No sooner than it was here, it is gone. After what feels like months of build-up, Christmas is finally done. That just leaves us with hangovers, leftovers, and unwanted Christmas pullovers.
It's the leftovers that we need to talk about. Apparently, sticking what remains of your turkey in some tin foil and throwing it into the fridge could actually represent something of a risk to your health.
You wouldn't think so, because people have been doing exactly that for as long as tin foil has been about, but scientists think that there are much better ways of storing what is left after the festive feast.
You see, if you cover your food in tin foil, you're not completely covering it. That means that some air will get in, which opens the door to bacteria growing. You don't want to get ill for New Year's Eve, do you?
Lindsay Malone, a dietician at the Cleveland Clinic, explained to MSN: "When air is present, that allows the bacteria to grow faster, so you really want to get the right containers and pack things appropriately.
"Otherwise, your food isn't going to last."
Fair enough. So, what are we supposed to do instead then? Obviously, get other containers.
Apparently, the best things for the job are shallow air-tight containers. They keep all the air out so that bacteria can't thrive and grow, they also help the food to cool down, which you need to do before you put it in the fridge.
Incidentally, if you want to keep the food and have it in the fridge, you're better off getting it in there as quickly as possible afterwards.
You've got to let it cool down before it goes into the fridge, but it is best if you get it in there within two hours. It makes sense that there would be more bacteria on pigs in blankets that have just been sat on the kitchen side than those in a sealed container.
Malone continued: "If you have an abundance of food left over, the smartest thing to do would be to put a portion of it in the refrigerator, and then pack a portion of it really nice in air-tight containers and put it into the freezer.
"And then when you're ready to eat it, take it out."
It sounds like common sense, but it will definitely help you manage not to spend New Year's Eve on the toilet.
Well, not with food poisoning, anyway.
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