IMPORTANT: Do not expect your freezer to quick- freeze any large quantity of food. Put no more unfrozen food into the freezer than will freeze within 24 hours. (No more than 2 to 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of freezer space.) leave enough space for air to circulate around pack- ages. Be careful to leave enough room at the front so the door can close tightly.
FOODSTORAGECHART
Storage times* will vary according to the qual- ity of the food, the type of packaging or wrap used (moisture and
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FRUITS |
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Fruit | juice | concentrate | ........ | 12 months | |||||||
Commercially |
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| frozen | fruit | ..... | 12 months | |||||
Citrus | fruit |
| and | juices | ...... | 4 to | 6 months | ||||
Others | .................... |
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| B to | 12 months | ||||
VEGETABLES |
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Commercially |
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| frozen | .......... | 8 months | ||||||
Home | frozen | .............. |
| 8 to | 12 months | ||||||
MEAT |
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| 4 weeks | or | less | |
Bacon | .................... |
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Corned | beef | ............. |
| 4 weeks | or | less | |||||
(Salting | meat | shortens | freezer life) | 1 month | |||||||
Frankfurters |
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Ground beef, lamb, veal ... 2 to 3 months | |||||||||||
Roasts: |
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Beef | .................... |
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| 6to12 |
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lamb | and | veal | 6 to | 9 months | |||||||
Pork | ..................... |
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| 4to8months |
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Sausage, | fresh | ............. |
| 1 to | 2 months | ||||||
Steaks | and |
| chops: |
| 8to12 | months | |||||
Beef | .................... |
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lamb, | veal, | pork | 3 to | 4 months | |||||||
FISH |
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Cod, | flounder, |
| haddock |
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| 6months | |||||
sole | ......................... |
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Blue | fish, | salmon | ........... | 2 to | 3 months | ||||||
Mackerel, |
| perch | ........... | 2 to | 3 months | ||||||
Breaded |
| fish | (purchased). | ..... | 3 months | ||||||
Clams, | oysters, | cooked |
| 3 to | 4 months | ||||||
tish, | crab, |
| scallops | ||||||||
Alaskan | king | crab |
| 10 months | |||||||
Shrimp, | uncooked | 12 months | |||||||||
POULTRY |
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Chicken | or | turkey, |
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whole | or | parts | .............. |
| 12 months | ||||||
Duck |
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| 6 months | |||
Giblets | .................... |
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| 2to3 | months | ||||
Cooked | poultry | w/gravy | 6 months | ||||||||
Slices | (no | gravy) | ................ |
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| 1 month | |||||
MAIN | DISHES |
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Stews; | meat, | poultry |
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and | fish |
| casserole | . 2to3months |
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TV dinners |
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| 3 to | 6 months | |||||
Food |
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| Storage | Time | |
DAIRY | PRODUCTS |
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| 6 to | 9 months | ||
Butter | ...................... |
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Margarine | ..................... |
| 12 | months | |||
Cheese: |
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Camembert, | Mozzarella, |
| 3 months | ||||
farmer’s | .................... |
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Creamed | cottage | ...... | DO NOT FREEZE | ||||
Cheddar, | Edam, | Gouda, |
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Swiss, | brick, | etc | 6 to | 8 weeks | |||
Freezing can change texture of |
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cheese. |
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Ice cream, | ice | milk, | sherbet | ..... | 2 months | ||
EGGS |
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| 12 months | ||
Whole | (mixed) | ................. | |||||
Whites |
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| 12 months | ||||
Yolks | 12months | ||||||
(Add sugar or salt to yolks or-whole mixed eggs)
BAKED | GOODS |
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| 3 | months | |
Yeast | breads | and rolls |
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Baked | Brown | ‘N Serve rolls | 3 | months | ||
Unbaked | breads |
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| 1 month | ||
Quick | breads | .............. | 2 to | 3 | months | |
Cakes, | unfrosted | 2 to | 4 months | |||
Cakes, | frosted | ............ | 8 to | 12 | months | |
Fruit cakes | .................... |
| 12 | months | ||
Cookie | dough | .................. |
| 3 | months | |
Baked | cookies | ............ | 8 to | 12 | months | |
Baked | pies | 1 to | 2 | months | ||
Pie dough | only | ............. | 4 to | 6 | months | |
*Based on U.S.D.A.and Michigan Cooperative Extension Service suggested storage times.
If electricity goes off
Call the power company. Ask how long power will be off
1.If service IS to be interrupted 24 hours or less, keep both doors closed. This will help frozen foods to stay frozen.
2.If service is to be interrupted longer than 24 hours:
(a)Remove all frozen food and store in a frozen food locker. Or...
(b)Place 2 Ibs (0.9 kg] of dry ice in freezer for every cu. ft of freezer space. This will keep frozen foods for 2 to 4 days. Wear gloves to protect your hands from dry ice burns.
[c)If neither food locker storage nor dry ice is available, use or can perishable food at once.
3.A full freezer will stay cold longer than a partly filled one. A freezer full of meat will stay cold longer than a freezer full of baked goods. If food contains ice crystals, it may be safely refrozen, although the quality and flavor may be affected. Use refrozen foods quickly. If the condition of the food is poor or if YOU feel it is unsafe, dispose of it.
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