Thanksgiving leftovers: How long will they last?

Deep in the recesses of most people’s refrigerators lives a half-eaten bottle of salsa, some takeout Chinese food and last week’s chicken dinner.

Pulling one of those things out, you wonder: Can I eat it? Is it safe?

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Turkey and dressing —

Thanksgiving often means grazing on a table full of turkey, gravy and sides. But to keep them fresh and free from bacteria, make sure to wrap up the leftovers within two hours of serving. And don't worry if they're still warm; it's all OK to go in the fridge. If stored in the fridge, make sure to eat turkey within three to four days. Casseroles and mashed potatoes are good a little bit longer, three to five days. If you need the food to last longer, put it in the freezer. Foods kept in the freezer are good indefinitely, but they tend to lose their flavor over time.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Pie —

Before you head back for seconds, make sure that pumpkin pie -- or any other pie with an egg-based filling -- hasn't sat out for more than two hours. If it's been sitting there longer, it may start to grow bacteria. Instead of leaving it out on the table, loosely wrap in foil or plastic wrap and put in the fridge. It will keep for three to four days. And that goes for store-bought pies, too. Once you cut into a store-bought pie, you need to store it in the fridge.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Fish —

Fish leftovers are fraught. Some households say never. Some say when it smells. When you buy fresh fish, make sure to put it in the fridge immediately and use within the next day or two. Once cooked, you can wrap it up tightly in foil or in a shallow airtight container and keep in the fridge for the next three to four days, for optimal taste.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Frozen vegetables —

Frozen vegetables and fruits are a great way to get farm-fresh tastes, even with foods that are out of season. But how long can they keep in the freezer? In fact, they can stay there indefinitely and still be safe to eat. But they will lose out on taste after a while. To keep veggies and fruits tasting their best, make sure to eat within a year of purchase. Once they're cooked or defrosted, store leftovers in the fridge for three to four days.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Bread —

Do you put your bread in the fridge in hopes of making it last longer? Actually, don't. It dries out bread, making it stale. Instead, it should keep in the pantry for about a week. If you want it to last longer than that, wrap it up tightly in foil and place in a freezer bag. Storing it in your freezer will keep it tasting fresh for about three months.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Take-out —

Plenty of fridges host a collection of old Chinese takeout containers and cold pizza. But just how long can someone survive on these staples? Pizza and most take-out is still good for three to four days if properly stored in airtight containers in the fridge. Rice will still taste good for a bit longer, more like four to six days.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Pasta —

Pasta leftovers can be stored in the fridge for about three to five days. That holds both for plain cooked pasta as well as baked and cooked pasta dishes like spaghetti and lasagna. If you store them in the freezer, you'll be able to enjoy for the next month or two. If you have some extra sauce from an open bottle of pasta sauce, you can keep it refrigerated for the next seven to 10 days. Freeze it, and you'll have sauce for the next four to six months. Just make sure to keep the sauce packed in an airtight glass or plastic container.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Chocolate —

Chocolate's high sugar and low moisture content makes it unlikely to have any bacterial growth and spoil. However, over time, a white film can appear on it. It's not mold, just sugar or fat rising to the surface. It's known as blooming, and it doesn't affect the taste. To avoid this, though, keep your chocolate tightly sealed and stored in a cool, dry place. Properly stored, it will be able to satisfy any cravings for about 16 months.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Condiments —

The dreaded condiment shelf, filled with a half-used bottle of ketchup, crusty mustard and a sad mayo jar from last summer, is so often forgotten. But before you toss, remember that condiments are some of the longest-lasting players in the fridge. The dates on the bottles are really more "best buy" dates, not expiration dates, and the products are usually good for several months after the date. Once opened, most mayo is good two to three months after the "best by" date; ketchup keeps its flavor for about six months in the fridge; and mustard and pickles are good for up to a year! Salad dressings last about six to nine months. And that jar of salsa that you couldn't finish? It can last about a month in the fridge, but you want to make sure to actually finish it by the best by date on the bottle.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Tuna salad —

Ever make some tuna salad for lunch but then have leftovers? Not to worry, you can have it again for lunch in the next three to five days, as long as it's kept refrigerated. Don't let mayonnaise-based salads such as tuna, potato or macaroni salad sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Otherwise, it is likely to start growing bacteria. Keep these salads refrigerated, and you'll have lunch for the week!

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Cake —

Cake is the present that keeps on giving after any office birthday party. But just how long is the half-eaten cake still edible? The big factor here is frosting. If the frosting or filling is dairy-based, it has to go immediately into the fridge. But otherwise, it's good to stay out for a day or two. Make sure to wrap it up in plastic or foil to ensure that it stays moist. If you put it in the fridge, you can make it last a week. And if you want to keep snacking for the next two to four months, cut it up and put it in the freezer.

Photos: Leftovers guide: Eat it or chuck it?

Shutterstock

Eggs —

Ever wake up, start working on breakfast and then notice that your carton of eggs is a week past its date? Fear no more. In fact, that date is just a suggested best-by date. Those eggs are good for three to five weeks after that date, as long as they are refrigerated. It's best to keep them in their cartons in the middle of the fridge. Hard-boiled eggs stay good for about a week.

Prev Next

A lot of commercially prepared items, such as sauces and condiments, have best-by dates on the packaging to ensure flavor, not safety, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Packaged foods tend to last a big longer than those suggested dates. Last night’s dinner, though, is not as hearty. Cooked food leftovers can usually stay in the fridge for only three or four days.

And if you want to put food in the freezer, it will last indefinitely, but at some point, it will start to lose flavor.

Of course, if something smells off or looks funny, you shouldn’t eat it.

Here’s the eat-it-or-chuck-it guide to your slightly suspect leftovers, based on advice from the USDA and the food safety site StillTasty.com.