How long it keeps in the fridge and freezer
Storage times for raw meat, poultry, fish, eggs and cooked leftovers, taken from two university Extension charts: Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center and Pacific Northwest Extension’s Storing Food for Safety and Quality. A food is listed only when both charts cover it. Where they print different times, you see both.
Raw chicken & turkeyFridge and freezer storage times for raw whole chickens, turkeys, pieces and giblets, as printed by Clemson Extension and Pacific Northwest Extension.Ground meat & sausageRefrigerator and freezer times for raw ground beef, ground pork, stew meat and fresh pork sausage, from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension.Beef steaks & roastsRefrigerator and freezer times for raw beef steaks and roasts. Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension agree on the fridge, differ on the freezer.Pork & lambFridge and freezer times for raw pork chops, pork roasts, lamb chops and lamb roasts from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension.Cooked leftoversHow long cooked meat, poultry, gravy, meat broth and cooked chicken nuggets keep in the fridge and freezer, per Clemson and Pacific NW Extension.Ham & smoked sausageRefrigerator and freezer times for a whole or half ham and for smoked sausage. Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension print the same figures.Hot dogs & lunch meatHow long opened packages of hot dogs and lunch meat keep in the fridge and freezer, as printed by Clemson Extension and Pacific Northwest Extension.Fish & shellfishRefrigerator and freezer times for lean fish, salmon, shucked clams and oysters, scallops and cooked fish from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension.ShrimpHow long shrimp keeps in the refrigerator and freezer, per Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension. The two charts differ on both, so both are shown.Venison, duck & organ meatsFridge and freezer times for raw venison, duck, goose, game birds and variety meats such as liver, heart and tongue, from Clemson and Pacific NW Extension.EggsRefrigerator and freezer times for raw eggs in the shell and hard-cooked eggs, as printed by Clemson Extension and Pacific Northwest Extension.Butter & margarineRefrigerator and freezer times for butter and margarine from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension. The charts differ in both columns, so both are shown.Milk & canned milkRefrigerator and freezer times for fresh milk and for opened canned milk, as printed by Clemson Extension and Pacific Northwest Extension.Buttermilk & sour creamFridge and freezer times for buttermilk and sour cream from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension, plus the freezing notes Pacific Northwest prints.Hard & grated cheeseRefrigerator and freezer times for opened hard cheese and for grated Parmesan or Romano, from Clemson and Pacific Northwest Extension.
More foods are added as we match them against both charts. How the rows are checked: our method.