Holiday Leftovers: Keeping them safe

12/27/2011

 

As you make efforts to use up those holiday leftovers and prepare dishes like this low-fat turkey and veggie bake

Photo credit: recipe.com & Diabetic Living

 

...or this potato ham soup

 

  Photo credit: recipe.com & Diabetic Living

 

... be sure to take precautions to keep the food safe when cooking with leftovers.

Here are some easy to follow tips to keep your family safe: 

• First and foremost, you need to throw out foods that have sat out too long - the "danger zone" for foods is between 40°F (refrigerators need to be at or below this temperature to properly cool food) and 140°F. Any and all perishable foods left out for more than 2 hours total time in this "danger zone" temperature range should be discarded.
• Discard your leftovers within three days of first being served. Once it has been reheated, if not consumed, it should be disposed of.
• You still need to adhere to the proper cooking temperature with leftovers: check out the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Safe Cooking Temperature Chart here.
• As always, hand washing and general cleanliness is very important for eliminating the spread of germs. Be sure to wash hands, utensils, cooking surfaces and food storage containers thoroughly.