HuffPost spoke with food safety experts on the biggest mistakes people make when preparing and cooking turkey and what to do instead. Not Washing Your Hands . Washing your hands w

How long turkey lasts after Thanksgiving The star protein will last four days in the fridge. In the freezer, it can last four months for best quality -- after that span it will dry out and lose flavor.

Make sure to refrigerate dense foods like sliced turkey, cooked sweet potatoes or gravy in shallow containers to help them cool down fast. Schaffner’s recent research showed that foods cooled in containers at a depth of no more than 2 inches posed little risk of growing dangerous germs.

"Thanksgiving leftovers are safe in the refrigerator for up to four days — until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat them — or you can place them in the freezer to enjoy later," Carothers says. "If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will remain of best quality for up to two to six months."

If you stored the Thanksgiving meal in the fridge, Monday is the final day that most leftovers are safe to eat by.

You can keep most leftovers for up to four days in your fridge. Take a look at a more detailed guideline of what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Refrigerators nationwide are likely filled with Thanksgiving leftovers, but according to FoodSafety.gov, today is the last day most leftovers will be safe to eat. The federal government’s online food safety resource says that Thanksgiving leftovers can only survive in the fridge for four days.