Marcia Weber
Marcia Weber (courtesy)
Leftovers are a great way to save food, money, time and reduce your carbon footprint. However, leftovers are only as good as the care that goes into their preparation, storage and organization.

Here are some tips that may help you make the most of your leftovers.

-- Don't let them hang out too long: Make it a habit to properly wrap and store all leftover food within two hours of a meal. This will ensure their freshness the next time they are on the menu.

-- Organize for safety: It is a good idea to keep leftovers labeled so you know how long they have been in the refrigerator. Most leftovers have somewhere between three to five days before they begin to spoil.

-- Divide and conquer: A large pot of food such as soup or stew will take a long time to cool, so for large amounts it is usually best to break them up into several shallow containers (two to three inches deep) to refrigerate, rather than one large, deep container. In fact, any large item should be divided into smaller portions to cool.

Whole roasts, hams, and turkeys should be sliced or cut into smaller pieces or portions before storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Turkey legs, wings and thighs may be left whole.

All leftovers should be wrapped or covered before refrigerating or freezing. Each container should have between two and three inches space between them to help the cool air circulate. This will help keep them fresh the longest.


-- Proper storage: Leftovers will keep the longest when stored properly. This means packaging them in an airtight container and placing them inside a refrigerator that registers no more than 40 degrees on a refrigerator thermometer.

It is also safe to freeze leftovers. Meat and poultry will stay safe indefinitely in the freezer. However, from a quality standpoint, we recommend freezing meat and poultry leftovers for 3 to 6 months maximum.

-- Out of sight, out of mind: One of the biggest problems with leftovers is they get pushed further and further back into the refrigerator until they are forgotten. Keep the oldest leftovers closest to the front and don't forget to plan your weekly menu around them so they can be used to their fullest potential.

-- Get creative: One of the easiest ways to ensure a leftover gets eaten is to prepare a delicious meal with it. You can either create a meal similar to the original or get creative.

-- Dining out: Dining out can become an expensive proposition. To get your money's worth and since portions come so large nowadays, eat only half of what you're served, then take the leftovers home in an insulated container with an ice pack that you had the foresight to bring along. You've got a "free" restaurant meal to eat later.

-- When in doubt, throw it out! Don't let feelings of guilt make you eat something you shouldn't. A spoiled leftover can make a person very sick. Don't even taste it if it is at all questionable.

