Cold Storage Chart
Purchase the product before "sell-by" or expiration dates. Follow handling recommendations on product. Keep meat and poultry in its package until just before using. If freezing meat and poultry in its original package longer than 2 months, overwrap these packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place the package inside a plastic bag.
Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only.
| Product | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | fresh, in shell | 3 weeks | don't freeze |
| raw yolks, whites | 2 to 4 days | 1 year | |
| hard cooked | 1 week | do not freeze well | |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes | opened | 3 days | don't freeze |
| unopened | 10 days | 1 year | |
| Mayonnaise (refrigerate after opening) |
2 months | don't freeze | |
| TV Dinners, Frozen Casseroles (keep frozen until ready to heat) |
3–4 months | ||
| Soups and Stews (vegetable or meat added) |
3–4 days | 2–3 months | |
| Deli and Vacuum Packed Products | store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads | 3–5 days | do not freeze well |
| pre–stuffed pork and lamb chops chicken breasts stuffed w/dressing | 1 day | do not freeze well | |
| store-cooked convenience meals | 3–4 days | do not freeze well | |
| commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened | 2 weeks | do not freeze well | |
| Raw hamburger, ground and stew meat | hamburger and stew meats | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
| ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb and mixtures of them | 1–2 days | 3–4 months | |
| Ham, Corned Beef | corned beef in pouch with pickling juices | 5–7 days | drained, 1 month |
| canned ham, labeled "Keep Refrigerated", unopened | 6–9 months | don't freeze | |
| canned ham, labeled "Keep Refrigerated", opened | 3–5 days | 1–2 months | |
| ham, fully cooked, whole | 7 days | 1–2 months | |
| ham, fully cooked, half | 3–5 days | 1–2 months | |
| ham, fully cooked, slices | 3–4 days | 1–2 months | |
| Hot Dogs | opened package | 1 week | 1–2 months (in freezer wrap) |
| unopened package | 2 weeks | 1–2 months (in freezer wrap) |
|
| Lunch Meats | opened package | 3–5 days | 2 weeks |
| unopened package | 1–2 months | 1–2 months | |
| Bacon and sausage | Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
| sausage, raw pork, beef,chicken or turkey | 1–2 days | 1–2 months | |
| smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 days | 1–2 months | |
| Summer Sausage labeled "Keep Refrigerated", unopened | 3 months | 1–2 months | |
| Summer Sausage labeled "Keep Refrigerated", opened | 3 weeks | 1–2 months | |
| Fresh beef, veal, lamb and pork | Steaks | 3–5 days | 6–12 months |
| Chops | 3–5 days | 4–6 months | |
| Roasts | 3–5 days | 4–12 months | |
| Variety meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings) | 1–2 days | 3–4 months | |
| Meat leftovers | cooked meat and meat dishes | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| gravy and meat broth | 1–2 days | 2–3 months | |
| Fresh Poultry | chicken or turkey, whole | 1–2 days | 1 year |
| chicken or turkey, parts | 1–2 days | 9 months | |
| giblets | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
|
| Cooked Poultry, leftover | fried chicken | 3–4 days | 4 months |
| cooked poultry dishes | 3–4 days | 4–6 months | |
| pieces, plain | 3–4 days | 4 months | |
| pieces covered with broth, gravy | 1–2 days | 6 months | |
| chicken nuggets, patties | 1–2 days | 1–3 months | |
Call Toll-Free For More Information:
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
1 (800) 535-4555
Washington DC (202) 720-3333
TTY: 1 (800) 256-7072
Fast Fax: 1 (800) 238-8281