How Long Can You Keep Thanksgiving Leftovers In Minnesota?
If you're still nibbling on those leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner this year, the clock is ticking on how long you'll probably want to eat them.
What's one of the best parts about making that big Thanksgiving dinner here in Minnesota? Sure, the turkey's great, the stuffing is marvelous, as are the mashed potatoes and gravy, but the BEST part is having all the leftovers in your refrigerator, right?
Thanksgiving leftovers may be great, but they DO have a limited shelf life-- and time is running out on when you can still safely eat all those leftovers. And, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the clock stops Monday, November 28th this year.
That's because even if you put all those amazing Thanksgiving dishes back in the refrigerator within two hours of having served them last Thursday (and, you did... right?), they only keep for between 3 and 4 days before they could potentially start to spoil. Here are the facts from the USDA:
Thanksgiving leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.
Now, if you're like me and sometimes keep things in the fridge longer than that (much to my wife's dismay), it's still really not a good idea. Even though the USDA says there are 31 percent of us who keep leftovers longer than 4 days, "spoilage bacteria can cause food to develop a bad smell or taste," the USDA says.
If you've ever opened a container with leftovers that have been in your refrigerator too long, you know it's not a fun experience. To help keep track of just HOW long you can safely keep your leftovers in the refrigerator, the USDA has a new FoodKeeper app you might want to check out.
And, keep scrolling to check out some foods-- leftovers or not-- that you probably didn't know got their start right here in the North Star State!
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