Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product, consult this chart and follow these tips. These short but safe time limits will help keep refrigerated food 40° F (4° C) from spoiling or becoming dangerous. Purchase the product before “sell-by�?or expiration dates. Follow handling recommendations on product. Keep meat and poultry in its package until just before using. If freezing meat and poultry in its original package longer than 2 months, overwrap these packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place the package inside a plastic bag. Cook foods to the required minimum cooking temperatures:
165° F. - Poultry, poultry stuffing, and stuffed meat
158° F. - Ground Beef, fish, and seafood
150° F. - Pork and food containing pork Because freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following recommended storage times are for quality only. | Product | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Eggs | | | | Fresh, in shell | 4 to 5 weeks | Don't freeze | | Raw yolks, whites | 2 to 4 days | 1 year | | Hardcooked | 1 week | Doesn't freeze well | | Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, opened | 3 days | Don't freeze | | Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, unopened | 10 days | 1 year | Mayonnaise, commercial
Refrigerate after opening | 2 months | Don’t freeze | | | | Product | Refrigerator | Freezer | TV Dinners, Frozen Casseroles
Keep frozen until ready to heat | | 3 to 4 months | | | | Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads | 3 to 5 days | Don’t freeze well | | Pre-stuffed pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed w/dressing | 1 day | Don’t freeze well | | Store-cooked convenience meals | 3 to 4 days | Don’t freeze well | | Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened | 2 weeks | Don’t freeze well | | | | | Raw Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Hamburger & stew meats | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months | | Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months | | | Ham, Corned Beef | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Corned beef in pouch with pickling juices | 5 to 7 days | Drained, 1 month | | Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,�?unopened | 6 to 9 months | Don’t freeze | | Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,�?opened | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months | | Ham, fully cooked, whole | 7 days | 1 to 2 months | | Ham, fully cooked, half | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months | | Ham, fully cooked, slices | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months | | | | Hot Dogs and Lunch Meats | Refrigerator | Freezer (in freezer wrap) | | Hot dogs, opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months | | Hot dogs, unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | | Lunch meats, opened package | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months | | Lunch meats, unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | | | | Soups and Stews | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Vegetable or meat-added & mixtures of them | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months | | | | Bacon and Sausage | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Bacon | 7 days | 1 month | | Sausage, raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months | | Smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 days | 1 to 2 months | | Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,�?unopened | 3 months | 1 to 2 months | | Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,�?opened | 3 weeks | 1 to 2 months | | | | Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb and Pork) | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Steaks | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 12 months | | Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 6 months | | Roasts | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months | | Variety meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings) | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months | | | | Meat Leftovers | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Cooked meat & meat dishes | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months | | Gravy & meat broth | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months | | | | Fresh Poultry | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year | | Chicken or turkey, parts | 1 to 2 days | 9 months | | Giblets | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months | | | | Cooked Poultry, Leftover | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Fried chicken | 3 to 4 days | 4 months | | Cooked poultry dishes | 3 to 4 days | 4 to 6 months | | Pieces, plain | 3 to 4 days | 4 months | | Pieces covered with broth, gravy | 1 to 2 days | 6 months | | Chicken nuggets, patties | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 3 months | | | | Fish and Shellfish | Refrigerator | Freezer | | Lean fish | 1 to 2 days | 6 months | | Fatty fish | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months | | Cooked fish | 3 to 4 days | 4 to 6 months | | Smoked fish | 14 days | 2 months | | Fresh shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 6 months | Canned seafood
Pantry, 5 years | after opening
3 to 4 days | out of can
2 months | |
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