17
FROZEN FOOD STORAGE
Freezer Storage:
Wrap foods in material
designed for frozen food storage. The wrap must
seal out air and moisture.
Do not refreeze
thawed meats.
Ice Cream:
The firmness of the ice cream will
depend on its cream content. Higher quality ice
creams usually have a higher cream content,
requiring colder freezer temperatures to main-
tain their firmness. Soft ice cream is not always
an indication of a temperature problem.
Make sure your refrigerator and freezer doors
close freely and completely. Overloading will
affect temperatures inside the unit. Do not fill
your freezer with large quantities of unfrozen
foods expecting them to fast freeze. Give the
freezer ample time to circulate cold air around
unfrozen items before adding additional items.
SUGGESTED FOOD STORAGE
The food storage charts on the following pages
give you specific informa tion to help you keep
food safe and keep it at its best quality. The rec-
ommended storage tempera tures will help you
determine optimal storage conditions for your
food. As a general rule, food that is handled
properly and kept at temperatures below 4˚C will
be safe to eat.
Storing food at temperatures below 4˚C keeps it
out of the
Danger Zone
. The storage times for
refrigeration will help keep food from spoiling or
becoming dangerous to eat. The time limits for
frozen foods are to maintain flavor and texture.
Food kept frozen longer than the recommended
time will still be safe to eat, but its quality may
diminish.
FISH, MEATS AND POULTRY
Recommended
Temperature
Storage Life
(refrigerator)
Storage Life
(freezer)*
Comments
F R E S H F I S H & S E A F O O D
cod, flounder, haddock
sole bluefish, perch
mackerel, salmon
shrimp, oysters
1˚C
1˚C
1˚C
1˚C
2 days
2 days
4 days
1 day
6 months
2–3 months
5–9 months
6 months
Freeze in original wrap up to 2 weeks. Use
freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags or
aluminum foil over the commercial wrap if
foods will be frozen for more than a couple
of months.
F R E S H M E AT
beef steaks, roasts
lamb chops, roasts
pork and veal chops, roasts
variety meats (tongue, liver, etc.)
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
3–5 days
3–5 days
3–5 days
1–2 days
6–12 months
6–9 months
4–6 months
3–4 months
Freeze in original wrap up to 2 weeks. Use
freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags or
aluminum foil over the commercial wrap if
foods will be frozen for more than a couple
of months.
H A M B U R G E R , G R O U N D & S T E W M E AT S
hamburger, stew meats,
ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb
and mixtures
1–2˚C
1–2 days
3–4 months
Freeze in original wrap up to 2 weeks. Use
freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags or
aluminum foil over the commercial wrap if
foods will be frozen for more than a couple
of months.
H OT D O G S & LU N C H M E AT S
hotdogs (opened package)
hotdogs (unopened package)
lunch meats (opened package)
lunch meats (unopened package)
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1 week
2 weeks
3–5 days
2 weeks
1–2 months
1–2 months
1–2 months
1–2 months
Freeze in freezer wrap. Check ”sell by”
dates. Do not use more than 1 week after
this date.
BA C O N & S AU S A G E
bacon
raw sausage (pork, beef, turkey)
smoked breakfast links or patties
hard sausage (pepperoni, jerky
sticks)
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
7 days
1–2 days
7 days
2–3 weeks
1 month
1–2 months
1–2 months
1–2 months
Keep wrapped, and store at recommended
refrigerator temperatures.
H A M & C O R N E D B E E F
corned beef
ham, whole
ham, half
ham, slices
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
5–7 days
7 days
3–5 days
3–4 days
1 month
1–2 months
1–2 months
1–2 months
For freezer storage, drain juices.
F R E S H P O U LT RY
chicken or turkey, whole
chicken or turkey, pieces
duck or goose
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2˚C
1–2 days
1–2 days
1–2 days
12 months
9 months
6 months
Freeze in original wrap up to 2 weeks. Use
freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags or
aluminum foil over the commercial wrap if
foods will be frozen for more than a couple
of months.
*Recommended freezer storage temperature is -18˚C.
FOOD STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
KEEPING FOOD AT ITS BEST
