Read the charts below to find out how long you should keep certain foods in the refrigerator or freezer.
Bacon and sausage
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
Sausage, raw - from pork, beef, turkey | 1-2 days | 1-2 months |
Smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 days | 1-2 months |
Hard sausage | Opened: 3 weeks. Unopened: indefinitely | 1-2 months |
Summer sausage labeled "keep refrigerated" | Opened: 3 weeks. Unopened: 3 months | 1-2 months |
Deli and vacuum-packed products
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Store-made or homemade egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads | 3-4 days | Don't freeze well |
Pre-stuffed pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed with dressing | 1-2 days | 9 months |
Stuffed pork chops | 1-2 days | 9 months |
Chicken breasts | 1-2 days | 9 months |
Store-cooked convenience meals | 1-2 days | Don't freeze well |
Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal | Unopened: 2 weeks | Don't freeze well |
Eggs
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Fresh eggs in shell | 3-5 weeks | Don't freeze |
Eggs, raw yolks or white | 2-4 days | 1 year |
Hardcooked eggs | 1 week | Don't freeze well |
Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitute | Opened: 3 days. Unopened: 6 weeks | Don't freeze |
Cooked egg dishes | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
Fish and shellfish
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Fresh fish and shellfish | 1-2 days | 3-6 months |
Cooked fish | 3-4 days | 4-6 months |
Smoked fish | 14 days | 2 months |
Ham, corned beef
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Corned beef - in pouch with pickling juices | 5-7 days | Drained, wrapped: 1 month |
Ham, canned - labeled "keep refrigerated" | Opened: 3-5 days. Unopened: 6-9 months | Don't freeze |
Ham, fully cooked - whole | 7 days | 1-2 months |
Ham, fully cooked - half | 7 days | 1-2 months |
Ham, fully cooked - slices | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |
Hamburger, ground and stew meats - fresh
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Hamburger | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb, and mixtures of them | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
Stew meats | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Hotdogs and lunch meats
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Hotdogs | Opened package: 1 week. Unopened package: 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
Luncheon meats | Opened package: 3-5 days. Unopened package: 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
Mayonnaise
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Commercial, refrigerate after opening | 2 months | Don't freeze |
Meat - fresh
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Steaks, beef | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Chops, pork | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Chops, lamb | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Roasts, beef | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Roasts, lamb | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Roasts, pork and veal | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
Variety meats - tongue, brain, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
Meat - cooked, leftovers
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Cooked meat and meat dishes | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
Gravy and meat broth | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
Poultry - fresh
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Chicken or turkey, whole | 1-2 days | 1 year |
Chicken or turkey parts | 1-2 days | 9 months |
Giblets | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
Poultry - cooked, leftovers
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Fried chicken | 3-4 days | 4 months |
Cooked poultry dishes | 3-4 days | 4-6 months |
Pieces | 3-4 days | 4 months |
Pieces covered with broth, gravy | 3-4 days | 6 months |
Chicken nuggets, patties | 3-4 days | 1-3 months |
Soups and stews
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Vegetable or meat-added | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
Frozen meals, commercially prepared
Product | Refrigerator (40 F) | Freezer (0 F) |
---|---|---|
Keep frozen until ready to serve | - | 3-4 months |
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (March 2018). Refrigerator and freezer storage chart.
- Foodsafety.gov. (2018). Foodkeeper.
Recommended resources
- Utah State University. A Guide to Food Storage for Emergencies .
Reviewed in 2021