Last-minute hurried food preparations can drain any cook’s holiday spirit. This month Post Rock Extension aims to help you take some of the hassle out of your holidays, while keeping food quality and food safety a top priority.
All perishable foods
Avoid leaving perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours. This includes the total time for preparation AND serving. Perishable foods include: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cooked dry beans, dairy products, and cut fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables
- Assemble vegetable casseroles a day in advance, cover and refrigerate. Bake on the day of your dinner, planning 15 to 20 minutes extra heating time. Heat until they are hot and steaming throughout.
- Cut washed fruits and vegetables within a day of your meal for salads and relish trays. Keep cut fruits from turning brown by coating them with lemon, orange, or pineapple juice, or a commercial anti-darkening preparation. Cover and store in the refrigerator above raw meats and below cooked items.
Protein foods
- Purchase fresh raw meat, poultry, or seafood no more than 1 to 2 days before your holiday meal. Freeze for longer storage.
- If you have frozen meat, poultry, or seafood, place it on a tray on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator and allow approximately 24 hours for each 5 pounds of weight for it to thaw.
- If you cook meat, poultry, or seafood the day before your meal, refrigerate it in small portions in shallow pans within 2 hours of cooking. You can place loosely covered foods in the refrigerator while they are still warm. Cover them tightly when completely cooled. On the day of your meal, reheat them until hot and steaming, to 165°F as measured with a food thermometer.
Baked goods
- Almost all types of cookies, cakes, breads, and muffins can be baked in advance and frozen for up to 2 months. Avoid freezing cakes with whipped cream or other soft fillings, since this will result in a soggy cake upon thawing.
- Cook baked goods completely before storing them in airtight, moisture-proof containers.
- Thaw cheesecake in the refrigerator, covered, where it will remain fresh for seven to ten days. Thaw non-perishable baked goods at room temperature in their freezer container to prevent them from drying out.
Adapted from: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
By: Jamie Rathbun
