For many of us, Thanksgiving is the one meal where we purposefully plan for leftovers. A Thanksgiving meal without leftovers just isn’t right in my opinion. This Thanksgiving, much like last year, will probably look a little different than the traditional holiday—whether that means on a video call or just pared down. Either way, smaller celebrations can mean more leftover food, especially if you can’t fathom Turkey Day without the turkey. So when it comes to leftover turkey, how long does it actually last in the fridge? And can you freeze it? It’s not as simple as a yes or no, so let’s dive in.
First let’s clarify something: We’re talking cooked turkey. If you have leftover raw turkey, you can certainly store it in the freezer and save it for another day! Here are two tips to help ensure you’re doing it safely. First, keep turkey, or any meat for that matter, in its original packaging. Manufacturers choose this packaging because it’s typically air-sealed to keep bacteria out. If there’s a tear or puncture in the packaging, you should repackage it in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap. The more you expose the meat to air and bacteria, the more you increase the potential for spoilage. Secondly, make sure your freezer is set to actually freeze; that means it maintains a temperature of 0°F or below. If you have a separate fridge or chest freezer in the basement that gets used less frequently, this is the time to use it. The more you open and use the freezer, the harder it has to work to regulate the temperature. A frozen whole turkey can be kept for approximately 12 months in a freezer set at or below 0°F, while pieces will start degrading in quality slightly sooner, at around 6 to 9 months.
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