How long does lamb last in the fridge? Can you freeze cooked lamb and how to store Easter leftovers safely

• It’s important to think about hygiene when storing and defrosting your leftovers.
• The last thing you want this Easter is to get food poisoning.
• There are an estimated 2.4 million cases of food poisoning in the UK every year.
• The Food Standard Agency have issued guidance on how to avoid getting sick.

The last thing you want this Easter is to end up unwell, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) estimate that there are 2.4 million cases of food poisoning in the UK every year, so this is why it’s so important to store food safely.

Easter leftovers can go towards a tasty lunch on Easter Monday, with many opting to freeze what’s left of their cooked lamb to make it last longer, however eating unsafe cooked lamb or other meats can cause food poisoning leading to nasty symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.

It’s important to think about food hygiene and safety when storing your leftovers this Easter, if you have lamb in your fridge and want to know if it’s safe to eat this is everything you need to know.

How long does lamb last in the fridge?

Leftover cooked lamb can be eaten cold if it has been cooked properly, cooled, and put in the fridge within two hours. Cooked lamb will last two days in the fridge, as putting food in the fridge will slow the bacterial growth, making it safe to eat.

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Can you freeze cooked lamb?

If you have cooked lamb left over and want to make it last longer, you can freeze it for use in any future meals. It’s safe to freeze cooked lamb, with frozen meats best eaten within two to three months.

How to store leftovers safely this Easter

It’s important that you store any leftovers safely this Easter in order to avoid getting food poisoning. Let cooked food cool quickly at room temperature before putting it in the fridge within one to two hours where it will be safe to eat for two days.

For freezing, let cooked food cool at room temperature and freeze within one to two hours, splitting leftovers into smaller portions or containers can help the food cool quicker. When adding to the freezer, don’t forget to label and date the items so you’re not left guessing later on.

When you want to tuck into your frozen lamb, defrost slowly and safely in the fridge or in a microwave on the defrost setting. The FSA advise you not to defrost at room temperature.

Before cooking, make sure the food has defrosted thoroughly as partially defrosted meat may not cook evenly leaving harmful bacteria that could make you unwell able to survive the cooking process. Once your food has been defrosted it must be eaten within 24 hours, do not refreeze food that you have already defrosted.

You can find out more about how to safely store, freeze and defrost cooked food at Food Standard’s Agency.