If you’ve overestimated your holiday meal needs and find yourself with an excess of leftovers, take heart—there are plenty of strategies to ensure these dishes don’t go to waste during the festive season.

It’s crucial to maintain your refrigerator’s temperature below 5°C. Any rise above this threshold can lead to harmful bacterial growth, putting all stored food at risk.

Should your leftovers remain unrefrigerated for longer than four hours, unfortunately, they contribute to the significant volume of food waste in Australia each year.

The duration that leftovers remain safe to eat hinges on the type of food. For example, turkey is best consumed within four days, ham on the bone can last up to ten days, and Christmas pudding stays fresh in the fridge for two weeks.

If you don’t plan to finish the leftovers within three days, consider freezing them. This method can preserve their quality for up to three months.

The Department of Health in Victoria advises that for safe consumption, leftovers should be reheated to a center temperature of 75°C or higher using an oven or microwave. Additionally, reheated food should be maintained at a minimum temperature of 60°C if kept on display.

If you are not going to eat the leftovers within three days, the alternative is to freeze them, which will keep them for up to three months.

How to reheat the leftovers?

According to the Department of Health of Victoria, to consume the food safely, “you need to reheat food in the oven or microwave until it reaches 75C or hotter in the centre … [and] if reheated food is displayed it must be kept at 60C or hotter.