Everything You Need To Know About Storing Leftover Hot Dogs

Is July 4 starting to feel like a distant memory? Well, it might do until you open your fridge or pantry. The July 4 weekend is now almost a week ago, but if you stocked up hard for the occasion, you may still have some leftover food to get through, which is starting to look a liiiiitle bit past its prime – or maybe a particularly close call and a rumbling stomach in the days after Saturday made you reassess how you’re storing your grub. 

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Well, either way, it’s probably a good time to talk about food safety. Hey, it’s ALWAYS a good time to talk about food safety. And given that we’re in the depths of grilling season and you might have a couple of packs of leftover franks hanging around, let’s chat about hot dogs and the tips that Kayem’s own Sila Cansever, director of research and development for the meat brand, shared with us. 

Not Ready To Eat? Freeze

As New England’s go-to hot dog brand, Kayem knows a thing or two about how to store franks – and as July is National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day lands on July 15, it’s a good time for Cansever to remind us of what we should be doing with our leftovers.

First up, she recommends freezing leftover hot dogs if you’re not ready to use them. “If you won’t use unopened hot dogs or sausages right away, freeze them before the ‘Use By’ date,” says Cansever. “They’ll maintain their best quality for up to three months.” The length of time you get with hot dogs and franks before the use-by date can vary considerably, and some should be used in a matter of days to weeks – but by freezing them, you can see ‘em through to the fall. 

Your Countertop Is Your Worst Enemy

Room temperature is the enemy of food safety, and that applies when you’re thawing foods, too. Not only should you not leave your hot dogs out on the counter, but when you’re pulling them out of the freezer, make sure you put them in the fridge. Cansever recommends leaving them to thaw overnight. They’ll come up to temperature slowly without entering the “Danger Zone” of 40 °F to 140 °F in which bacteria can grow and thrive. 

Seal It Up

Once you’ve opened up a pack of hot dogs, don’t just leave them hanging around. Instead, seal them away. “Store leftovers in a sealed bag or airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy them within seven days,” says Cansever. Not only will this help prevent mold and bacterial growth, but it’ll also help to stop them from drying out. If you put them straight in your fridge, uncovered, they can quickly lose moisture from all that dry, cold air. 

Check The Date

This one sounds obvious, but…check the date on the packaging! “For the best eating experience, always follow the ‘Use By’ date printed on the package,” states Cansever. Use-by dates are generally an indicator of when a food will be best, as opposed to when it’s safe to eat – but once you’ve gone past it, your hot dogs will start to take a nosedive.