TURKEY AND HAM

 

Sydney chef Travis Harvey advises carving¹ all turkey and ham from the bone after Christmas to ensure it stays fresh.

 

As long as they are carved shortly after cooking, slices of turkey and ham can be stored in the freezer in a container for up to three months, Mr Harvey says in a post for OzHarvest.

 

PRAWNS³ AND SEAFOOD⁴

 

To make prawns last longer, peel them before storing in the freezer for up to three months, according to Mr Harvey.

 

Mr Harvey also advises freezing prawn² shells first before disposing of them to avoid a smelly rubbish bin⁵.

 

According to the NSW Environment Protection Authority's Love Food Hate Waste page, if your freezer can maintain a temperature of minus 18°C or colder, lean seafood such as prawns, bream, whiting, snapper, lobsters⁶ and scallops will keep for nine months to a year.

 

But fatty seafood, such as mullet, will keep for only three to four months.

 

'If freezing fish, clean and prepare it as if you were going to eat it and freeze as fillets. You can freeze a whole clean fish, if you want to cook and serve it whole. Make sure you label and date the fish,' the website advises.

 

CAKES

 

Chances are you weren't able to get through the entire cake after holiday dinner - but fortunately they can last a good while when stored in an airtight container.

 

If a cake has been iced after it has cooled, that can help increase its shelf-life by cutting down on moisture loss and preventing it from going stale.

 

Love Food Hate Waste advises wrapping cakes tightly in clingfilm or foil to remove any air before freezing.

 

Frozen cakes with icing will last for about three months and for six months without icing.

 

CHEESE

 

Soft cheeses, like Camembert, should be stored in waxed cheese paper or baking paper.

 

Food experts advise people to avoid using plastic wrap because it will cause the cheese to sweat.

 

Blue cheese can be wrapped in foil, but remember to change the foil every few days as acidity⁷ will attack the foil.

 

Hard cheeses, like cheddar or Parmesan, can be stored in plastic wrap or airtight containers.

 

EGGS

 

If you bought far too many eggs to holiday baking, but didn't end up using them all, not to worry. The easiest way to store them is in the fridge in the carton they came in.

 

Test for freshness by checking if the egg sinks in a bowl or glass of water. Fresh eggs will stay at the bottom, but stale eggs float to the top.

 

But if your want to store for longer, eggs can be frozen too.

 

According to Love Food Hate Waste, you lightly beat whole eggs and add either a teaspoon⁸ of salt or a tablespoon of sugar for every six eggs.

 

Freeze the eggs in small amounts of one or two and they should keep for up to 10 months.

 

Use the salted yolks in savoury dishes and the sugared yolks for cakes, custards and desserts - but don't forget to label them - and use the eggs straight away when thawed⁹, in dishes that require cooking only.

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