Cold Food Storage Chart
Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.
The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely.
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Food | Type | Refrigerator (40 °F or below) |
Freezer (0 °F or below) |
---|---|---|---|
Salad | Egg, chicken, ham, tuna, and macaroni salads | 3 to 4 days | Does not freeze well |
Hot dogs | Opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | |
Luncheon meat | Opened package or deli sliced | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months | |
Bacon and sausage | Bacon | 1 week | 1 month |
Sausage, raw, from chicken, turkey, pork, or beef | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months | |
Sausage, fully cooked, from chicken, turkey, pork, or beef | 1 week | 1 to 2 months | |
Sausage, purchased frozen | After cooking, 3-4 days | 1-2 months from date of purchase | |
Hamburger, ground meats and ground poultry | Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, chicken, other poultry, veal, pork, lamb, and mixtures of them | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
Fresh beef, veal, lamb, and pork | Steaks | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months |
Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months | |
Roasts | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months | |
Ham | Fresh, uncured, uncooked | 3 to 5 days | 6 months |
Fresh, uncured, cooked | 3 to 4 days | 3 to 4 months | |
Cured, cook-before-eating, uncooked | 5 to 7 days or “use by” date | 3 to 4 months | |
Fully-cooked, vacuum-sealed at plant, unopened | 2 weeks or “use by” date | 1 to 2 months | |
Cooked, store-wrapped, whole | 1 week | 1 to 2 months | |
Cooked, store-wrapped, slices, half, or spiral cut | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months | |
Country ham, cooked | 1 week | 1 month | |
Canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened | 6 to 9 months | Do not freeze | |
Canned, shelf-stable, opened Note: An unopened, shelf-stable, canned ham can be stored at room temperature for 2 years. |
3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months | |
Prosciutto, Parma or Serrano ham, dry Italian or Spanish type, cut | 2 to 3 months | 1 month | |
Fresh poultry | Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months | |
Fin Fish | Fatty Fish (bluefish, catfish, mackerel, mullet, salmon, tuna, etc.) | 1 – 3 Days | 2 – 3 Months |
Lean Fish (cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole, etc.) | 6 – 8 Months | ||
Lean Fish (pollock, ocean perch, rockfish, sea trout.) | 4 – 8 Months | ||
Shellfish | Fresh Crab Meat | 2 – 4 Days | 2 – 4 Months |
Fresh Lobster | 2 – 4 Days | 2 – 4 Months | |
Live Crab, Lobster | 1 day . | Not recommended | |
Live Clams, Mussels, Oysters, and Scallops | 5 – 10 Days | Not recommended | |
Shrimp, Crayfish | 3 – 5 Days | 6 – 18 Months | |
Shucked Clams, Mussels, Oysters, and Scallops | 3 – 10 Days | 3 – 4 Months | |
Squid | 1 – 3 Days | 6 – 18 Months | |
Eggs | Raw eggs in shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Do not freeze in shell. Beat yolks and whites together, then freeze. |
Raw egg whites and yolks Note: Yolks do not freeze well |
2 to 4 days | 12 months | |
Raw egg accidentally frozen in shell Note: Toss any frozen eggs with a broken shell |
Use immediately after thawing | Keep frozen, then refrigerate to thaw |
|
Hard-cooked eggs | 1 week | Do not freeze | |
Egg substitutes, liquid, unopened | 1 week | Do not freeze | |
Egg substitutes, liquid, opened | 3 days | Do not freeze | |
Egg substitutes, frozen, unopened | After thawing, 1 week or refer to “use by” date | 12 months | |
Egg substitutes, frozen, opened | After thawing, 3 to 4 days or refer to “use by” date | Do not freeze | |
Casseroles with eggs | After baking, 3 to 4 days | After baking, 2 to 3 months | |
Eggnog, commercial | 3 to 5 days | 6 months | |
Eggnog, homemade | 2 to 4 days | Do not freeze | |
Pies: Pumpkin or pecan | After baking, 3 to 4 days | After baking, 1 to 2 months | |
Pies: Custard and chiffon | After baking, 3 to 4 days | Do not freeze | |
Quiche with filling | After baking, 3 to 5 days | After baking, 2 to 3 months | |
Soups and stews | Vegetable or meat added | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
Leftovers | Cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
Chicken nuggets or patties | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 3 months | |
Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
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