Even if you’ve overestimated the amount of food needed for your holiday gathering, there’s a silver lining: you can preserve these festive treats for the rest of the season.

Be cautious of fridge temperatures climbing above 5°C, as this can create an environment ripe for bacterial growth, potentially compromising the safety of all stored food.

Should this temperature rise persist for more than four hours, unfortunately, those leftovers may end up contributing to the vast amounts of food waste in Australia.

The duration you can safely store leftovers varies by type. Turkey stays fresh for under four days, ham on the bone can be enjoyed for up to ten days, and Christmas pudding has a shelf life of two weeks in the refrigerator.

For leftovers that won’t be consumed within three days, freezing is a great option, extending their edibility for as long as three months.

However, the actual storage time depends on the type of food. Turkey remains fresh for less than four days, while ham on the bone can last up to 10 days and Christmas pudding can be kept in the fridge for two weeks.

If you are not going to eat the leftovers within three days, the alternative is to freeze them, which will keep them for up to three months.

How to reheat the leftovers?

According to the Department of Health of Victoria, to consume the food safely, “you need to reheat food in the oven or microwave until it reaches 75C or hotter in the centre … [and] if reheated food is displayed it must be kept at 60C or hotter.