Sadly, the fun of Thanksgiving has to end sometime. The guests are as stuffed as the turkey was, the big game is over, and everyone has either gone home or gone to bed. And yet…no matter how many guests you had over, there always seems to be a mountain of leftovers to put away, right?
Never fear! The Shelving Store is here with a few handy suggestions to keep the remains of your Thanksgiving feast safely stored and kept around for when it comes time to turn them into delicious casseroles or sandwiches!
First Things First: The Turkey
The turkey, no matter how much (or little) of it is left, is one of the most important parts of the Thanksgiving meal to keep around for later. Start by fully separating the stuffing from the inside of the turkey and storing that in a completely separate container. After that, feel free to carve it however you see fit – but make sure you have a covered container to keep it in to maintain freshness. You’ll have at least a few days of freshness when it hits the refrigerator, but leaving any of it exposed to open air will significantly reduce that time. Make sure your turkey hits the fridge within two hours of dinner being over – otherwise the open air and room temperature could expose it to bacterial growth and, worse, make it pretty unappetizing!
Next Up, The Trimmings!
Soon after comes…well, everything else. Any breads or dry sides (crackers, etc) can be safely kept in a pantry or on any wire shelving you have in your kitchen, as those don’t need to be refrigerated or frozen (although you’ll still want to keep them covered). Cranberry sauce and stuffing can be placed in the fridge as well, although you’ll be able to keep them for much longer if you decide to freeze them – just try to keep them in shallow containers for more even cooling, which will keep them delicious when they get reheated later!
Finally, Dessert
If you haven’t served dessert at this point, feel free to skip this step – but if everyone’s already had their fill of pie, then you’ll want to get it put away pretty quickly as well! Pie comes down to personal preference – you can refrigerate it for 2-3 days on average, but it should also keep for a day or two on pantry shelves if you’re so inclined. Wine can also be safely re-corked in most cases, and either kept at room temperature on a wine rack or safely on a shelf, or can even be frozen to prepare sauces with later if you’re feeling daring with the leftovers!