Wise tips on how to store Christmas meal leftovers!
Many people make far too much food at Christmas and end up with a pile of leftovers.
But save yourself money and time as much of it can be used on a later day, provided you follow the storage advice.
Cooked mince pies can be frozen for three months, though will need to be transferred to a freezer-proof container first; leave them to defrost overnight before warming them in the oven for five to ten minutes.
If you’re wanting to freeze shop-bought mince pies, check the packaging. The box should clearly state whether or not the pies you have purchased are suitable for freezing, and will provide some information on how best to defrost and prepare them before eating.
If you’ve made your own mince pies and left them uncooked, they can be wrapped in clingfilm and frozen in their tins for up to three months, before being baked in the oven for around half an hour, according to Good Housekeeping.
As a rule. most food can be frozen, although some high in protein like meats may be prone to causing food poisoning.
Just make sure that they are stored properly and eaten within the recommended amount of time.
Remember that foods of any sort should be allowed to cool fully before they are put in the fridge or freezer; warm foods can increase the temperature within the appliances, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply.
The BBC Good Food website recommends that homemade Yorkshire puddings are cooled, then frozen for up to one month.
Pigs in blankets can be prepared a day or two in advance of the meal and kept on a baking tray in the fridge but shouldn’t be frozen.
Prepared red cabbage will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two months, and can be reheated in a pan or in the microwave.
Roast potatoes can be prepared ahead of time, by cook
ing them in the usual way and freezing them for when they are needed (although they might not be quite as good as roasties ‘fresh’ from the oven), and gravies can be frozen for later if they’re made using goose fat or butter.
As for turkey, meat should always be kept on the bottom shelf of a fridge, and leftover food should ideally be cooled and returned to the fridge within 90 minutes.
If you’re buying pre-made items from a shop that you want to freeze, make sure they are suitable to do so.
It’s important that you label any homemade food that you put in the freezer so you know when the use-by date. Make sure you put the label inside the freezer bag as it is likely to become unstuck if attached to the outside.
The NHS recommends that food and leftovers are not reheated more than
once, as the more times you cool and reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning causing bacteria can multiply.
When you do reheat food, make sure it reaches a temperature of 70ºC, and is left at this heat or above for at least two minutes before consuming.
If you’re reheating using a microwave, make sure you keep the food stirred throughout the heating process, as these appliances rarely heat things evenly throughout.
Leftovers and food stored in the fridge should be eaten within two days, while once you’ve removed something from the freezer to begin the process of defrosting, it needs to be consumed within 24 hours.
The packaging should also provide information on how best to defrost and prepare them before eating.