How several times have you pulled some hen (or a pie or a casserole) out of the deep freezer only to conclude up worrying that you should not consume it because of how extended it’s been in there?
Effectively, 2nd-guess your self no a lot more — we’ve established a helpful manual working with info from FoodSafety.gov, a source operate by the U.S. Division of Overall health and Human Companies, that spells out particularly how long you can properly keep numerous foods in the refrigerator and freezer.
Bookmark this short article or print out the cheat sheet under and adhere it on your fridge so you are going to normally know just how prolonged you can maintain on to people bulk pork chops you obtained from Costco (up to a yr, by the way).
Freezer Storage Situations Vary By Foods Kind
There’s no common advice for freezing meals, as the guidelines are primarily based on the kind of food stuff merchandise and portion size. Some of the advised freezer storage periods may perhaps shock you. A baked, frosted cake, for instance, need to be stored for just just one thirty day period. No surprise that frozen slice of wedding cake preferences pretty bad when you pull it out and take in it on your a person-12 months anniversary!
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You might also be astonished to listen to that some meals can be frozen at all. Eggs, for example. When some sources say you can continue to keep them for up to a 12 months, FoodSafety.gov states that egg whites can be frozen for a year but advises against freezing uncooked eggs entire in the shell. In its place, beat the yolk and whites collectively and freeze the combination for up to a yr. Divided egg yolks do not freeze nicely and neither do challenging-boiled eggs, so best to keep away from freezing people.
Meanwhile, proposed freezing periods for meat and fish feel to vary commonly based on the type of item. Even though you can freeze lean fish, like cod, halibut and pollock, for up to eight months, it’s proposed that you continue to keep fatty fish, like salmon, tuna and catfish, in the freezer for just a few months at most. And whilst steaks or pork roasts might be frozen properly for up to a 12 months, floor meat like turkey or beef is greatest held frozen for just 4 months.
The chart’s shellfish part has the widest range of encouraged freezing situations, having said that. Even though shucked clams, mussels, oysters and scallops can be frozen for up to 4 months — ditto for crab and lobster meat — crayfish, shrimp and squid can be frozen for a whopping 18 months, according to FoodSafety.gov. That is the longest window of any meals stated on the chart.
Never fail to remember to adhere a label on meals just before you freeze it so you know just how extensive it is been in there. We like these possibilities from Amazon to get you started out:
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Added Ideas For Intelligent Food Storage
- Foodstuff ought to usually be frozen at the peak of its ripeness/freshness.
- Some kinds of foods do not freeze properly, which include raw eggs in their shells or potatoes.
- Liquids broaden in chilly temperatures, so it’s crucial to go away more area in the container when freezing them.



Here’s to possessing much more self confidence the subsequent time you pull anything out of the freezer!
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