Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely.
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Type
Refrigerator
(40 °F or below)
Freezer
(0 °F or below)
Salad
Egg, chicken, ham, tuna, and macaroni salads
3 to 4 days
Does not freeze well
Hot dogs
Opened package
1 week
1 to 2 months
Unopened package
2 weeks
1 to 2 months
Luncheon meat
Opened package or deli sliced
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 months
Unopened package
2 weeks
1 to 2 months
Bacon and sausage
Bacon
1 week
1 month
Sausage, raw, from chicken, turkey, pork, or beef
1 to 2 days
1 to 2 months
Sausage, fully cooked, from chicken, turkey, pork, or beef
1 week
1 to 2 months
Sausage, purchased frozen
After cooking, 3-4 days
1-2 months from date of purchase
Hamburger, ground meats and ground poultry
Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, chicken, other poultry, veal, pork, lamb, and mixtures of them
1 to 2 days
3 to 4 months
Fresh beef, veal, lamb, and pork
Steaks
3 to 5 days
4 to 12 months
Chops
3 to 5 days
4 to 12 months
Roasts
3 to 5 days
4 to 12 months
Ham
Fresh, uncured, uncooked
3 to 5 days
6 months
Fresh, uncured, cooked
3 to 4 days
3 to 4 months
Cured, cook-before-eating, uncooked
5 to 7 days or “use by” date
3 to 4 months
Fully-cooked, vacuum-sealed at plant, unopened
2 weeks or “use by” date
1 to 2 months
Cooked, store-wrapped, whole
1 week
1 to 2 months
Cooked, store-wrapped, slices, half, or spiral cut
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 months
Country ham, cooked
1 week
1 month
Canned, labeled "Keep Refrigerated," unopened
6 to 9 months
Do not freeze
Canned, shelf-stable, opened
Note: An unopened, shelf-stable, canned ham can be stored at room temperature for 2 years.
3 to 4 days
1 to 2 months
Prosciutto, Parma or Serrano ham, dry Italian or Spanish type, cut
2 to 3 months
1 month
Fresh poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole
1 to 2 days
1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces
1 to 2 days
9 months
Fin Fish
Fatty Fish (bluefish, catfish, mackerel, mullet, salmon, tuna, etc.)
1 - 3 Days
2 - 3 Months
Lean Fish (cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole, etc.)
6 - 8 Months
Lean Fish (pollock, ocean perch, rockfish, sea trout.)
4 - 8 Months
Shellfish
Fresh Crab Meat
2 - 4 Days
2 - 4 Months
Fresh Lobster
2 - 4 Days
2 - 4 Months
Live Crab, Lobster
1 day .
Not recommended
Live Clams, Mussels, Oysters, and Scallops
5 - 10 Days
Not recommended
Shrimp, Crayfish
3 - 5 Days
6 - 18 Months
Shucked Clams, Mussels, Oysters, and Scallops
3 - 10 Days
3 - 4 Months
Squid
1 - 3 Days
6 - 18 Months
Eggs
Raw eggs in shell
3 to 5 weeks
Do not freeze in shell. Beat yolks and whites together, then freeze.
Raw egg whites and yolks
Note: Yolks do not freeze well
2 to 4 days
12 months
Raw egg accidentally frozen in shell
Note: Toss any frozen eggs with a broken shell
Use immediately after thawing
Keep frozen, then
refrigerate to thaw
Hard-cooked eggs
1 week
Do not freeze
Egg substitutes, liquid, unopened
1 week
Do not freeze
Egg substitutes, liquid, opened
3 days
Do not freeze
Egg substitutes, frozen, unopened
After thawing, 1 week or refer to “use by” date
12 months
Egg substitutes, frozen, opened
After thawing, 3 to 4 days or refer to “use by” date
Do not freeze
Casseroles with eggs
After baking, 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
After baking, 3 to 4 days
After baking, 1 to 2 months
Pies: Custard and chiffon
After baking, 3 to 4 days
Do not freeze
Quiche with filling
After baking, 3 to 5 days
After baking, 2 to 3 months
Soups and stews
Vegetable or meat added
3 to 4 days
2 to 3 months
Leftovers
Cooked meat or poultry
3 to 4 days
2 to 6 months
Chicken nuggets or patties
3 to 4 days
1 to 3 months
Pizza
3 to 4 days
1 to 2 months