From Our Friends at the Jefferson County Health Department
Often during the holidays we have an abundance of food and our refrigerator is crammed full. It is easy for food products to get shoved to the back of our refrigerator where they may be forgotten for days. Given enough time, even under refrigeration, foods can grow harmful bacteria or mold. Here are some tips for preventing the food in your refrigerator from becoming a science experiment gone wrong.
Prepare Smaller Quantities
For holiday meals we often prepare more dishes – three or four vegetables instead of just one or two, for example. So that there will be fewer leftovers competing for refrigerator space, try preparing smaller quantities of each item.
Serve Some Foods Not Needing Refrigeration
By serving some foods that do not require refrigeration such as whole or dried fruits, cake, candies, nuts, or fruit pies, you can reduce your need for refrigerator space.
Send Leftovers Home With Friends & Family
After a large gathering, if there is lots of food left over, send some of the food home with your guests
in “to go” containers. This will keep your refrigerator from becoming too crowded to allow proper air circulation and your friends and family will get to enjoy another yummy meal without having to do a lot of food preparation. This also will assure that leftovers are used up within three or four days.
Freeze Leftovers You Won’t Use Soon
If there are leftovers that you don’t expect to use within three days, go ahead and freeze them for later use. Freezing “stops the clock” on bacterial growth. Remember to package foods for freezing well to prevent freezer burn. Label and date the foods you freeze and then use them up within a few weeks.
Don’t Purchase Foods Too Far Ahead of When You Will Prepare Them
Don’t purchase foods requiring refrigeration too far ahead. They will unnecessarily crowd
your refrigerator.