Cold and Frozen Food Storage
Do you know how long you can store dairy products or other food items in the refrigerator or freezer safely?
The following chart contains suggested safe time limits for keeping refrigerated foods from spoiling or becoming unsafe to eat. Because freezing can keep food safe indefinitely, the recommended storage times are for quality only.
Unless otherwise stated, the storage times are from date of purchase.
| Product | Refrigerator (40°F/4.4°C) | Freezer (0°F/-18°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| Beverages - Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch | 3 weeks unopened 7 to 10 days opened | 8 - 12 months |
| Cheese - hard (e.g. Swiss) | 3 - 4 weeks | 6 months |
| Cheese - soft (e.g. brie) | 1 week | 6 months |
| Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 - 6 months |
| Cottage cheese | 1 week | Doesn't freeze well |
| Fish - lean (cod, etc.) | 1 to 2 days | 6 months |
| Fish - fatty (salmon, etc.) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Dough - tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough | Use-by date | Don't freeze |
| Dough – cookie | Use-by date | 2 months |
| Eggs - fresh in shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Don't freeze |
| Eggs - hard cooked | 1 week | Don't freeze well |
| Egg substitutes – opened | 3 days | Don't freeze well |
| Egg substitutes – unopened | 3 days | 1 year |
| Ground hamburger, turkey, pork mixtures; stew meat | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Ham - fully cooked, whole | 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham - fully cooked, slices | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs - opened | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs - unopened | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Leftovers – all kinds | 3 to 4 days | 2 – 3 months |
| Luncheon meats - opened | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meats - unopened | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Margarine | 4 - 5 months | 12 months |
| Mayonnaise - commercial/refrigerate after opening | 2 months | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Milk | 7 days | 3 months |
| Poultry - fresh, chicken or turkey | 1 to 2 days | 6 months |
| Sausage, raw | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months |
| Smoked breakfast sausage | 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Steaks, roasts | 3 to 5 days | 6 - 12 months |
| Yogurt | 7 - 14 days | 1 - 2 months |
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