How long will food last when stored in the fridge or freezer? Home economist Mairlyn Smith breaks it down for us in this comprehensive list. Note: your fridge should be set at 4°C (40°F) or lower and your freezer at -18°C (0°F) or lower.
Opened condiments
Tip: Write the date on the bottle in felt pen the day you open it.
Ketchup, cocktail or chili sauce: 6 months
Chutney: 1 to 2 months
Horseradish: 3 to 4 months
Mustard: 12 months
Olives: 2 weeks
Pickles and relish: 1 year
Mayonnaise and salad dressing: Up to 2 months
Barbecue sauce: 4 months
Worcestershire sauce: 12 months
Jams and jellies: 6 months
Soy sauce: 1 year
Fresh meat
Beef: 2-4 days or 10-12 months
Pork: 2-4 days or 8-12 months
Lamb: 2-4 days or 8-12 months
Veal: 3-4 days or 8-12 months
Ground meat: 1-2 days or 2-3 months
Fresh poultry
Whole chicken or turkey: 2-3 days or 1 year in the freezer
Chicken or turkey pieces: 2-3 days or 6 months in the freezer
Fresh fish
Lean fish (cod, flounder etc.): 3-4 days or 6 months in the freezer
Fatty fish (salmon, etc.): 3-4 days or 2 months in the freezer
Shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, etc.): 12-24 hours or 2-4 months
Scallops, shrimp, cooked shellfish: 1-2 days or 2-4 months
Ham
Canned ham: 6-9 months. Don’t freeze.
Cooked ham: 3-4 days or 2-3 months in the freezer.
Bacon and sausages
Bacon: 1 week, or 1 month in the freezer
Raw sausage: 1-2 days or 1-2 months
Pre-cooked sausage links or patties: 1 week or 1-2 months
Unopened hotdogs: 2 weeks or 1-2 months
Opened hotdogs: 1 week or 1-2 months
Lunch meat and deli food
Unopened lunch meat: 2 weeks or 1-2 months in the freezer
Opened lunch meat: 3-5 days or 1-2 months
Deli packaged lunch meat: 3-4 days or 2-3 months
Deli or homemade salads: 3-5 days. Don’t freeze.
Leftovers
Cooked meat, stews, egg or vegetable dishes: 3-4 days or 2-3 months in the freezer
Cooked poultry and fish: 3-4 days or 4-6 months
Meat broth and gravy: 3-4 days or 4-6 months
Soup: 2-3 days or 4 months
Frozen dinners
Keep frozen until ready to cook: 3-4 months
Eggs
Fresh in shell: 3-4 weeks. Don’t freeze.
Fresh out of shell: 2-4 days or 4 months in the freezer
Hard-cooked: 1 week. Doesn’t freeze well.
Unopened egg substitute: 10 days, or 1 year in the freezer
Opened egg substitute: 3 days. Don’t freeze.
Dairy products
Unopened milk: best-before date or 6 weeks in the freezer.
Opened milk: 3 days. Don’t freeze.
Unopened cottage cheese: best-before date. Doesn’t freeze well.
Opened cottage cheese: 3 days. Don’t freeze.
Unopened yogurt: best-before date or 1-2 months in the freezer.
Opened yogurt: 3 days. Don’t freeze.
Soft cheese: 1 week. Doesn’t freeze well.
Semi-soft cheese: 2-3 weeks or 8 weeks in the freezer
Firm cheese: 5 weeks or 3 months in the freezer
Hard cheese: 10 months or 1 year
Processed cheese: 5 months or 3 months
Un-opened salted butter: 8 weeks or 1 year
Un-opened unsalted butter: 8 weeks or 3 months
Opened butter: 3 weeks. Don’t freeze.
Vegetables
Beans, green or waxed: 5 days or 8 months in the freezer
Carrots: 2 weeks, or 10-12 months
Celery: 2 weeks, or 10-12 months
Leaf lettuce: 3-7 days. Don’t freeze.
Iceburg lettuce: 1-2 weeks. Don’t freeze.
Spinach: 2-4 weeks or 10-12 months
Summer squash: 1 week, or 10-12 months
Winter spuash: 2 weeks, or 10-12 months
Tomatoes: Don’t refrigerate. Last 2 months in the freezer.
Storing these foods in the fridge lengthens their shelf life:
Nut butters: If it’s a natural nut butter and you won’t eat it within a month, it’s best to refrigerate.
Wheat germ
Nuts
Whole grain flours
Ground flaxseed: Up to 3 months
Hemp hearts: Up to 3 months
