Safe Storage Times for Refrigerated or Frozen Foods
| Product | Refrigeration (40°F or less) | Freezer (0°F) |
| Baked Goods | ||
| Unbaked bread | 1 month | |
| Baked, unfrosted cake (angel food, chiffon, sponge or cheesecake) | 2-3 months | |
| Baked, unfrosted chocolate, pound, white or yellow cake | 4-6 months | |
| Beverages | ||
| Citrus fruit and homemade frozen juices | 6 days | 6 months |
| Fruit juice concentrates | 12 months | |
| Casseroles | ||
| Meat, fish or poultry | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Condiments | ||
| Mayonnaise, commercial, opened | 2 months | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Hard cheese | 2-3 weeks | 4 months (thaw in refrigerator) |
| Dairy | ||
| Hard cheese | 2-3 weeks | 4 months (thaw in refrigerator) 4-8 months in FoodSaver bag |
| Soft cheese | 5 days | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Butter | 5 days | 6-9 months |
| Cream | 5 days | 2 months (thaw in refrigerator; heavy cream will not whip after freezing) |
| Fresh eggs in shell | 3-5 weeks | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Raw egg whites and yolks | 2-4 days | 12 months |
| Hard-cooked eggs | 7 days | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Pasteurized egg substitute, unopened | 10 days | |
| Pasteurized egg substitute, opened | 3 days | |
| Cooked egg dishes | 3-4 days | 12 months |
| Margarine | 4-5 months | 1 month (thaw in refrigerator; best if used for cooking and baking) |
| Milk | 7 days | |
| Buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt | 7 days | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Fish | ||
| Bluefish, perch, mackerel or salmon | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
| Breaded fish | 1-2 days | 3 months |
| Cod, flounder, haddock or sole | 1-2 days | 6 months |
| Shellfish, cooked | 1-2 days | 3 months |
| Shellfish, uncooked | 1-2 days | 3-6 months |
| Frozen Foods | ||
| Ice cream, ice milk, sherbet | 2 months | |
| TV dinners, frozen casseroles | 3-4 months | |
| Fruits | ||
| Apples | 1-3 weeks | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Berries, cherries, peaches, pears, pineapple, etc. | 1-2 days | 12 months |
| Fresh, uncut limes | 1 month | |
| Fresh, cut limes (in plastic bag) | 5 days | |
| Melons | 7 days | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Strawberries | 3 days | 12 months |
| Meat | ||
| Ground beef, raw | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
| Hot dogs, unopened | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Hot dogs, opened package | 1 week | 1-2 months |
| Luncheon meat, unopened | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Luncheon meat, opened | 3-5 days | 1-2 months |
| Steaks or chops, uncooked | 2-3 days | 4-6 months |
| Cooked meat and meat casseroles | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Poultry | ||
| Chicken, whole or cut up, uncooked | 1-2 days | 3 months |
| Cooked | 3-4 days | 3-4 months |
| Cooked casseroles | 3-4 days | 4-6 months |
| Soups/Stews | ||
| Vegetable or meat | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Vegetables | ||
| Home frozen | 10 months | |
| Fresh: asparagus, corn in husks, beans (green or wax), mushrooms, shredded cabbage, leaf and bib lettuce, salad greens, tomatoes (ripe) or cabbage | 1-2 days | All vegetables: 1-2 years in vacuum-packed FoodSaver bags |
| Head lettuce (washed and drained), unshelled peas, lima beans and or spinach | 3-5 days | |
| Beets, cabbage, carrots, celery and radishes | 7-14 days | |
| Purchased frozen packages (cartons, plastic bags or boil-in bags) | 8 months | |
| Other Foods | ||
| Gravy, broth | 1-2 days | |
| Canned fruits, opened | 7 days | |
| Canned vegetables, opened | 2-3 days | |
| Puddings or custards, opened | 1-2 days | |
| Pizza | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |
| Stuffing, cooked | 3-4 days | 1 month |
| Prepared deli salads (chicken, egg, tuna, macaroni or potato) | 3-5 days | DO NOT FREEZE |
| Unopened vacuum-packed dinners with | 2 weeks |
Excerpted from Cook Once, Eat for a Week by Jyl Steinback. Copyright © 2003 by Family Fit Lifestyle, an Arizona Corporation.
To order this book go to Amazon.
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