How long can I safely eat the remnants of Turkey?

Cool turkeys are usually considered safe to eat within three to four days after the initial cooking, but it depends a lot on your specific circumstances - especially how well Turkey cooked first and how quickly the residues were stored. Freezing can extend the life of the service life almost indefinitely. However, the fact that meat is technically safe does not mean that there is no chance of bacterial infection or food poisoning. It is still very important to adequately warm the remnants and pay attention to their color, texture and taste.

saving residues

One of the first ways to ensure that the remains of the turkey remain safe to eat is their quick storage, usually within two hours of their room temperature. However, there is something out of the window for safe storage - you do not want to insert meat that is hot into the refrigerator or freezer, as this can cause condensation that can support bacterial growth. It is important that the meat does not sit for a long timeat room temperature. The best bet is to store it as soon as it cools.

You will want to make sure that the meat is in an airtight container. A plastic bag or bucket box is usually the best, although a package with a plastic film or metal foil can also work. The main idea is to reduce the amount of air that can touch the remnants. Especially for meat that is heading to the freezer, it is really important that things are as airtight as possible. Excess oxygen can lead to a freezer burns - this is not necessarily concerned about food safety, but can destroy the taste of your residues.

It is usually good to cut the meat into small pieces before storing it or at least remove it from the bone. Breaking the remains on several shallow containers than to place them admires in one large container, as it allows you to cool faster and more evenly.

Safely Timem Pby cooling

Most food experts recommend that you remain within four days of cooling. It usually begins to grow harmful bacteria longer than these, at least on proper food. After four days, the meat may be susceptible to molds and other growths that can cause food poisoning. For safety reasons, it is usually better to destroy the meat stored around this point, even if it looks fine.

advantages and disadvantages of freezing

From frozen turkey residues, you can often get a much longer life, as most experts teach that frozen poultry remains technically safe for indefinitely. Usually, however, it is best to consume within three to four months, for taste reasons, if nothing else. Turkey frozen for more than four months tends to dry and lose its taste; It is often difficult and unappeating to eat.

freezing is often the best storage method for large amounts of turkey as well as "combined" meals that contain pieces of meat - like soups, steamed meat and saucepan. It is often good to write the date on the containers before they are stored to be easy to remember exactly how long they have been frozen.

instructions for heating

It is usually considered to be safe to eat a turnkey cold directly from the refrigerator at any time within a four -day window. Re -heating turkeys, which has either been cooled or frozen, often includes a little more accurate. You can re -warm pieces of meat in the microwave, on the stove or in the oven, but you want to make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165 ° F (about 74 ° C) before eating. Once the poultry begins to warm up, it creates an ideal climate for bacterial growth. Heating to sufficiently high temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent and keep food safe.

If FIND that you have the "remaining" remnants, you should observe the same basic storage techniques - but remember that your four -day countdown has begun since the meat was originally cooked, not from the moment you re -warm itif. Most food safety experts recommend re -heating the rest of Turkey no more than twice.

common signs

The general rule that turkey meat is safe to eat within four days of its storage is just the general rule. If your remnants look like they spoil or emit unusual scents, don't eat them, even if less than four days have passed. Spoiled poultry is often slimy and may have a gray shade; It can also feel slightly acidic. It is not best to taste the remains that have one of these characteristics.