Storage Periods for Retaining Food Quality
|
Food |
Room Temperature |
Refrigerator |
Freezer at 0°F |
Milk/Milk Products |
Milk |
|
1 week |
1 month |
Butter |
|
2 weeks |
12 months |
Canned or dry milk (unopened) |
|
|
6 months |
Cottage cheese |
|
1 week |
3 months |
Cream |
|
1-2 weeks |
|
Ice cream |
|
|
2-3 weeks |
Margarine |
|
1 month |
12 months |
Natural cheese |
|
1 month |
4-6 months |
Processed cheese |
|
1 month |
4-6 months |
Sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese |
|
2 weeks |
Not recommended |
Yogurt |
|
1 month |
|
Meat |
Fresh roasts, steaks, chops |
|
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
Fresh livers, hearts, kidneys, other variety meats |
|
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
Fresh ground meat, stew meat |
|
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
Cured pork and lunch meat |
|
1 week |
Not recommended |
Cooked meat, gravies made with meat stock |
|
2-3 days |
2-3 months |
Canned meat |
|
1 year |
|
Meat pies, stews, casseroles, meat salads |
|
2-3 days |
3 months |
Hotdogs |
|
1 week (opened) 2 weeks (unopened) |
1-2 months |
Bacon |
|
7 days |
1 month |
Sausage, raw from pork, beef, turkey |
|
1-2 days |
1-2 months |
Hard sausage-pepperoni, jerky sticks |
|
2-3 weeks |
1-2 months |
Poultry/Eggs |
Fresh poultry |
|
2 days |
6-8 months |
Cooked poultry |
|
2-3 days |
6 months |
Poultry stuffing |
|
1 day |
|
Poultry pies, stews, creamed dishes, gravies |
|
1 day |
6 months |
Poultry salads |
|
1 day |
|
Eggs |
|
2-4 weeks |
1 year |
Raw yolk, whites |
|
2-4 days |
1 year |
Hardcooked eggs |
|
1 week |
Not recommended |
Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes |
|
10 days (unopened) 3 days (opened) |
1 year (unopened) |
Egg-containing products: custards, custard sauces, puddings, custard-filled pastries or cakes |
|
1-2 days |
Not recommended |
Puddings, canned |
|
1-2 days (opened) |
|
Fish/Seafood |
Fresh fish |
|
1-2 days |
3-6 months |
Cooked fish |
|
3-4 days |
1 month |
Fish salad |
|
1 day |
|
Smoked fish |
|
10 days |
4-5 weeks |
Canned fish |
1 year |
|
Not recommended |
Dried or pickled fish |
|
3-4 weeks |
|
Clams, oyster (shucked) and scallops |
|
7-9 days |
|
Crab |
|
7 days |
2 months |
Shrimp |
|
3-5 days |
6-12 months |
Lobster (shelled or unshelled) |
|
3-7 days |
6-12 months |
Wild Game |
Venison |
|
3-5 days |
3-4 months |
Rabbit, squirrel |
|
1-2 days |
12 months |
Wild duck, pheasant, goose(whole) |
|
1-2 days |
6 months |
Fruits |
Apples |
Until ripe |
1 month |
|
Citrus fruits |
|
2-6 weeks |
|
Grapes |
|
1-3 weeks |
|
Melons, most varieties |
|
1 week |
|
Peaches, nectarines |
|
2-3 weeks |
|
Pears (mature but not fully ripe) |
|
1-3 months |
|
Pineapple, ripe |
|
1 week |
|
Other fresh fruit |
Until ripe |
3-5 days |
9-12 months |
Canned fruit |
1 year |
2-4 days (opened) |
|
Dried fruit |
6 months |
2-4 days (cooked) |
|
Fruit juice concentrates |
|
|
1 year |
Canned fruit juices |
1 year |
3-4 days (opened) |
|
Vegetables |
Asparagus |
|
2-3 days |
|
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, green peas, green onions, lima beans, rhubarb, greens, summer squash, mushrooms |
|
3-5 days |
|
Cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, snap beans, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes |
|
1 week |
|
Carrots, beets, parsnips, radishes, turnips |
|
2 weeks |
|
Corn |
|
1 day |
|
White potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, rutabagas, dry onions |
1 week (several months at 50-60°F) |
|
|
Canned or dried vegetables |
1 year |
1-4 days (opened/cooked) |
|
Cereal Products |
Flour, white |
1 year |
|
|
Flour, whole or wheat |
|
6-8 months |
1 year |
Rice, white |
2 years |
|
|
Rice, brown |
6 months |
|
|
Ready-to-eat cereals |
1 year |
|
|
Uncooked cereals |
1 year |
|
|
Pasta |
1 year |
|
|
Corn meal |
|
1 year |
|
Bakery Goods |
Breads, baked with no preservatives |
|
2-3 weeks |
2-3 months |
Breads, quick, baked |
|
|
2 months |
Cake, angel |
|
|
6-12 months |
Cake, baked, frosted |
|
|
1 month |
Cake, baked, unfrosted |
|
|
2-4 months |
Cakes, batter |
|
|
1 month |
Cakes, fruit |
|
|
6-12 months |
Cinnamon rolls, partially baked |
|
|
2 months |
Cookies, baked, homemade |
|
2-3 weeks |
6-12 months |
Cookies, dough |
|
1-2 days |
3 months |
Cookies, packaged |
|
2 months |
12-18 months |
Crackers |
|
2 months |
|
Doughnuts, unfrosted |
|
|
2-4 months |
Muffins, baked |
|
|
6-12 months |
Pies, fruit |
|
2-3 days (baked) 1-2 days (unbaked) |
6-8 months (baked) 2-4 months (unbaked) |
Pies, pumpkin or chiffon |
|
2-3 days |
1-2 months |
Rolls and bread, unbaked |
|
2-3 weeks |
1 month |
Waffles |
|
|
1 month |
Mixes/Packaged Foods |
Biscuit, brownie, muffin mix |
9 months |
|
|
Cake mixes |
6-9 months |
|
|
Casserole mix |
9-12 months |
|
|
Cookies, homemade |
2-3 weeks |
|
|
Cookies, packaged |
2 months |
|
|
Crackers |
3 months |
|
|
Croutons and bread crumbs |
6 months |
6 months |
1 year |
Frosting, canned |
3 months |
|
|
Frosting, mix |
8 months |
|
|
Hot roll mix |
18 months |
|
|
Pancake mix |
6-9 months |
|
|
Piecrust, mix |
6-9 months |
|
|
Potatoes, instant |
6-12 months |
|
|
Rice mixes |
6 months |
|
|
Sauce and gravy mixes |
6-12 months |
|
|
Soup mixes |
12 months |
|
|
Toaster pastries |
2-3 months |
|
|
Other Foods |
Baking powder |
18 months |
|
|
Baking soda |
2 years |
|
|
Chocolate syrup |
2 years (unopened) |
6 months (opened) |
|
Cocoa mixes |
8 months |
|
|
Coffee, lighteners (dry) |
9 months (unopened) 6 months (opened) |
|
|
Cornstarch |
18 months |
|
|
Gelatin |
18 months |
|
|
Pectin |
1 year |
|
|
Salad dressings, bottled |
12 months (unopened) |
1-3 months (opened) |
Not recommended |
Sugar, brown |
18 months |
|
|
Sugar, confectioners’ |
18 months |
|
|
Sugar, granulated |
2 years |
|
|
Vinegar |
2 years (unopened) 1 year (opened) |
|
|
Cheese, parmesan, grated |
10 months (unopened) 2 months (opened) |
|
|
Coconut, shredded |
12 months (unopened) 6 months (opened) |
|
|
Imitation bacon bits, etc. |
4 months |
|
|
Peas, beans, dried |
12 months |
|
|
Popcorn |
2 years |
|
|
Whipped topping, dry |
12 months |
|
|
Yeast, dry |
Expiration date on package |
|
|
Honey, jams, syrups, molasses |
1 year |
|
|
Nuts, unshelled |
6 months |
|
|
Nuts, shelled |
|
6 months |
|
Peanut butter |
6 months (unopened) |
2 months (opened) |
|
Chocolate |
1 year |
|
|
Coffee |
1 year (unopened) 2-4 weeks (opened) |
|
|
Coffee, instant |
6 months (unopened) 2 months (opened) |
|
|
Pudding mixes |
1 year |
|
|
Shortening, solid |
8 months |
|
|
Vegetable oils |
1-3 months |
|
|
Tea, bags or loose |
1 year |
|
|
Tea, instant |
1 year |
|
|
Soft drinks |
3 months |
|
|
Bouillon products |
1 year |
|
|
Mayonnaise |
|
10-12 weeks |
Not recommended |
Spices, Herbs, Condiments, Extracts |
Catsup, chili sauce |
12 months (unopened) 1 month (opened) |
|
|
Mustard, prepared yellow (refrigerate |
2 years (unopened) for longer storage) 6-8 months (opened) |
|
|
Spices, whole |
1-2 years |
|
|
Spices, ground |
6 months |
|
|
Herbs |
6 months |
|
|
Herb/spice blends |
2 years (unopened) 12 months (opened) |
|
|
Other extracts |
12 months |
|
|
We are blogging just for you! Nothing gives fulfillment than your feedback. Love your opinion :)