Food Storage Tips
Food Storage Chart
Storage times are approximate and may vary depending on type of packaging, storage temperature, and the quality of the food when purchased.
| FOODS | REFRIGERATOR | FREEZER | STORAGE TIPS | ||||
| DAIRY PRODUCTS |
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| Butter |
| 1 month | Wrap tightly or cover. | ||||
| Milk and cream | 1 week | Not recommended | Check carton date. Close tightly. | ||||
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| Don’t return unused portions to |
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| original container. Don’t freeze |
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| cream unless whipped. |
| Cream cheese, cheese spread and | Not recommended | Wrap tightly. | |||||
| cheese food |
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| Cottage cheese | Not recommended | Store in original carton. Check | |||||
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| Sour cream | 10 days | Not recommended |
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| Hard cheese | Wrap tightly. | ||||||
| (Swiss, Cheddar and Parmesan) |
| May become crumbly | Cut off any mold. | ||||
| EGGS |
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| Eggs in the shell | 3 weeks | Not recommended | Refrigerate small ends down. | ||||
| Leftover yolks or whites | For each cup of yolks to be frozen, | ||||||
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| add 1 tsp. sugar for use in sweet, or |
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| FRUITS |
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| Apples | 1 month | 8 months (cooked) | apples at | ||||
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| Bananas | 6 months (whole/peeled) | Ripen at room temperature before | |||||
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| refrigerating. Bananas and |
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| avocados darken when refrigerated. |
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| Pears, plums, avocados | Not recommended |
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| Berries, cherries, apricots | 6 months |
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| Grapes | 1 month (whole) |
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| Citrus fruits | Not recommended | May also store at | |||||
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| C). If refrigerated, store uncovered. |
| Pineapples, cut | Will not ripen after purchase. Use | ||||||
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| VEGETABLES |
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| Don’t wash before refrigerating. | ||||
| Asparagus |
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| Store in crisper. | |||||||
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| Brussels sprouts, broccoli, | Wrap odorous foods. Leave peas in | ||||||
| cauliflower, green peas, |
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| lima beans, onions, peppers |
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| Cabbage, celery | Wrap odorous foods and refrigerate | ||||||
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| in crisper. |
| Carrots, parsnips, beets, and turnips | Remove tops. Wrap odorous foods | ||||||
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| and refrigerate in the crisper. |
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| Lettuce | Not recommended |
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