CHRISTMAS dinner of traditional turkey with all the trimmings often feeds a family for several days after the main event.
Aside from the sit down feast there is also salmon, cheeseboards and, of course, wine in plentiful supply at this time of year.
And while we all look forward to eating leftovers experts are warning us to be wary about keeping them for too long as they can make you sick.
Academics specialising in food at Coventry University have revealed to The Conversation how many days different food should be kept, and how it should be stored.
Turkey
The piece de resistance, turkey, should either be eaten or frozen within two days of cooking.
Ideally, pop it in the fridge as soon as it’s cooled down.
One of the three authors, Lisa Winnall, senior lecturer in food safety and inspection, wrote: “If you prefer your leftover turkey warm, don’t reheat the meat more than once as this can provide extra opportunities for bacteria to grow and produce toxins.”
If you reheat it multiple times, it will kill the bacteria but not the toxins.
Pigs in blankets
Another star of dinner, these tasty morsels should also be covered and refrigerated as quickly as possible.
Fellow author Duane Mellow, senior lecturer in human nutrition, said: “Pigs in blankets should be eaten within three days.”
Stuffing
Another key component of dinner, how long this can be kept varies on whether it includes meat or not.
This has a fairly long shelf life, so if you like stuffing sandwiches you’re in luck.
Third author, Claire Munialo, assistant lecturer in food science, said: “It should be kept in the fridge or in a cool place and consumed within four days of preparation.
“But if your stuffing includes sausage meat, it should be eaten within three days.”
And experts advised against stuffing your turkey with the mixture in the first place and said it should be cooked separately.
They said: “The traditional way of putting stuffing inside the cavity of your roast bird is not recommended as it can make it difficult to get the meat up to a high enough temperature to kill off all the bacteria.”
Smoked salmon
With Christmas all about the food, that also means starters and smoked salmon is a favourite appetizer.
You can stockpile salmon as it can be safely stored in the freezer for three months.
The trio said: “Smoked salmon should be kept in the fridge and used within three days of opening, unless the use by date is sooner.
“To stop it drying, keep it in its original package and then wrap cling film around it or put it in a self-sealing plastic bag.”
Wine
An absolute must-have over Christmas, wine may not go bad but it can taste a bit off.
Try not to leave any bottles open but any open reds should be drunk within five days of opening.
The experts advised: “Red wine and full-bodied, especially oaked, white wines tend to oxidise more rapidly and are only drinkable for three to five days after opening, if kept in a cool, dark place.”
Anything fortified like port and sherry can be drunk for up to four weeks after being opening.
Cheese
Another staple over Christmas, you may think that cheese is safe to eat for months but it too can go off.
While you can get away with cutting mould off hard cheese, you definitely shouldn’t do the same with soft cheese.
The lecturers said: “Soft cheeses, should be discarded if they are mouldy.
“And they need strict temperature control, so just serve what you think you’ll eat and keep the rest in the fridge.
“And don’t eat it after its “use by” date.”
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