Food Storage Suggestions
-
Suggested storage times
for meat and poultry*
DAYS
MONTHS
IN
IN
Eating quality drops
REFRIGERATOR FREEZER
after time shown
AT
AT
35” to
Fresh Meats
Roasts (Beef & Lamb) 3 to 5
6 to 12
Roasts (Pork & Veal) 3 to 5
4
a
Steaks (Beef) 3 to 5
6 to 12
Chops (Lamb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 to 5
6 to 9
Chops (Pork) 3 to 5
3 to 4
Ground & Stew Meats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 to 2
3 to 4
Variety Meats 1 to 2
3 to 4
Sausage (Pork) 1 to 2
1 to 2
Processed Meats
Bacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1
7
1/2
Ham (Whole) 7
1 to 2
Ham (Half) 3 to 5
1 to 2
Ham (Slices) 3
1 to 2
Luncheon Meats 3 to 5
Freezing
Sausage (Smoked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
not
Sausage (Dry & Semi-Dry)
21
mended.
Cooked Meats
Cooked Meats and
Meat Dishes 3 to 4
2 to 3
Gravy & Meat Broth 1 to 2
2 to 3
Fresh Poultry
—
Chicken & Turkey (Whole) 1 to 2
12
Chicken (Pieces) 1 to 2
9
Turkey (Pieces) 1 to 2
6
Duck & Goose (Whole) 1 to 2
6
Giblets
to 2
3
Cooked Poultry
Pieces (Covered with Broth) to 2
6
Pieces (Not Covered) 3 to 4
1
Cooked Poultry Dishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 to 4
4 to 6
Fried Chicken 3 to 4
(Other than for meats&
Most fruits and vegetables ........................8-12 months
Lean fish
months
Fatty fish, rolls and breads,
soups, stew, casseroles ..........................2-3 months
Cakes, pies, sandwiches,
leftovers (cooked),
ice cream (original carton)
month max.
New techniques are constantly
being developed.
Consult the College or County Extension Service
or your local Utility Company for the latest
information on freezing and storing foods.
*U.S.
of Agriculture
Meats, fish and poultry purchased
from the store vary in quality and
age; consequently, safe storage
time in your refrigerator will vary.
To store unfrozen meats, fish and
—
poultry:
●
Always remove store wrappings.
●
Rewrap in foil, film or wax paper
and refrigerate immediately.
To store cheese, wrap well with
wax paper or aluminum foil, or put
in a plastic bag.
●
Carefully wrap to expel air and
help prevent mold.
●
Store pre-packaged cheese in its
own wrapping if you wish.
To store vegetables, use the
vegetable drawers—they’ve been
designed to preserve the natural
moisture and freshness of produce.
●
Covering vegetables with a moist
towel helps maintain crispness.
●
As a further aid to freshness, pre-
packaged vegetables can be stored
in their original wrapping.
Special fresh
compartment drawers make it
unnecessary
certain
which they
been
preserve. These drawers
described in the Food-Saver
section.
To store ice cream—Fine-quality
ice cream, with high cream
content, will normally require
slightly lower temperatures than
more “airy” already-packaged
brands with low cream content.
●
It will be necessary to
experiment to determine the
freezer compartment location and
temperature control setting to keep
your ice cream at the right serving
temperature.
●
The rear of the freezer
compartment is slightly colder
than the front.
Tips on freezing foods
There are three essential
requirements for efficient home
freezing.
1. Initial quality. Freeze only
quality foods. Freezing retains
quality and flavor; it cannot
improve quality.
2. Speed. The quicker fruits and
vegetables are frozen after picking,
the better the frozen product will
be. You’ll save time, too, with less
culling and sorting to do.
3. Proper packaging. Use food
wraps designed especially for
freezing; they’re readily available
at most food stores.
To freeze meat, fish and poultry,
wrap well in freezer-weight foil (or
other heavy-duty wrapping
material) forming it carefully to
the shape of the contents, This
expels air. Fold and crimp ends of
the package to provide a good,
lasting seal.
Don’t refreeze meat that has
completely thawed; meat, whether
raw or cooked, can be frozen
successfully only once.
Limit freezing of fresh (unfrozen)
meats or seafoods to 29 pounds at
a time.
For convenience...
●
Store like things together. This
saves both time and electricity
because you can find foods faster.
●
Place the oldest items up front so
they can be used up promptly.
●
Use shelves on the door for most
often used sauces and condiments.
To save money in energy
and food costs
●
Cover moist foods with tight lids,
plastic film or foil.
●
Leaf vegetables and fruits placed
in drawers will
longer when
stored in closed plastic containers
or wrapped in plastic film.
●
Do not overload your fresh food
or freezer compartment with a lot
of warm food at once.
●
Open the door the fewest times
possible to save electrical energy.
●
When going out of town
for several days, leave as few
perishables as possible in the
refrigerator. Move the
feeler arm to the OFF (up) position
and shut off water to the refrigerator.
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