Freezer Storage Times for Frozen and Refrigerated Food
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/09/15 - Updated: 2025/02/15
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Medical Calculators and Charts - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: This article provides a comprehensive guide on safe storage durations for various refrigerated and frozen foods, emphasizing the importance of maintaining proper temperatures - refrigerators at or below 40°F (4°C) and freezers at 0°F (-18°C) - to prevent spoilage and foodborne illnesses. It highlights the "2-hour rule," advising that perishable items should not remain at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if the ambient temperature exceeds 90°F. The article includes detailed charts outlining recommended storage times for different food categories, such as eggs, dairy products, meats, and prepared dishes, offering valuable information to help individuals, including seniors and those with disabilities, manage their food storage effectively and safely - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
The chart below suggests safe freezing time limits for keeping refrigerated and frozen foods from spoiling or becoming unsafe to eat. Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically. Appliance thermometers are the best way of knowing these temperatures and are generally inexpensive.
Main Item
Refrigerate or Freeze Perishables ASAP
Foods that require refrigeration should be put in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home.
Stick to the "2-hour rule" for leaving items needing refrigeration at room temperature.
Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, produce, or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours - 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
Refrigerator Temperatures
- Dairy products should be stored at a temperature between 34 degrees F - 38 degrees F
- Eggs should be stored between 33 degrees F - 37 degrees F
- Fresh fruits and vegetables should be stored between 35 degrees F - 40 degrees F
- Meats should be stored between 33 degrees F - 36 degrees F
- You should always label and date frozen foods and store them below 0 degrees F. Frozen foods can be stored beyond the recommended storage time, but the quality may diminish.
Freezer Storage Times
| Product | Refrigerator (40 degree F) | Freezer (0 degree F) |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | ||
| Raw eggs in shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Do not freeze. Instead, beat yolks and whites together, then freeze. |
| Raw egg whites | 2 to 4 days | 12 months |
| Raw egg yolks | 2 to 4 days | Yolks do not freeze well. |
| Raw egg accidentally frozen in shell | Use immediately after thawing. | Keep frozen; then refrigerate to thaw. |
| Hard-cooked eggs | 1 week | Do not freeze. |
| Egg substitutes, liquid (Unopened) |
10 days | 12 months |
| Egg substitutes, liquid (Opened) |
3 days | Do not freeze. |
| Egg substitutes, frozen (Unopened) |
After thawing, seven days or refer to the "Use-By" date. | 12 months |
| Egg substitutes, frozen (Opened) |
After thawing, three days or refer to the "Use-By" date. | Do not freeze. |
| Casseroles with eggs | 3 to 4 days | After baking, 2 to 3 months. |
| Eggnog (Commercial) |
3 to 5 days | 6 months |
| Eggnog (Homemade) |
2 to 4 days | Do not freeze. |
| Pies Pumpkin or pecan |
3 to 4 days | After baking, 1 to 2 months. |
| Pies Custard and chiffon |
3 to 4 days | Do not freeze. |
| Quiche with filling | 3 to 4 days | After baking, 1 to 2 months. |
| Bacon and Sausage | ||
| Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw from chicken, turkey, pork, beef | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Beverages, Fruit | ||
| Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch | 3 weeks unopened 7 to 10 days opened |
8 to 12 months |
| Cooked Poultry | ||
| Fried chicken | 3 to 4 days | 4 months |
| Pieces, plain | 3 to 4 days | 4 months |
| Chicken nuggets, patties | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 3 months |
| Dairy | ||
| Butter | 1 to 3 months | 6 to 9 months |
| Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss) | 6 months, unopened 3 to 4 weeks, opened |
6 months |
| Cheese, Soft (such as Brie, Bel Paese) | 1 week | 6 months |
| Cottage Cheese, Ricotta | 1 week | Doesn't freeze well |
| Cream Cheese | 2 weeks | Doesn't freeze well |
| Margarine | 4 to 5 months | 12 months |
| Milk | 7 days | 3 months |
| Sour cream | 7 to 21 days | Doesn't freeze |
| Yogurt | 7 to 14 days | 1 to 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 |
| 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 |
| Fresh Poultry | ||
| Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months |
| Ham | ||
| Ham, fully-cooked vacuum sealed at the plant, undated, unopened | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully-cooked, whole | 7 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat | ||
| Hamburger & stew meat; Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb & mixtures of them | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Hot dogs - Luncheon Meats | ||
| Hot dogs, opened the package - Unopened package | 1 week2 weeks | 1 to 2 months1 to 2 months |
| Luncheon meats opened the package - Unopened package | 3 to 5 days2 weeks | 1 to 2 months1 to 2 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 |
| Pizza | ||
| Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
| 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 |
| Soup & Stews | ||
| Vegetable or meat added | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Stuffing | ||
| Stuffing-cooked | 3 to 4 days | 1 month |
NOTES:
- 1) Storage times are from the date of purchase.
- 2) Freezing does not reduce nutrients; there is little change in a food's protein value during freezing.
Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.