Thanksgiving Leftovers with reCAP

Have extra Mason jars on hand? Round them up for your Thanksgiving leftovers! Between the turkey, gravy, stuffing, squash, and finger foods, storage can turn into a mess of mismatched plastic containers and lids that never seem to find their match. Mason jars paired with the right reCAP lid make the whole thing simpler and they go straight from fridge to freezer to reheat without a second thought.

Why Mason jars work so well for holiday leftovers: They stack neatly in the fridge, they don't stain or hold onto smells the way plastic does, you can see exactly what's inside without opening every container, and reCAP lids are freezer safe and made with BPA-free food grade plastic.

Sort your leftovers by what they need:

Pourable stuff: Gravy, broth, cranberry sauce. These are the things that are miserable to portion out of a bulky container. A reCAP POUR Lid works especially well for gravies and homemade broths; pour straight over next-day leftovers or freeze it flat without spilling everywhere.

Dry and scoopable stuff: Stuffing, trail mix, mashed potatoes, soups, pureed squash. A reCAP FLIP Lid is the versatile one; great for dry snacks like trail mix, and just as good for foods you'll eat straight from the jar with a spoon, like take-to-work mashed potatoes, soup, or pureed squash.

Karen's homemade broth, made while dinner's still cooking

Our owner Karen makes her Thanksgiving broth the smart way, starting it before the big meal is even over:

"While making Thanksgiving dinner, I'm preparing for the next day's soup. After washing the vegetables, I have a bag ready to catch all the peelings and ends. (Yes, you can use carrot tops, they're not poisonous. No, don't eat raw slices of potato, they're toxic. When in doubt, google it.) Set the bag in the refrigerator or a cool place.

Once the meat is off the turkey, place the carcass in a deep stock pot and cover with water. I put in the leftover neck and drumsticks too. Toss in the veggie trimmings and herbs like thyme and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Then simmer on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 hours, occasionally stirring and pulling meat off the bone.

Let it cool for an hour, then put a sieve on a large Mason jar and pour the stock into the jar. Put the stock, fresh or leftover veggies, and meat back into the cleaned-out stock pot and make the most delicious turkey soup ever. After lunch, reCAP the soup in a Mason jar and store it in the fridge."

A few tips for storing the feast:

1. Let food cool slightly before sealing to avoid trapping too much steam.
2. Use wide mouth jars for anything chunky (stuffing, mashed potatoes) so it's easy to scoop.
3. Label jars with masking tape and a marker if you're storing several sauces that look alike.
4. Leave a little headspace if you're freezing broth or gravy, liquids expand.
5. Portion into single-serving jars if you know you'll want quick lunches all week.

Make the leftovers as good as the meal. Storing everything in Mason jars with the right reCAP lid means it's ready to go; no digging through a stack of mismatched containers, no soggy lids that don't seal right. Just open, reheat, and enjoy round two.