Follow these tips to store leftovers beyond the holidays

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - In the midst of the holiday season, it's easy to get overwhelmed by food. Baking holiday cookies means extra butter, eggs and flour in the kitchen. If you're hosting a party, your refrigerator, freezer and pantry are stuffed. Add to this the food gifts you receive and the leftovers you take home from social events, and it's hard to find an empty spot in the fridge.

This is when food storage becomes all the more important. If you don't pack items properly, the result is spoiled food. So grab a marker and some tape (to date and label your food containers), and check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures. (The fridge should be 40 degrees or colder, while the freezer should be at zero degrees).

After that, follow these guidelines:

Dairy and eggs

Try not to consume eggs beyond the expiration date on the carton. Store whole eggs in their carton in the refrigerator; do not freeze. Organic Valley Family of Farms, a dairy cooperative based in LaFarge, Wis., tells consumers that the best way to check whether an egg is bad is to crack it into a bowl and sniff it. A fresh egg should have no odor.

"Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook," (Clarkson Potter, $45) advises using very fresh eggs for frying or poaching, and older ones for hard-cooked eggs. Both types are OK for most other recipes.

When storing different dairy products, consult the "Cold Storage Chart" at www.foodsafety.gov. It lists appropriate refrigerator and freezer storage times for different cheeses, creams, milk, butter and margarine.

Though the chart advises shoppers to freeze milk for up to three months, some dairies don't recommend freezing liquids. That's because the texture of milk, half-and-half and cream can change after freezing, says Mike Spencer, a consumer relations representative for Organic Valley Family of Farms.

Liquid products with a higher fat content, such as heavy cream, are especially prone to this problem, Spencer says.

"Heavy cream does get lumpy, and it will not go back into whipped form," he says. To freeze heavy cream, he advises folks to whip it, then spoon dollops of the whipped cream onto wax paper.

Freeze the dollops, then wrap them in a zipper-lock plastic bag.

Defrost and use the dollops as you need them.

Defrost all frozen dairy products in the refrigerator.

Flours and baked goods:

Bakers who stock up on flour during holiday sales should transfer it to airtight containers when they get home. Other storage tips depend on the type of grain. In their original state, grains have three components: the bran, germ and endosperm.

When making refined grains, such as all-purpose flour, the bran and the germ are removed, resulting in a shelf-stable product. Store refined grains in the pantry, but add a dried bay leaf to the airtight container.

Free Christmas & Advent PDFs | Available in English, Spanish and French

"It will discourage insects without imparting any flavor," says Allison Furbish, a spokeswoman for the King Arthur Flour Co.

In cool and dry conditions, refined flours will last indefinitely. Whole-grain flours, such as whole-wheat flour, are not shelf stable.

They "include the oily germ," Furbish writes. "...When that is ruptured it oxidizes, or slowly becomes rancid."

Keep the airtight container of whole-grain flour in the refrigerator for about six months. Or freeze it to keep the flour several months longer, Furbish writes.

Once you've finished your baking projects, it's best to eat them quickly for the best texture. Left too long at room temperature, some products turn dry. But if left in the refrigerator for too long, some can turn moist, says Patrick Bourrel, owner of La Boulangerie in Fig Garden Village.

Because there are so many different types of baked goods, it's hard to offer general guidelines, Bourrel says.

Keep shelf-stable foods, such as sugar cookies, stored in a box in a cool, dry place.

Eat them within about three days for optimal quality.

Perishable pastries and cakes, such as ones with custards and buttercream frosting, should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then kept in the refrigerator for several days.

And well-wrapped, low-fat breads will keep for about two weeks in the freezer, while high-fat items, such as brioche, can keep up to a month or so, Bourrel says.

To thaw, place them in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter.

And be sure not to re-freeze them.

Fresh produce:

Storage tips differ according to the type of fruit or vegetable. Ask your grocer (or farmer, if you're buying from a farmers market or a subscription service known as community supported agriculture) for the best methods.

Also consult books, such as Stewart's, that contain vegetable buying guides with specialized advice.

For example, Stewart's book advises cutting off carrot greens, wrapping the carrots in paper towels and a resealable plastic bag, then keeping them in the refrigerator for one week.

Sweet potatoes, the book points out, "are more perishable than regular potatoes. Store in a cool, dark place for up to three weeks."

And "store unwashed broccoli in an open or perforated plastic bag for up to five days," it explains.

Meat:

Buying good-quality products is essential to extend storage times at home.

Beef should look red, while pork should be pink. Avoid packages with brownish products.

Poultry should have no tears in its skin and no discoloration.

Light Your Virtual Prayer Candle For a Loved One this Christmas

And avoid any package with meat or poultry sitting in a pool of blood.

To keep meat, follow the guidelines from www.foodsafety.gov's storage chart.

Refrigerated meat and poultry should be stored in its original packaging; to avoid drips, place the food on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator "in a nonreactive glass bowl or on a rimmed metal baking sheet," Stewart's book states.

To defrost frozen meat, it's best to let it thaw out slowly in the refrigerator.

But if you need a quick method, follow this method from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Put the meat in an airtight plastic bag, and cover it in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the meat is thawed.

Seafood:

According to the cold storage chart at www.foodsafety.gov, lean fish (such as cod, flounder, haddock, and sole) will keep in the freezer for 6 months, while fatty fish (such as bluefish, mackerel and salmon) will keep for only 2-3 months.

As for shellfish, the shrimp available locally is mostly frozen, says James Lanter general manager of Central Fish in downtown Fresno, Calif.

Central Fish even sells frozen cooked clams still in their shells that are "actually very good," he says.

"When you thaw them out completely, they'll open by themselves."

Like meat, the best way to thaw seafood is in its original packaging in the refrigerator.

Cooked, perishable food:

Since bacteria thrive between 40 and 140 degrees, cooked food should be refrigerated within two hours, the USDA advises.

That doesn't mean you should place a large pot of steaming food directly into the refrigerator or freezer, says Bruce Staebler, a certified executive chef and former head of the kitchen at Saint Agnes Medical Center.

Instead, spread the food onto a shallow pan to help it cool faster. Refrigerate after the steam disperses.

To freeze, transfer cooled food to smaller containers. Label the containers with the date and contents, then store and eat within three to six months (or sooner, if a recipe tells you to).

Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator.

But if you're in a pinch, thaw a container under cold, running water, Staebler says.

Once you've thawed the food, eat it within three days for optimum safety. The same goes for refrigerated leftovers.

___

© 2008, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).