Food Storage Time
IMPORTANT: Do not expect your freezer to quick-
freeze any large quantity of food. Put no more DAIRY PRODUCTS
unfrozen food into the freezer than will freeze Butter ...................... 6 to 9 months
Margarine ..................... 12 months
within 24 hours. (No more than 2 to 3 pounds of
food per cubic foot of freezer space.) leave Cheese:
enough space for air to circulate around pack- Camembert, Mozzarella,
ages. Be careful to leave enough room at the farmer?s .................... 3 months
front so the door can close tightly. Creamed cottage ...... DO NOT FREEZE
Cheddar, Edam, Gouda,
Swiss, brick, etc. ........ 6 to 8 weeks
Freezing can change texture of
FOOD STORAGE CHART cheese.
Ice cream, ice milk, sherbet ..... 2 months
Storage times? will vary according to the qual- EGGS
ity of the food, the type of packaging or wrap Whole (mixed) ................. 12 months
used (moisture and vapor-proof), and the stor- Whites ......................... 12 months
age temperafure which should be 0°F ( 17.8?C). Yolks ........................... 12 months
:Add sugarorsalt to yolks oFwhole mixed eggs)
Food Storage lime BAKED GOODS
FRUITS Yeast breads and rolls .......... 3 months
Fruit juice concentrate ........ 12 months Baked Brown ?N Serve rolls ...... 3 months
Commercially frozen fruit ..... 12 months Unbaked breads ................ 1 month
Citrus fruit and juices ...... 4 to 6 months Quick breads .............. 2 to 3 months
Others. .................... 8 to 12 months Cakes, unfrosted ........... 2 to 4 months
VEGETABLES Cakes, frosted ............ 8 to 12 months
Commercially frozen .......... 8 months Fruit cakes .................... 12 months
Home frozen .............. 8 to 12 months Cookie dough ... , .............. 3 months
MEAT Baked cookies ............ 8 to 12 months
Bacon .................... 4 weeks or less Baked pies ................. 1 to 2 months
Corned beef ............. 4 weeks or less Pie dough only ............. 4 to 6 months
(Salting meat shortens freezer life) ?Based on U.S.D.A. and Michigan Cooperative
Frankfurters ..................... 1 month Extension Service suggested storage times
Ground beef, lamb, veal ... 2 to 3 months
Roasts:
Beef .................... 6to12 months
lamb and veal .......... 6 to 9 months If electricity goes off
Pork ..................... 4to8months
Sausage, fresh ............. 1 to 2 months Call the power company Ask how long power
Steaks and chops: WII be off
Beef .................... 8to42months I. If service IS to be Interrupted 24 hours or less,
lamb, veal, pork ......... 3 to 4 months keep both doors closed This will help frozen
FISH foods to stay frozen
Cod, flounder, haddock 2. If service IS to be Interrupted longer than 24
Sole ......................... 6months hours
Blue fish, salmon ........... 2 to 3 months (a] Remove all frozen food and store In CI
Mackerel, perch ........... 2 to 3 months
frozen food locker Or.
Breaded flsh (purchased). ..... 3 months (b) Place 2 Ibs (0 9 kg] of dry ice in freezer for
Clams, oysters, cooked every cu ft of freezer space. This will keep
fish, crab, scallops ....... 3 to 4 months
Alaskan king crab ............ 10 months frozen foods for 2 to 4 days Wear gloves to
protect your hands from dry ice burns
Shrimp, uncooked ............ 12 months [c] If neither food locker storage nor dry ice IS
POULTRY available, use or can perishable food at
Chicken or turkey,
whole or parts .............. 12 months once
Duck .......................... 6months 3. A full freezer will stay cold longer than a
Giblets .................... 2to3months partly filled one.AfreezerfulI of meatwill stay
Cooked poultry w/gravy ....... 6 months cold longer than a freezer full of baked
Slices (no gravy) ................ 1 month goods. If food contains ice crystals, it may
MAIN DISHES be safely refrozen, although the quality and
Stews; meat, poultry flavor may be affected. Use refrozen foods
and fish casserole ....... 2 to 3 months quickly. If the condition of the food is poor or
TV dinners ................. 3 to 6 months if you feel it is unsafe, dispose of it. |
ACEC
