Most people in the United States love to eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  In fact, the National Turkey Federation says that 95% of Americans ate Turkey yesterday.  That’s because turkey is a bird that is native to the United States and over the years has become associated with the unique American holiday we call Thanksgiving.  On average, Americans cook turkeys that weigh around 15-20 pounds – which usually means a lot of leftovers.

So what should you do with all those leftovers?

Here are some tips:

•  Extra turkey from the meal should be carved from the bone and the stuffing removed. Store in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze within two hours of cooking.

•  Cooked, sliced turkey should be refrigerated within two hours and be kept cold at 40 degrees. When reheating, be sure the turkey reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. Refrigerate leftovers  within 2 hours to prevent bacteria from growing on the food.

• Store leftovers in shallow pans or containers to decrease cooling time. This prevents the food from spending too much time at unsafe temperatures (between 40-140 degrees).

• Do not store stuffing inside a leftover turkey. Remove the stuffing from the turkey, and refrigerate the stuffing and the meat separately.

• Avoid consuming leftovers that have been left in the refrigerator for longer than 3-4 days. Use the freezer to store leftovers for longer periods of time.

• Keep leftovers in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs if the food is traveling home with a guest who lives more than two hours away.

Consumers with more food safety questions can visit FoodSafety.gov