Cold-storage
guidelines
IF YOU’RE FREQUENTLY UNCERTAIN about how long to save that casserole or whether month-old hot dogs are a safe meal, this simple guide to food
cold-storage times will prove valuable, time and time again.
Food Refrigerator ( 40°F)
Bacon (opened package) 7 days
Butter 1 to 3 months
Cheese, hard 6 months, unopened; 3 to 4 weeks, opened
Cheese, soft (e.g., Brie) 7 days
Chicken leftovers (casseroles) 3 to 4 days
Chicken or turkey (fresh) 1 to 2 days
Cooked fish 3 to 4 days
Cooked shellfish 3 to 4 days
Corned beef (in pouch) 5 to 7 days
Cream cheese 14 days
Fresh eggs 3 to 5 weeks
Fried chicken 3 to 4 days
Fruit beverages (juice or drinks in cartons) 3 weeks, unopened; 7 to 10 days, opened
Ground beef and stew meat 1 to 2 days
Ham, canned (open) 3 to 5 days
Ham, whole (fully cooked) 7 days
Hot dogs (open package) 7 days
Luncheon meat (opened package) 3 to 5 days
Margarine 4 to 5 months
Mayonnaise (opened jar) 2 months
Meat leftovers 3 to 4 days
Milk 7 days
Pizza 3 to 4 days
Roasts 3 to 5 days
Shrimp, scallops, shucked clams or oysters 1 to 2 days
Smoked fish 14 days, or date on package
Soups and stews, veggies or meat added 3 to 4 days
Sour cream 7 to 21 days
Steaks 3 to 5 days
Yogurt 7 to 14 days
Source: USDA Food Safety,
www.foodsafety.gov
Freezer (0°F)
1 month
6 to 9 months
6 months
6 months
4 to 6 months
9 to 12 months
4 to 6 months
3 months
Drained, 1 month
Doesn’t freeze well
Don’t freeze
4 months
8 to 12 months
3 to 4 months
1 to 2 months
1 to 2 months
1 to 2 months
1 to 2 months
12 months
Doesn’t freeze
2 to 3 months
3 months
1 to 2 months
4 to 12 months
3 to 6 months
2 months in package
2 to 3 months
Doesn’t freeze
6 to 12 months
1 to 2 months
