Lingering Treats From Christmas

As you may have noticed, I have not been doing much baking lately. That's because of all of the Christmas goodies that are still around here. We still have a freezer stocked with Christmas cookies, we've got fruitcake, panettone, boxes of chocolates, and candy canes. It will take us a little while to finish eating all of these goodies and finally give us some free space in our freezer, and then I can make some more treats. I thought it would be appropriate if I put together a mini-guide with suggestions to how long these items will be good. Then you can determine what to eat first and what to save for later.

Baked Goods

• Plain Cookies and Bars - Will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a year, but start to lose quality after 3 months. Store different types of cookies in separate containers.
• Iced or Decorated Cookies and Bars - Don't hold up as well in the freezer, but well-wrapped can keep for several weeks or a couple months.
• Fruitcake - Most fruitcakes well-soaked and well-wrapped will keep at room temperature for several months, even after a few months of aging. They also hold up very well in the freezer for longer storage. Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.
• Panettone or Fruit Bread - Keep in a cool, dry place, well-wrapped, for a month or two. May be frozen for longer storage.  Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.

Candy and Chocolate

• Boxed Chocolates - Check the best before date, most last six months to a year. Once opened, they may not last as long, unless all of the chocolates are individually wrapped. Chocolate is generally good until it begins to take on a white color, called bloom, and even then, sometimes this does not effect the quality of the chocolate.
• Candy Canes and other hard candies - Since these are composed primarily of sugar, they will stay good for a year or so.

Dinner Leftovers

Leftovers from Christmas dinner will keep in the freezer, well-wrapped.

• Turkey, Chicken, Ham - 2 to 3 months.
• Vegetables - 3 to 6 months.
• Bread/Rolls - 6 to 12 months.
• Desserts - Cakes, pies, and cheesecakes freeze well whole or in slices, for a few weeks to a few months.