Does that statement sound familiar? It is something I say to my husband almost every week when I am cleaning out the fridge before my next shopping trip. I am excited because I found a chart created by Clemson University that takes all the guess work out of spoiled food. What’s Cooking America has taken Clemson’s chart and expanded it to include pantry items and even tells you the best storage method for each item. I have posted Clemson’s chart below.
Ever wonder how larger families manage to feed healthy, delicious meals that don’t break their budget yet you can’t seem to? Then check out 3 Moms ~ 3 Kitchens ~ 31 Days. Joy, Kate and I are running a series of posts of what we do in the kitchen each day. Menu plans, shopping trips, recipes, failures, it is all there.
Check out Tammy’s recipes for more kitchen tips!
RECOMMENDED TIMES FOR REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER FOOD STORAGE
FOOD
REFRIGERATOR
FREEZER
DAIRY
Fresh milk
5- 7 days
*
Buttermilk
1-2 weeks
*
Canned milk (opened) 3-5 days *
Cream (unwhipped) 10 days *
Cream (whipped) 1 day 2 months
Sour cream 4 weeks *
Yogurt, cottage cheese 7 days (after “sell-by date”) *
Hard cheese, grated cheese 6-12 weks 6-12 months
Cheese spreads 3-4 weeks *
Butter/margarine 2 weeks 9 months
Ice cream * 2 months
EGGS
Fresh in shell 3 weeks *
Hard cooked 1 week *
MEATS, FRESH
Beef roasts, steaks 3-5 days 6-12 monhts
Chicken or turkey, pieces 1-2 days 9-12 months
Chicken or turkey, whole 1-2 days 1 year
Duck or goose 1-2 days 6 months
Game birds 1-2 days 6 months
Giblets 1-2 days 3-4 months
Ground meat or stew 1-2 days 3-4 months
Lamb, roasts or chops 3-5 days 6-9 months
Pork, roasts or chops 3-5 days 4-6 months
Pre-stuffed pork and lamb chops or chicken breasts 1 day *
Sausage 1-2 days 1-2 months
Variety meats: heart, liver, tongue, etc. 1-2 days 3-4 months
Venison, roasts, steaks, chops 3-5 days 6-12 months
MEATS, COOKED
Smoked breakfast sausage 7 days 1-2 months
Whole ham (fully cooked) 7days 1-2 months
Half ham (fully cooked) 3-5 days 1-2 months
Ham slices (fully cooked) 3-4 days 1-2 months
Canned ham (“keep refrigerated” label) 6-9 months *
Hotdogs, luncheon meats (unopened) 2 weeks 1-2 months
Hotdogs, luncheon meats (opened) 3-7 days 1-2 months
Cooked, leftover meat 3-4 days 2-3 months
Leftover gravy and meat broth 1-2 days 2-3 months
Cooked, leftover poultry 3-4 days 4-6 months
Cooked, leftover chicken nuggets or patties 1-2 days 1-3 months
SEAFOOD, FRESH
Fresh lean fish: cod, flounder, trout, haddock, halibut, pollack, perch 1-2 days 4-6 months
Fresh fatty fish: mullet, smelt, salmon,mackerel, bluefish, tuna and swordfish 1-2 days 2-3 months
Live crabs and lobster same day purchased *
Live mussels and clams 2-3 days *
Live oysters 7-10 days *
Shucked mussels and clams 1-2 days 3- 4 months
Shucked oysters 5-7 days 3-4 months
Shrimp, crabmeat 2-3 days 4 months
Scallops 2-3 days 3 months
COOKED FISH
Fish sticks * 18months
Bread shrimp, commercial * 1 year
Cooked pieces 3-4 days 3 months
FRUITS, FRESH
Apples 1 months 8-12 months
Apricots, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums 3-5 days 8-12 months
Avocados 3-5 days 8-12 months
Bananas, plantains * 8-12 months
Berries, cherries 2-3 days 8-12 months
Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges 2 weeks 4-6 months
Guavas, papayas 1-2 days 8-12 months
Kiwis 3-5 days 4-6 months
Mangoes * 8-12 months
Melons 1 week 8-12 months
Pineapple 2-3 days 4-6 months
VEGETABLES, FRESH
Artichokes 1 week *
Asparagus 2-3 days 8-12 months
Beets, carrots 2 weeks 8-12 months
Beans, broccoli, lima beans, peas, summer squash 3-5 days 8-12 months
Cauliflower 1 week 8-12 months
Cilantro, parsley 2-3 days *
Corn use immediately for best flavor 8-12 months
Green onions 3-5 days *
Celery, cabbage, chilies, green beans, peppers, tomatoes 1 week 8-12 months
Greens: colards, kale, mustard, spinach, swiss chard 3-5 days 8-12 months
Lettuce and salad greens 1 week *
Mushrooms, okra 1-2 days 8-12 months
Radishes 2 weeks *
Squash, hard * 8-12 months
BAKED PRODUCTS
BREADS: Store at room temperature. Storing in the refrigerator promotes staling. Use the date as a guide or use within 3 to 7 days.
Bread, yeast * 6-12 months
Muffins, rolls, quick breads * 2-4 months
Pancakes and waffles * 1-2 months
COOKIES
Baked * 4-6 months
Unbaked dough 2-3 days 6 months
CAKES: Store at room temperature, except for cheesecake. Best used within 3 to 7 days
Angel and sponge * 4-6 months
Cheese 3-7 days 4-6 months
Fruit * 1 year
Layer cake (butter cream icing or plain) * 6 months
PASTRIES: Store at room temperature. Best used within 1 to 3 days
Danish * 3 months
Doughnuts * 3 months
PIES
Chiffon pie, pumpkin pie 1-2 days 1 month
Fruit pie 1-2 days 1 year
Unbaked fruit pies * 8 months
* Storage here not recommended due to safety or quality issue
I’m printing this out and taping it to my cabinet door! Thanks, Toni!
Thanks for the chart! I too will be printing this. Just a quick note on cilantro; if you put it in a glass with water, as if they were flowers, it lasts a lot longer!
Thanks for the list. I’m printing it and keeping it posted in my cabinet, too!
That’s great info! Thanks for sharing!
only two weeks for butter?? I think it lasts much longer than that. I can honestly say that I’ve never had butter go bad. But an excellent resource nonetheless.
Funny… my husband always says, “Would you smell this”.