There is nothing worse than getting that favorite recipe out and the last thing you take out of the refrigerator is bad. No longer can you start to cook. Now you must stop everything, go to the store and get the item, return and start all over. Or worse yet, put all the preparations away and call for take-out. No longer. If you pay attention to the valuable information on this page, you can know ahead of time exactly how long it will be fresh in the refrigerator. No, the milk cannot be used two weeks later. Smell it … that will tell you. No, the mold on the sliced cheese can’t just be removed and used. Pay close attention so your next meal won’t get ruined.
| Meat, Poultry Seafood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ITEM | unopened-FRIDGE | opened-FRIDGE | FREEZER |
| Meats | |||
| Bacon | 2 weeks | 1 week | 1 month |
| Chicken | 2 days | 6 months | |
| Cold Cuts |
2 weeks | 5 days | 2 months |
| Fish Fillets |
2 days | 2 days | 6 months |
| Ground Meat |
2 days | 2 days | 4 months |
| Hot Dogs |
2 weeks | 1 week | 2 months |
| Pork | 3 days | 6 months | |
| Raw Shrimp |
2 days | 6 months | |
| Shellfish in shell |
2 days | ||
| Shellfish shucked |
1 day | 3 months | |
| Steaks | 3 days | 6 months | |
| Produce | unopened-FRIDGE | opened-FRIDGE | FREEZER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | 3 weeks | ||
| Artichokes | 1 week | ||
| Avocado (ripe) | 4 days | ||
| Bell Peppers | 1-2 weeks | ||
| Berries | 4-5 days | ||
| Broccoli | 1 week | ||
| Carrots | 3 weeks | ||
| Cauliflower | 1 week | ||
| Celery | 2 weeks | ||
| Citrus Fruit | 2 weeks | ||
| Chard | 3 days | ||
| Corn | 1-2 days | ||
| Cucumbers | 1 week | ||
| Eggplant | 5-7 days | ||
| Leafy Herbs | 3 days (store stem down in glass of water) | ||
| Lemons / Limes | 3 weeks | ||
| Lettuce | 5-7 days | ||
| Melon | 5 days | 3 days | |
| Mushrooms | 1 week | ||
| Onions/Garlic | 2 mo (store out of refrigerator in dark cool spot) | ||
| Potatoes | 3 weeks (store out of refrigerator in dark cool spot) |
||
| Raspberries | 3 days | ||
| Strawberries | 3 days | ||
| Squash & Marrows | 1 month (not refrigerated kept in a cool dark place) | ||
| Tomatoes | 5 days | ||
| Zucchini | 3 days |
| Dairy & Eggs | unopened-FRIDGE | opened-FRIDGE | FREEZER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 4 months | 6 months | |
| Margarine | 6 months | ||
| Cream Cheese | 2 months | ||
| Hard Cheese | 4 months | ||
| Block Cheddar | 1-6 months | 1 month | |
| Eggs | 5 weeks | 1 day covered | |
| Heavy Cream | 1 month | 3 weeks | |
| Milk | 1 week | 3 months | |
| Cottage Cheese | 1 week | ||
| Sour Cream | 1 week | ||
| Soft Cheese (brie) | 2 weeks | 1 week | |
| Tofu | 3 weeks | ||
| Yogurt | 2 weeks |
| Pantry | RM temp unopened |
RM temp opened |
Fridge Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Rice |
1 year | 6 months | |
| Coffee Beans |
1 year | 2 weeks | |
| Dried Pasta |
2 years | ||
| Honey | 1 year | 6 months | |
| Ketchup | 1 year | 6 months | |
| Maple Syrup |
1 year | 1 year | |
| Mayonnaise | 3 months | 2 months | |
| Mustard | 1 year | 2 months | |
| Nut Butters |
9 months | 3 months | |
| Olive Oil |
1 year | 6 months | |
| Salsa (jar) |
1 year | 1 month | |
| Soy Sauce |
3 years | 1 year | |
| Vinegar | 2 years | 1 year | |
| White Rice |
2 years | 1 year | |
| Wild Rice |
2 years | 1 year |
Some Additional Great Food Tips:
- Wash produce just before using. Washing ahead of time will cause them to get soggy.
- Fruits and vegetables ripen best at room temperature. Once ripe store in refrigerator.
- Remove all bands from produce when arriving at home.
- Many fruits and vegetables emit ethylene gas as they ripen. This hastens the ripening of other produce items. Keep ethylene emitting produce away from: apples, apricots cantaloupe, avocados, figs, melons bananas, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes.
- Cherries, grapes, figs and berries need to be refrigerated immediately.
Thaw Meat Safely
- The safest way to defrost meat is in the refrigerator. Use a plate or bowl under the meat to avoid spilling any drippings into the refrigerator. Place on bottom shelf for same reason. This can take up to 24 hrs. to thaw in the refrigerator.
Whole cuts of meat recently thawed will usually remain good for 3-4 days depending on how quickly you froze that meat. If you froze the meat on the use by date – use it immediately. Are you following the logic here?
If you need to thaw meat faster, there are two options.
- Submerged in cool water within an air tight plastic bag, changing the water every 15-30 minutes.
- In the Microwave by removing all store wrappings put into a microwave safe dish on “thaw’ setting. Check often while thawing to make sure you don’t cook. Cook promptly after thawing.
FOOD Safety is key.
BE CAREFUL. Keep a clean workspace. ESPECIALLY when preparing with raw meats and fish. Contamination is something to watch out for. A couple of drops of raw chicken splashing on your salad COULD put people in the hospital with salmonella poisoning. TRUTH.