Good morning; this is your Wellness Wake Up Call with Kristin Bogdonas, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension.
Earlier this month, we discussed the benefits of gratitude. This is especially important throughout the holiday season, which typically means gatherings of family and friends and an abundance of food. Right before or in between holidays, it's an excellent time to go through the pantry and refrigerator, do a deep clean, and throw out items that are no longer safe to eat. Keep in mind, Thanksgiving is the #1 food waste holiday so make a plan now for all of your leftovers so they don’t end up in the trash. Good food should feed people, not landfills.
Cleaning the refrigerator does not require fancy chemicals, just hot, soapy water, maybe a little bleach, and baking soda. Before cleaning the fridge, grab a cooler to store the perishable food.
Removable refrigerator parts, such as shelves and drawers, should be removed and washed with hot, soapy water. They can be sanitized simply using bleach and water. To make your own sanitizer, mix one tablespoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water. Let all the refrigerator parts air dry. That extra step in sanitizing reduces harmful bacteria that may still be present after washing with soap and water. When cleaning the door and interior of the refrigerator, mix two teaspoons of baking soda with one quart of water and scrub the doors, interior, and doors. Be sure to sanitize using the same mixture mentioned above. Rather than closing the refrigerator door immediately, keep the empty doors open for fifteen minutes to allow air drying before re-adding all the food.
Have you cleaned out the refrigerator and still noticed an unwanted smell? Try one of these options to remove the smell:
· To remove the mildew, mix vinegar with water in a one-to-one ratio and scrub the refrigerator.
· Add a large, shallow container of fresh coffee grounds or baking soda to the bottom of the appliance to absorb some of the smell.
· Another option is to use old newspapers, roll them up, and stuff them in the refrigerator for several days before cleaning with the vinegar and water mixture
· Lastly, soaking a cotton swab in vanilla and placing it in the fridge or freezer with the door closed for 24 hours may help reduce the smell.
Aside from cleaning the refrigerator, it is important to know what foods are still safe to eat and which ones to toss. It can be hard to gauge how long to keep food post-holiday. Funny enough there are a few national holidays that apply to this! For example, November 29 this year is Throw Out Your Leftovers Day reminding us that a clean fridge is a place where healthy food can live. Be sure to put leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you get busy talking to family or friends and three or four hours have passed, and the turkey is still sitting on the counter, throw it out. Leftovers should not sit at room temperature for more than 4 hours. It's not worth getting sick. Most leftovers keep up to four days in the refrigerator, but some do need to either be frozen or tossed after just a few days. Eat those first!
· Examples of holiday leftovers that need to be tossed earlier are gravy and raw turkey, which should be used within two days after they are prepared. Cranberry sauce can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to two weeks after being made.
· Freezing is always an excellent option for extending the life of leftovers. Food stored in the freezer is safe indefinitely; however, the quality of the food will decrease over time. Cooked turkey and gravy are best used within three months after freezing for best quality.
This week, take the time to clean out the refrigerator or make a new recipe with your holiday leftovers! For additional resources and a recording of today's episode, visit wvik.org/wellness. You can also subscribe to Wellness Wake Up Call today wherever you listen to podcasts and never miss out on these weekly wellness tips.
Thank you for listening! I hope you have a happy and healthy day ahead. Lisa Peterson, nutrition and wellness educator, provided content for this episode for University of Illinois Extension.
Resources:
· IL Extension Turkey Website https://extension.illinois.edu/turkey
· IL Extension Cleaning the Kitchen Website https://extension.illinois.edu/food/cleaning-kitchen
· Cleaning and Sanitizing the Kitchen PDF
Visit the University of Illinois Extension's Turkey website go.illinois.edu/turkey to find resources on safely preparing the bird, unique recipes for holiday leftovers, safe storage, and more.
