How Long Will Food Last?

This has been a hot topic among me and my friends and family for quite some time. Everyone has differing opinions (or lack of knowledge) on how long food can be stored, either in a refrigerator or a freezer. I generally tend to err on the side of caution. However, I have heard of, and even seen, friends eat leftovers out of the fridge 1-2 weeks after they were cooked! (refer to the chart below to see how bad that is)

I decided to do some research and put together a chart that you can use for a reference. For those of you who are unaware, eating food that has been stored too long, or improperly, can cause severe illness and even death. Food borne illnesses like e. coli, salmonella and listeria can all develop in spoiled food. The food can also grow mold which can make you severely ill, and in some instances, cause death.

So, please refer to the chart below when storing your food to keep you and your family healthy and safe.

Most of the information in the chart below comes from the USDA Fact Sheets.

Type of Food	Refrigerated (40°)	Frozen (0°)
Leftovers	3-4 days	1-3 months
Fresh poultry (chicken and turkey)	1-2 days	9-12 months
Fresh beef, veal, lamb and pork	3-5 days	chops 4-6 months others 4-12 months
Hamburger and other ground meats	1-2 days	3-4 months
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Sausage	1-2 days	1-2 months
Lunch meat - opened or deli - unopened	3-5 days 2 weeks	1-2 months
Hot dogs - unopened - opened	2 weeks 1 week	1-2 months 1-2 months
Salads - egg, tuna, chicken, macaroni	3-5 days	Does not freeze well
Fruits - apples - oranges - melons, cut - melons, whole - lemons, limes, grapefruit - grapes - cherries, berries	1 month 2 weeks 3 days 1 week 1-2 weeks 3-5 days 3 days	Do not freeze
Vegetables	1-2 weeks	Blanch or partially cook to freeze
Cheese - soft (brie, feta, etc) - hard (cheddar, Romano, etc)	1 week 3-4 weeks	Do not freeze
Pasta sauce	5-7 days	Do not freeze
Mayonnaise	2 months	Do not freeze
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, etc)	Refer to expiration dates	Do not freeze
Pies	3-4 days	After baking, 1-2 months
Eggs - in shells - raw egg whites - raw egg yolks - hard cooked eggs - egg substitute, liquid   - unopened   - opened	3-5 weeks 2-4 days 2-4 days 1 week 10 days 3 days	Does not freeze well 12 months Does not freeze well Do not freeze 12 months Do not freeze