better-Safe-Than-Sorry Food Storage Charts - …

1 A la b ama A & M and A u b u r n U ni v e r sities better-Safe-Than-Sorry HE-0471 Food Storage Charts H ow long can you keep luncheon meats in the refrigerator, leftovers in the freezer, flour in the cupboard? You'll find the answers to all your Meat, fish, and poultry you've thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen within 24 hours of defrosting. But combination dishes pies, stews, questions from the United States Department of casseroles, etc. that have been thawed should not Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. be refrozen. With the exception of fruit and juice concen- Safe Food Handling trates, foods thawed accidentally in the freezer over Take some simple precautions when preparing a period of days (because of power failure) should food for Storage . Always work with well-scrubbed not be refrozen unless they still have ice crystals. hands and be sure all utensils, cutting boards, etc., If food is completely thawed (on purpose or by are absolutely clean.)

2 Then keep food either hot accident), warmed to room temperature, and left (above 140 degrees F) or cold (below 40 degrees for more than 2 hours, throw it out. (The excep- F), never in between for any length of time. Here's tion: fruit and juice concentrates that ferment when why: There are common bacteria present all around spoiled, thus preventing the growth of harmful bac- us that are normally not troublemakers but can be- teria.) Discard any fruit whose flavor is off.. come dangerous if they are given the ideal breed- ing climate, between 60 degrees F and 125 degrees Differences in Package Dating F, in which they quickly multiply to dangerous levels More and more foods are being sold now with and can cause food poisoning. Don't leave foods in a date that tells you something about their fresh- this danger zone for more than 2 hours. ness. But just what does it tell you? That depends on the kind of food.

3 Here, the most frequently used Foods That Need Special Care dates and what they mean: Take extra precautions with foods that are Fresh meat and fish are dated with date of especially susceptible to bacterial growth poultry, pack or manufacture, which refers to when the fish and seafood, meat, creamed mixtures, puddings, food was packed or processed for sale. (See and stuffings. Some safe-handling tips: Refrigerator chart, page 3, for Storage life.). Never stuff poultry the night before you roast it Dairy and fresh bakery products are labeled with the stuffing may not heat to a temperature high a freshness, pull, or sell-by date, which refers to enough to kill any harmful bacterial growth. the last day the food should be sold. The date When refrigerating leftover poultry and stuffing, allows you a reasonable length of time to use remove the stuffing from the bird and store in the food. separate dishes.

4 Frozen foods, fried snack foods, cereals, canned foods, macaroni, rice, and other foods are labeled with a use before or best-if-used-by date, after To Refreeze or not to Refreeze which the food is no longer at its best but can be You can safely refreeze virtually any partially used safely. thawed food as long as it still has ice crystals and Yeast and unbaked breads are labeled with an has been held no longer than 1 or 2 days at refrig- expiration or use by date, after which the erator temperatures. Many foods, however ice quality of the food deteriorates. However, the cream and uncooked baked goods, for example food would still be safe to consume. will deteriorate in texture and taste. Pantry PACKAGED FOODS AND MIXES. Store foods in your coolest kitchen cabinets, Cakes, 2 days not over range or near refrigerator's exhaust. Dry Cake 1 year foods keep fresh the longest in airtight contain- Casserole 18 months ers, which also keep out insects.

5 When shopping, Cookies, packaged .. 4 months choose fresh-looking packages; avoid cans with 3 months swollen ends, dents. Date your purchases; then Frosting, can or 8 months check your kitchen cabinets every 6 months or so Hot-roll 18 months to be sure you use the oldest items first. With lon- Pancake 6 months ger Storage , flavors gradually fade and nutrients can Piecrust 6 months be lost. Pies and 3 Refrigerate cream, custard, chiffon fillings. Food Time Special Handling Pudding 1 year STAPLES Rice 6 months Baking powder, 18 months Keep all dry foods in Sauce, gravy, soup 6 months Bouillon cubes, 1 year original package or Toaster 3 months Bread, 3 days tightly closed airtight CANNED AND DRIED FOODS. Bread crumbs, 6 months containers in dry spot Cereals, Check date unless otherwise Fruits, 1 year on package. directed on label. 6 months 6 months Gravies, 1 year Chocolate, 1 year Meat, fish, 1 year 2 years Pickles, 1 year 18 months Soups, 1 year Coffee, vacuum 1 Refrigerate after opening.

6 15 months Coffee, instant (closed).. 6 Keep 2 weeks after opening. Vegetables, 1 year Coffee lighteners, Whipped-topping 1 year dry (opened).. 6 months HERBS, SPICES, CONDIMENTS. Condensed and evaporated 1 Refrigerate after opening. Barbeque sauce, ketchup, Flour chili sauce (opened).. 1 month cake, 1 year Herbs and .. Keep in cool spot. Replace if rye, .. Keep refrigerated. whole 1 year aroma fades. Gelatin, 3 years ground spices, 6 months Refrigerate red spices. Honey, jams, 1 year Hot pepper sauce, 2 years 2 years Nonfat dry 6 months MISCELLANY. Oil, 3 Refrigerate after opening. 2 years Coconut, 1 year Peanut 6 Keep 2 months Metered-calorie products, after opening. instant 6 months Potatoes, 18 months 9 months Rice Parmesan cheese, 1 month brown, 1 year Pasteurized processed 2 years cheese food and 3 months Salad 3 Refrigerate after opening. Soft 3 months Shortening, 8 months .. For longer Storage keep at Sugar onions, potatoes, 1 week at 50 to 60 degrees F.

7 Keep dry, brown, confectioners'.. 4 months rutabagas, squash room out of sun, loosely wrapped. 2 years (hard-shelled), temperature sweet potatoes Tea, bags, 18 months Tea, 2 years 2 Alabama Cooperative Extension System Refrigerator VEGETABLES. Keep refrigerator temperature between 34 de- 3 days grees F and 40 degrees F. If it rises above 40 degrees Beets, carrots, .. Remove any leafy tops F, food quickly spoils. Except as noted in chart, wrap radishes, 2 weeks before refrigerating. foods in foil, plastic wraps, or bags or place in airtight Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green onions, containers to keep food from drying out and odors 5 days from being transferred from one food to another. Cabbage, cauliflower, Food kept longer than recommended times may be celery, .. If necessary, ripen tomatoes usable but of inferior quality. eggplant, green at room temperature away beans, peppers, from light before refrigerating.

8 1 week Food Time Special Handling 1 Leave in husk. Lettuce, spinach, all Rinse, drain before DAIRY PRODUCTS leafy 5 refrigerating. Butter .. 1-3 months .. Hold only 2-day supply Limas, 5 Leave in shell. in butter keeper. Buttermilk, sour cream, MEATS. yogurt .. 2 weeks Beef, lamb, pork, .. If not prepacked, wrap Cheese .. Keep all cheese tightly 3-5 days loosely in waxed paper cottage, ricotta .. 5 days packaged in moisture- ground 1-2 days so surface can dry slightly. cream, 2 weeks resistant wrap. 3-5 days hard and wax-coated 3-5 days cheeses Cheddar, stew meat .. 1-2 days Edam, Gouda, Swiss, Variety meats (liver, heart, etc.).. 1-2 days etc., large pieces, Processed meats*.. Store in coldest part of 3-6 months bacon, 1 week refrigerator. Unopened opened .. 3-4 weeks hams (whole, halves).. 1 week vacuum packs keep about 2 weeks hams, canned (unopened).. 6 months 2 weeks. Parmesan, 12 months luncheon meat, 5 days process (opened).

9 3-4 weeks .. Unopened process sausage, fresh or 2-3 days spreads .. 2 weeks cheese need not be refrigerated. FISH AND SHELLFISH. Cream light, heavy, Fresh, cleaned .. Keep wrapped in plastic half-and-half .. 1 week .. Keep tightly covered. steaks, fillets .. 1 day wrap, bag. Dips sour cream, etc. Clams, crab, lobster in 2 Cook only live shellfish. commercial .. 2 Keep tightly covered. Seafood shucked clams, 2 Keep tightly covered. oysters, scallops, 1 day Eggs in 1 Keep small end of egg POULTRY. down, to center yolks. 2-4 Cover yolks with water; Ready-to-cook chicken, May be stored in transparent cover container. duck, or 2 days wrap as purchased. 2-4 weeks 1 One week for best flavor. CANNED FOOD, AFTER OPENING.. Keep containers tightly Baby 2-3 Store baby food covered. evaporated (opened).. 1 week closed. Do not return Don't feed baby from jar;. filled, 3-4 days unused milk to original saliva may liquefy food.

10 Pasteurized, spreads Fish, seafood; 1 day Store all canned foods reliquefied nonfat bacteria back to remaining 1 week tightly covered. It is not dry, 1 week milk. Gravy, 2 days necessary to remove food sweetened 1 week 2 days from can. Whipped topping, in can .. 3 months Pickles, 1 month prepared from 3 days Sauce, tomato 5 days 3 days FRUIT. 1 Do not wash before *Treat uncured or nitrite-free meats like fresh; refrigerate only 4 to 7 days. Apricots, avocados, storing moisture bananas, melons, encourages spoilage. nectarines, Store in crisper or moisture- peaches, 5 resistant bags or wrap. Keep Berries, 3 fruit juices tightly covered. It Citrus 2 is not necessary to remove Grapes, 5 canned fruit from can. 2 days better-Safe-Than-Sorry Food Storage Charts 3. Freezer Keep freezer at 0 degrees F, maximum 5 degrees F. COMMERCIALLY FROZEN FOODS. Check temperature with thermometer or use this rule of Breads thumb: If the freezer can't keep ice cream brick-solid, 3 months temperature is above recommended level.