Cold Storage Chart
| Product | Refrigerator (40 °F) | Freezer (0 °F) |
| Eggs | ||
| Fresh, in shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Don’t freeze |
| Raw yolks, whites | 2 to 4 weeks | 1 year |
| Hard cooked | 1 week | Don’t freeze well |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes, opened | 3 days | Don’t freeze well |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes, unopened | 10 days | 1 year |
| Mayonnaise | ||
| Commercial refrigerate after opening | 2 months | Doesn’t freeze |
| Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products | ||
| Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni salads | 3 to 5 days | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Hot Dogs & Luncheon Meats | ||
| Hot dogs, opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs, unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meats, opened package | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meats, unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Bacon & Sausage | ||
| Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw from chicken, turkey, pork, beef | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Hard sausage – pepperoni, jerky sticks | 2 to 3 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Summer sausage – labeled “Keep Refrigerated” – opened | 3 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Summer sausage – labeled “Keep Refrigerated” – unopened | 3 months | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, Corned Beef | ||
| Corned beef, in pouch with pickling juices | 5 to 7 days | Drained, 1 month |
| Ham, canned – labeled “Keep Refrigerated” – opened | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, canned – labeled “Keep Refrigerated” – unopened | 6 to 9 months | Doesn’t freeze |
| Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, dated, unopened | “Use by” date on package | 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 |
| Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat | ||
| Hamburger & stew meat | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb & mixtures of them | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork | ||
| 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, liver, heart, kidneys, chitterlings | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Pre-stuffed, uncooked pork chops, lamb chops, or chicken breast stuffed with dressing | 1 day | Don’t freeze well |
| Soup & Stews | ||
| Vegetable or meat added | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Meat Leftovers | ||
| Cooked meat and meat casseroles | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Gravy and meat broth | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Fresh Poultry | ||
| Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months |
| Giblets | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Cooked Poultry | ||
| Fried chicken | 3 to 4 days | 4 months |
| Cooked poultry casseroles | 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 |
| Pizza | ||
| Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Stuffing | ||
| Stuffing – cooked | 3 to 4 days | 1 month |
| Beverages, Fruit | ||
| Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch – Unopened | 3 weeks | 8 to 12 months |
| Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch – Opened | 7 to 10 days | |
| Dairy | ||
| Butter | 1 to 3 months | 6 to 9 months |
| Buttermilk | 7 to 14 days | 3 months |
| Cheese, hard (such as cheddar, swiss) – Unopened | 6 months | 6 months |
| Cheese, hard (such as cheddar, swiss) – Opened | 3 to 4 weeks | |
| Cheese, soft (such as brie, bel paese) | 1 week | 6 months |
| Cottage cheese, ricotta | 1 week | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Cream cheese | 2 weeks | Doesn’t freeze well |
| Cream – whipped, ultrapasteurized | 1 month | Doesn’t freeze |
| Cream – whipped, sweetened | 1 day | 1 to 2 months |
| Cream – aerosol can, real whipped cream | 3 to 4 weeks | Doesn’t freeze |
| Cream – aerosol can, non dairy topping | 3 months | Doesn’t freeze |
| Cream, half and half | 3 to 4 days | 4 months |
| Eggnog, commercial | 3 to 5 days | 6 months |
| Margarine | 4 to 5 months | 12 months |
| Milk | 7 days | 3 months |
| Pudding | Package date; 2 days after opening | Doesn’t freeze |
| Sour cream | 7 to 21 days | Doesn’t freeze |
| Yogurt | 7 to 14 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Dough | ||
| Tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough, etc. | Use-by date | Don’t freeze |
| Ready-to-bake pie crust | Use-by date | 2 months |
| Cookie dough | Use-by date, unopened or opened | 2 months |
| Fish | ||
| Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, sole, etc.) | 1 to 2 days | 6 months |
| Fatty fish (bluefish, mackerel, salmon, etc.) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Cooked fish | 3 to 4 days | 4 to 6 months |
| Smoked fish | 14 days or date on vacuum package | 2 months in vacuum package |
| Shellfish | ||
| Shrimp, scallops, crayfish, squid, shucked clams, mussels, and oysters | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 6 months |
| Live clams, mussels, crab, lobster, and oysters | 2 to 3 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Cooked shellfish | 3 to 4 days | 3 months |
Note: Storage times are from date of purchase unless specified on chart. It is not important if a date expires after food is frozen.
Sources
- http://www.nsf.org/consumer/food_safety/fsafety_storage.asp
- USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- The Food Keeper, The Food Marketing Institute
