RECOMMENDED TIMES FOR REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER FOOD STORAGE |
FOOD |
REFRIGERATOR |
FREEZER |
DAIRY |
Fresh milk |
5- 7 days |
* |
Buttermilk |
1-2 weeks |
* |
Canned milk (opened) |
3-5 days |
* |
Cream (unwhipped) |
10 days |
* |
Cream (whipped) |
1 day |
2 months |
Sour cream |
4 weeks |
* |
Yogurt, cottage cheese |
7 days (after "sell-by date") |
* |
Hard cheese, grated cheese |
6-12 weks |
6-12 months |
Cheese spreads |
3-4 weeks |
* |
Butter/margarine |
2 weeks |
9 months |
Ice cream |
* |
2 months |
EGGS |
Fresh in shell |
3 weeks |
* |
Hard cooked |
1 week |
* |
MEATS, FRESH |
Beef roasts, steaks |
3-5 days |
6-12 monhts |
Chicken or turkey, pieces |
1-2 days |
9-12 months |
Chicken or turkey, whole |
1-2 days |
1 year |
Duck or goose |
1-2 days |
6 months |
Game birds |
1-2 days |
6 months |
Giblets |
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
Ground meat or stew |
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
Lamb, roasts or chops |
3-5 days |
6-9 months |
Pork, roasts or chops |
3-5 days |
4-6 months |
Pre-stuffed pork and lamb chops or chicken breasts |
1 day |
* |
Sausage |
1-2 days |
1-2 months |
Variety meats: heart, liver, tongue, etc. |
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
Venison, roasts, steaks, chops |
3-5 days |
6-12 months |
MEATS, COOKED |
Smoked breakfast sausage |
7 days |
1-2 months |
Whole ham (fully cooked) |
7days |
1-2 months |
Half ham (fully cooked) |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
Ham slices (fully cooked) |
3-4 days |
1-2 months |
Canned ham ("keep refrigerated" label) |
6-9 months |
* |
Hotdogs, luncheon meats (unopened) |
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
Hotdogs, luncheon meats (opened) |
3-7 days |
1-2 months |
Cooked, leftover meat |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
Leftover gravy and meat broth |
1-2 days |
2-3 months |
Cooked, leftover poultry |
3-4 days |
4-6 months |
Cooked, leftover chicken nuggets or patties |
1-2 days |
1-3 months |
SEAFOOD, FRESH |
Fresh lean fish: cod, flounder, trout, haddock, halibut, pollack, perch |
1-2 days |
4-6 months |
Fresh fatty fish: mullet, smelt, salmon,mackerel, bluefish, tuna and swordfish |
1-2 days |
2-3 months |
Live crabs and lobster |
same day purchased |
* |
Live mussels and clams |
2-3 days |
* |
Live oysters |
7-10 days |
* |
Shucked mussels and clams |
1-2 days |
3- 4 months |
Shucked oysters |
5-7 days |
3-4 months |
Shrimp, crabmeat |
2-3 days |
4 months |
Scallops |
2-3 days |
3 months |
COOKED FISH |
Fish sticks |
* |
18months |
Bread shrimp, commercial |
* |
1 year |
Cooked pieces |
3-4 days |
3 months |
FRUITS, FRESH |
Apples |
1 months |
8-12 months |
Apricots, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums |
3-5 days |
8-12 months |
Avocados |
3-5 days |
8-12 months |
Bananas, plantains |
* |
8-12 months |
Berries, cherries |
2-3 days |
8-12 months |
Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges |
2 weeks |
4-6 months |
Guavas, papayas |
1-2 days |
8-12 months |
Kiwis |
3-5 days |
4-6 months |
Mangoes |
* |
8-12 months |
Melons |
1 week |
8-12 months |
Pineapple |
2-3 days |
4-6 months |
VEGETABLES, FRESH |
Artichokes |
1 week |
* |
Asparagus |
2-3 days |
8-12 months |
Beets, carrots |
2 weeks |
8-12 months |
Beans, broccoli, lima beans, peas, summer squash |
3-5 days |
8-12 months |
Cauliflower |
1 week |
8-12 months |
Cilantro, parsley |
2-3 days |
* |
Corn |
use immediately for best flavor |
8-12 months |
Green onions |
3-5 days |
* |
Celery, cabbage, chilies, green beans, peppers, tomatoes |
1 week |
8-12 months |
Greens: colards, kale, mustard, spinach, swiss chard |
3-5 days |
8-12 months |
Lettuce and salad greens |
1 week |
* |
Mushrooms, okra |
1-2 days |
8-12 months |
Radishes |
2 weeks |
* |
Squash, hard |
* |
8-12 months |
BAKED PRODUCTS |
BREADS: Store at room temperature. Storing in the refrigerator promotes staling. Use the date as a guide or use within 3 to 7 days. |
Bread, yeast |
* |
6-12 months |
Muffins, rolls, quick breads |
* |
2-4 months |
Pancakes and waffles |
* |
1-2 months |
COOKIES |
Baked |
* |
4-6 months |
Unbaked dough |
2-3 days |
6 months |
CAKES: Store at room temperature, except for cheesecake. Best used within 3 to 7 days |
Angel and sponge |
* |
4-6 months |
Cheese |
3-7 days |
4-6 months |
Fruit |
* |
1 year |
Layer cake (butter cream icing or plain) |
* |
6 months |
PASTRIES: Store at room temperature. Best used within 1 to 3 days |
Danish |
* |
3 months |
Doughnuts |
* |
3 months |
PIES |
Chiffon pie, pumpkin pie |
1-2 days |
1 month |
Fruit pie |
1-2 days |
1 year |
Unbaked fruit pies |
* |
8 months |
* Storage here not recommended due to safety or quality issues. |
Dried Food Items - Shelf Life Baking powder/soda - 18 months Bread Crumbs - 6 months Cereals - 6 months Coffee creamer, dry-6 months Flour/cake mixes - 1 year Gelatin/pudding mixes - 1 year Herbs/spices - 6-12 months Milk, nonfat dry - 6 months Pancake/pie crust mixes - 6 months Pasta/noodles -2 years Potatoes, instant - 18 months Rice, white - 2 years Sugar, granulated - 2 years Sugar, brown, confectioners'- 4 months
Beans
Dried beans, if kept free from moisture, will last for several years. This is the best to stretch your hard earned dollars and healthy too!
Drinks
Almost all juices that you buy, such as apple and cranberry juice, can last 3-5 years un-opened. But not all juices are the same so make sure you contact the manufacturer's consumer phone number.
Other Items
Chocolate - unsweetened 18 months Coffee, vacuum pack - 1 year Milk, canned - 1 year Molasses - 2 years Nuts - 8 months Oils/salad dressings - 3 months Peanut butter (unopened) - 6 months Sauces, condiments, relishes (unopened) - 1 year Shortening - 8 months Syrups - 1 year Tea - 18 months
Sell-by Date: This is the last recommended day of sale, but allows for home storage and use. The date is given after the statement, "Sell by (a date)." Breads and baked goods may have "sell-by dates."
Use-by Date: Tells how long the product will retain top quality after you buy it. You will find this date after the statement, "Use by." Some packaged goods have "use-by dates."
Expiration Date: This is the last day the product should be used or eaten. You may find this date after the statement, "Do not use after (date)." Eggs may have "expiration dates."
Pack Date: Canned or packaged foods may have dates that tell you when the product was processed. This does not tell how long the food will be good.
These are guidelines; if a food is not properly handled, its storage life will be shortened. Follow these tips for purchasing top-quality foods that have been handled safely.
- Look for packages of food that are not torn or broken.
- Refrigerated food should feel cold (less than 45 °F) and frozen food should be frozen solid. Purchase these foods last.
- When shopping, place packaged raw meat, poultry and fish in plastic bags and keep from contact with other foods.
- Take perishable foods home quickly to refrigerate. If travel time will exceed one hour, pack fresh meats in a cooler with ice and keep in the passenger area of the car in warm weather.
- At home, refrigerate perishable food immediately. The "DANGER ZONE" for most food is between 40 to 140 °F. Bacteria grow most rapidly in this range of temperatures, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.
|
Canned fruits, juices, tomatoes, pickles |
12-18 months |
Canned meats and vegetables |
2-5 years |
Home-canned foods |
1 year |
Onions |
1-3 months at room temperature or below |
Potatoes |
1-3 months at 45-50 ºF 1 week at room temperature |
Squash, hard-rinds |
1-3 months at 60 ºF 1 week at room temperature |
Sweet Potatoes |
1-3 months at 60 ºF 1 week at room temperature |
THE FOLLOWING FOODS SHOULD BE STORED IN THE PANTRY IN TIGHTLY SEALED OR AIRTIGHT CONTAINERS: |
Staples |
Bread Crumbs |
4 months |
Brown Rice |
6 months |
Cornmeal and hominy grits |
12 months |
Honey and syrups |
1 year |
Nonfat dry milk |
1 year |
Olive oil |
6 months |
Pasta |
1-2 years |
Rice |
1 year |
Shortening |
2 years |
Sugar, Granulated |
indefinitely |
Sugar, brown or powdered |
18 months |
Vegetable oil |
1 year |
Wheat germ (unopened) |
8-12 months |
White flour |
10-15 months |
Whole wheat flour |
3 months (best in refrigerator or freezer) |
Wild rice |
6 months |
Packaged Foods |
Baking mix (biscuit, cake) |
6 months |
Cereals |
12 months |
Soup mix (dry) |
12 months |
Dried Foods |
Dried apricots |
3 months (refrigerate after opening) |
Dried prunes, raisins |
9 months (refrigerate after opening) |
Dried peas and beans |
1 year |
Herbs, Spices and Condiments |
Salt, cream of tarter |
indefinitely |
Ground spices and herbs |
2-3 years |
Whole spices |
4-5 years |
Tabasco, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce |
30 months |
Beverages (sealed, unopened) |
Bottled Water |
2-5 years |
Juices |
12-18 Months |
Soft drinks |
8 months |
Miscellaneous |
Chocolate |
2 years |
Chocolate chips, cocoa |
18 months |
Coffee (canned) |
12 months |
Nuts (unshelled) |
6-12 months |
Peanut butter |
3-4 months (best refrigerated) |
Tapioca |
4 years |
Tea |
18 months |
Bread and Cakes Store breads and cakes at room temperature. Storing in the refrigerator promates staling. use within 3-7 days or freeze. | http://groups.msn.com/FrugalLiving/foodlifespan.msnw
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