Reports have tips to store your favorite leftovers safely this holiday season!
Consumer Reports says you can keep your favorite holiday foods safe and tasty beyond that one joyous meal by following some tips from CR’s food and health experts.
“Food borne illness causing bacteria can grow on our favorite leftovers in just a few minutes so you really need to get everything refrigerated within two hours,” says Consumer Reports’ Paul Hope.
When it’s time to clear the table and pack up leftovers, instead of putting the whole dish in the fridge, it’s better to separate food into smaller portions to help speed up cooling.
And make sure to use storage containers that are tight enough to keep air out.
CR looked at silicone bags that you can wash and reuse.
The W&P Porter Bags are dishwasher safe and take up very little storage space. But CR says take a look around your home and reuse those Mason jars and other food-safe containers before you buy more stuff.
And if you’re not going to eat it within 3-4 days, freeze it!
“If you want to freeze some of your favorite foods, the best thing you can do is get all of the air out. For me, there’s nothing better at that than a vacuum sealer. You can actually fit more food into the freezer but you can also extend the life of frozen food up to a year or two instead of just a few months,” says Hope.
The Hamilton Beach NutriFresh is easy to use. It was also one of the fastest vacuum sealers CR tested, which you’ll appreciate if you’re sealing multiple bags of food.
One thing you don’t have to worry about – fruit pies.
These can be stored loosely covered on the counter if you’re planning to eat it in one or two days.
But put that pumpkin pie or any other egg based or custard pie in the fridge.