Cold Storage Chart
The following selections are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Cold Storage Chart. As the USDA and FDA note, the specified time limits on refrigerated foods will ensure they don’t spoil and become unsafe to eat. Frozen foods can be stored indefinitely, but the taste and texture of the food may change after the time limits listed below. The complete chart is available at www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html.
|
Product |
Refrigerator (40 °F) |
Freezer (0 °F) |
|
Eggs | ||
|
Fresh, in shell |
3 to 5 weeks |
Don't freeze |
|
Hardcooked |
1 week |
Don't freeze well |
|
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats | ||
|
Hot dogs, opened package Unopened package |
1 week 2 weeks |
1 to 2 months 1 to 2 months |
|
Luncheon meats, opened package Unopened package |
3 to 5 days 2 weeks |
1 to 2 months 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 |
|
Ham | ||
|
Ham, fully-cooked vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened |
2 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
|
Ham, fully-cooked, whole |
7 days |
1 to 2 months |
|
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat | ||
|
Hamburger & stew meat; 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 |
|
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 |
|
Cooked Poultry | ||
|
Fried chicken |
3 to 4 days |
4 months |
|
Pieces, plain |
3 to 4 days |
4 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 |
3 weeks unopened |
8 to 12 months |
|
Dairy | ||
|
Butter |
1 to 3 months |
6 to 9 months |
|
Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss) |
6 months, unopened |
6 months |
|
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 |
|
Margarine |
4 to 5 months |
12 months |
|
Milk |
7 days |
3 months |
|
Sour cream |
7 to 21 days |
Doesn't freeze |
|
Yogurt |
7 to 14 days |
1 to 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 |