Q: I enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers even more than the meal on the big day. How long are they safe to eat?. Benjamin Chapman, a professor of food safety at North Carolina State University, takes Thanksgiving — and leftovers — seriously. This year, he said, his family’s feast will include a 24-pound turkey raised by a local 4-H participant, along with the traditional sides.. Then, he added, they won’t cook again for days. “We’ll be like sloths, and everybody will just go heat something up in the microwave.”. Dr. Chapman studies food safety for a living, so he has thought carefully about how to make leftovers last. We asked him and other experts for their best tips on this, so everyone can continue to enjoy the spoils of their labor.. How long can leftovers be stored?. According to federal guidelines, most refrigerated leftovers — including cooked turkey; gravy; traditional sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans; and desserts like pumpkin pie — should be consumed within three to four days. So by the Monday after Thanksgiving, those foods should be gone or in the freezer.. Even so, there are exceptions. Fruit pies can be kept for one to two days at room temperature, or for a week in the refrigerator. Packaged breads and rolls are good for 14 to 18 days at room temperature, and homemade bread for up to five days. Homemade cranberry sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for seven to 10 days; the canned version will last one to two weeks.. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.. Already a subscriber? Log in.. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
