Cold and Frozen Food Storage

Do you know how long you can store dairy products or other food items in the refrigerator or freezer safely?

The following chart contains suggested safe time limits for keeping refrigerated foods from spoiling or becoming unsafe to eat. Because freezing can keep food safe indefinitely, the recommended storage times are for quality only.

Unless otherwise stated, the storage times are from date of purchase.

Product	Refrigerator (40°F/4.4°C)	Freezer (0°F/-18°C)
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Beverages - Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch	3 weeks unopened 7 to 10 days opened	8 - 12 months
Cheese - hard (e.g. Swiss)	3 - 4 weeks	6 months
Cheese - soft (e.g. brie)	1 week	6 months
Chops	3 to 5 days	4 - 6 months
Cottage cheese	1 week	Doesn't freeze well
Fish - lean (cod, etc.)	1 to 2 days	6 months
Fish - fatty (salmon, etc.)	1 to 2 days	2 to 3 months
Dough - tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough	Use-by date	Don't freeze
Dough – cookie	Use-by date	2 months
Eggs - fresh in shell	3 to 5 weeks	Don't freeze
Eggs - hard cooked	1 week	Don't freeze well
Egg substitutes – opened	3 days	Don't freeze well
Egg substitutes – unopened	3 days	1 year
Ground hamburger, turkey, pork mixtures; stew meat	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Ham - fully cooked, whole	7 days	1 to 2 months
Ham - fully cooked, slices	3 to 4 days	1 to 2 months
Hot dogs - opened	1 week	1 to 2 months
Hot dogs - unopened	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Leftovers – all kinds	3 to 4 days	2 – 3 months
Luncheon meats - opened	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meats - unopened	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Margarine	4 - 5 months	12 months
Mayonnaise - commercial/refrigerate after opening	2 months	Doesn’t freeze well
Milk	7 days	3 months
Poultry - fresh, chicken or turkey	1 to 2 days	6 months
Sausage, raw	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months
Smoked breakfast sausage	7 days	1 to 2 months
Steaks, roasts	3 to 5 days	6 - 12 months
Yogurt	7 - 14 days	1 - 2 months