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General comments on the shelf-, fridge-, and freezer-life of foods
The shelf-life is the amount of time a food can be stored before it is consideredunsuitable for use. It may be unsuitable due to quality degradation (no longer tasty)
or food safety (risk of food poisoning). [1]
s far as food safety goes! food stored fro"en at #$% (-1&$') or belo is remains
safe foreer* only quality degrades oer time. [+]. Thus the free"er-storage times
belo are entirely about quality.
If your freezer is set at a temperature higher than -18C (three-star setting),
these times may not apply. specially the safe storage time in one-star freezers(-!C) is much reduced.
The times all assume proper storage. %ree"ers #$% or belo! refrigerators ,#$%
(,$') or belo. [] 'ans should be stored in a cool! dry place! belo &$% (#$')
[,].
The tables gien here assume proper storage. "ood #hich re$uires refrigeration
is considered unsafe if left for o%er t#o hours at temperatures &et#een '1
1*" (**+C)[].
he a&les
/egardless of the table belo! if a food shos signs of spoilage (including mold!
ith some e0ceptions described belo)! its past its shelf-life. ote that thelackof
spoilage does notimply safety.
ncooed /roteins
Item Fridge FreezerSources
---- ------ -------
-------
Ground (meat, 12 days 34 months
[K!
"ou#try$
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_lifehttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asphttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Keep_Food_Safe_Food_Safety_Basics/index.asphttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Shelf_Stable_Food_Safety/index.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_zone_(food_safety)http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asphttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Keep_Food_Safe_Food_Safety_Basics/index.asphttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Shelf_Stable_Food_Safety/index.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_zone_(food_safety)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_life8/12/2019 Shelf-, Fridge-, And Freezer-life of Foods
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%on-ground 3& days stea's )12 months
[K!
meat cho"s 4) months
roasts 412 months
*ou#try 12 days +ho#e 12 months[K!
"ieces months
ggs in she## 3& +ee's in she## not
recommended [K!
se"arated 24 days +hites 12 months
yo#'s not recommended
.acon 1 +ee' 1 month
[FG!
to/u 1 +ee' & months[FG!
/ish 12 days #ean 40 months
[FG!
/atty 23 months
Cooed proteins
Item Fridge Freezer
Sources
---- ------ --------------
#uncheon meat o"ened 1 +ee' 12 months [K!
uno"ened 2 +ee's
coo'ed meat and 34 days 2) months [K!
"ou#try
coo'ed /ish 34 days 12 months [FG!
hard oi#ed eggs 1 +ee' not recommended [K!
hard sausage 23 +ee's 12 months [FG!
0airyItem Fridge Freezer
Sources
---- ------ -------
-------
utter 13 months ) months
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[FG!
hard cheeses o"ened 34 +ee's ) months
[FG!
uno"ened ) months
so/t cheeses 1 +ee' ) months[FG!
cream cheese 2 +ee's not recommended
[FG!
auces
Item Fridge Freezer
Sources
---- ------ -------
-------mayo commercia# 2 months not recommended
[FG!
home-made see e#o+
gray, roth 34 days 23 months
[FG!
%or home-made mayo! there don2t seem to be official shelf-life estimates. 3easoned
dice has a question on this! 4aking 5long(er)-life5 homemade mayonnaise.
2egeta&les%ree"er times are gien for cooked or blanched! then fro"en. 6enerally! this is
required! otherise en"ymatic degradation ill occur. 3ee 57here can I go for
details on a specific food85 for here to find specific steps for each egetable.
/efrigerator and shelf times are for storage ra.
If a column is -! it means that storage type is not recommended. 5/ipe5 means5until ripe5.
Item She#/ Fridge Freezer
Sources
---- ----- ------ -------
-------
s"aragus - 34 days 0 months
FK
http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/2746/making-longer-life-homemade-mayonnaisehttp://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/2746/making-longer-life-homemade-mayonnaise8/12/2019 Shelf-, Fridge-, And Freezer-life of Foods
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Green eans - 34 days 0 months
FK
.eets 1 day 15 days )0 months
FK
aage - 12 +ee's 1512 monthsFK
arrots - 3 +ee's 1512 months
FK
e#ery - 12 +ee's 1512 months
FK
Gar#ic 1 month 12 +ee's 1 month
FK
6ers (/resh$ - 15 days 12 months
FK7ettuce (iceerg$ - 12 +ee's -
FK
7ettuce (#ea/$ - 3 days -
FK
8ushrooms - 23 days 1512 months
FK
9nions, non-s+eet 23 months 23 months 1512 months
S:
9nions, s+eet 12 months 12 months 1512 monthsS:
*e""ers - 4& days )0 months
FK
*otatoes 12 months 12 +ee's mashed 1512
months FK
S;uash, summer - 4& days 1512 months
FK
S;uash, +inter 1 +ee' 2 +ee's 1512 months
FK:omatoes ri"e 23 days 2 months
FK
"ruits
4any fruits must be at least partially cooked (blanched) before free"ing in order to
deactiate en"ymes that ould otherise degrade quality hile in storage. 3ome
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Item >no"ened 9"ened, in
/ridge Source
---- --------
----------------- ------
ommercia##y canned, #o+-acid 2& years 34 days[FG!
(meat, "ou#try, /ish, sou"s, ste+s
egeta#es$
ommercia##y canned, high-acid 1210 months & days
[FG!
9#ies 1210 months 2 +ee's
[FK!
=am, =e##y, 1 year ) months
[FK!"reseres
shortening (risco$ 0 months 3 months
[FK!
/antry (not refrigerated e%en after opening)
Item She#/ #i/e o"ened (i/
di//erent$ source
---- ----------
--------------------- ------.a'ing "o+der 10 months
[FSG!
.a'ing soda 2 years
[FSG!
eans (dry$ 1 year
[FK!
.oui##on 1 year
[FSG!
cornstarch 10 months[FK!
e?tracts 3 years
[FK!
/#our +hite )12 months
[FK!
+heat 1 month
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hers (dry$ 12 years 1 year
[FK!
honey 1 year
[FK!
"asty (dry$ 2 years[FSG!
egg nood#es (dry$ ) months
[FSG!
rice (dry$ +hite 2 years
[FSG!
ro+n )12 months
/#aored ) months
egeta#e oi# ) months 13 months
[FSG!inegar 2 years 12 months
[FSG!
General tips for storing foods
3o# do I freeze fruits and %egeta&les4
"ruit./ipe (but not oerripe) fruit should be used. 7ash them! and sort according
to si"e. 7orking in small batches! remoe pits! seeds! and blemishes. %or fruits that
turn bron! apply ascorbic acid or sugar and citric acid. 4ost fruits benefit from
packing in dry sugar or a sugar syrup. 3mall! hole fruits (e.g.! berries) can be
spread on a tray and indiidually fro"en! then packed in a free"er bag or other
airtight container.
2egeta&les.4ost egetables need blanching. To blanch! immerse in boiling ater
oer high heat or steam oer rapidly boiling ater (steam). fter blanching!
transfer to ice bath for the same amount of time as blanched. ?rain and dry. %ree"e
either by packing in a free"er bag ith as much air as possible remoed! or by
alloing to free"e on a tray! then putting in a bag or other container.
6eneral guideline is &=1+ months for best quality.
The aboe is a ery quick summary of Ioa 3tate @niersity2s Aresere the Taste
of 3ummer< %ree"ing< %ruits and Begetables. The fie-page document includes full
details on oer forty fruits and egetables. %eel free to ask here on 3easoned
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1045.pdfhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1045.pdfhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1045.pdfhttp://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1045.pdf8/12/2019 Shelf-, Fridge-, And Freezer-life of Foods
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dice if that guide doesn2t anser your question.
5hat a&out mold4
3ome foods are e0pected to hae mold in them (e.g.! P. roquefortiin /oquefort
cheese). @ne0pected mold! hoeer! is something to be concerned about. 4old can
gro een on refrigerated foods! and een those high enough in salt or sugar to
deter bacteria. 3ome molds produce mycoto0ins. 4old groth can be minimi"ed
by cleaning the refrigerator eery fe months (use a mi0ture of 1 tablespoon of
baking soda per quart of ater! then rinse ith plain ater! then dry)! by keeping
dishcloths! sponges! mops! etc. clean and fresh-smelling* and keeping indoor
humidity leels under ,#C.
In general! the isible surface mold on a food is only a small part of the actual
mold groth. %or most foods! any isible une0pected mold groth means you
should discard the entire item. There are seeral e0ceptions
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