| Product |
Refrigerator (40F) |
Freezer (0F) |
| Deli |
| Entrees, cold or hot |
3 to 4 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Store-sliced lunch meats |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Salads |
3 to 5 days |
Do not freeze |
| Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats |
Hot dogs,
opened package |
1 week |
1 to 2 months |
| unopened package |
2 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meats, opened package |
3 to 5 days |
1 to 2 months |
| 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 |
| 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, 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 |
Do not freeze |
| 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 |
3 weeks unopened,
7 to 10 days opened |
8 to 12 months |
| Dairy |
| Butter |
1 to 3 months |
6 to 9 months |
| Buttermilk |
7 to 14 days |
3 months |
| Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss) |
6 months, unopened
3 to 4 weeks, opened |
6 months |
| Cheese Soft (such as Brie) |
1 week |
6 months |
| Cottage Cheese, Ricotta |
1 week |
Do not freeze |
| Cream Cheese |
2 weeks |
Do not freeze |
| Cream – Whipped, ultrapasteurized |
1 month |
Do not freeze |
| Whipped, Sweetened |
1 day |
1 to 2 months |
| Aerosol can, real whipped cream |
3 to 4 weeks |
Do not freeze |
| Aerosol can, non-dairy topping |
3 months |
Do not freeze |
| Cream, Half and Half |
3 to 4 days |
4 months |
| Eggs, in shell |
3 to 5 weeks |
Do not freeze |
| Raw yolks, whites |
2 to 4 days |
1 year |
| Hard cooked |
1 week |
Do not freeze |
| Egg substitutes, liquid |
|
|
| opened |
3 days |
Do not freeze |
| unopened |
10 days |
1 year |
| 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 |
Don't freeze |
| Sour cream |
7 to 21 days |
Don't freeze |
| Yogurt |
7 to 14 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Dough |
| Tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough, etc. |
"use by" date on package |
Don't freeze |
| Ready-to-bake pie crust |
"use by" date on package |
2 months |
| Cookie dough |
"use by" date on package |
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 | |
Sources: USDA and Food Marketing Institute
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