Foodstoragechart, Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Fish

IMPORTANT: Do not expect your freezer to quick-freeze any large quantity of food. Put no more un- frozen food into the freezer than will freeze within 24 hours. [No more than 2 to 3 pounds of fresh meat or 3 to 4 pounds of vegetables per cubfc foot of freezer space.) leave enough space for air to circulate around

packages. Be careful to leave enough room at the front so the door can close tightly.

FOODSTORAGECHART

Storage times* will vary according to the quality of the food, the type of packaging or wrap used [moisture and vapor-proof), and

the storage temperature which should be 0” F (-17.8”c).

Food	Storage time

FRUITS

Fruit juice concentrate . . . . . 12 months Commercially frozen fruit . . 12 months Citrus fruit and juices. . . . 4 to 6 months Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 to 12 months

VEGETABLES

Commercially frozen . . . . . . . 8 months Home frozen . . . . . . . . . . 8 to 12 months

MEAT

Bacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 weeks or less Cornedbeef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2weeks Cured ham . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1to 2 months (Salting meat shortens freezer life) Frankfurters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 month Ground beef, lamb, veal 2 to 3 months Roasts:

Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 to 12 months lamb and veal . . . . . . . 6 to 9 months Pork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 to 8 months Sausage, fresh . . . . . . . . . 1to 2 months

Steaks and chops:

Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 to 12 months lamb, veal, pork . . . . . . 3 to4 months

FISH

Cod, flounder, haddock

Sole.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 months Blue fish, salmon . . . . . . . . 2 to 3 months Mackerel, perch . . . . . . . . 2 to 3 months Breaded ffsh (purchased] . . . 3 months Clams, oysters, cooked

fish, crab, scallops . . . . 3 to 4 months Alaskan king crab . . . . . . . . . 10 months Shrimp, uncooked . . . . . . . . . 12 months

POULTRY

Whole chicken or turkey.. . . 12 months Duck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 months Giblets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 to 3 months Cooked poultry w/gravy . . . 6 months Slices (no gravy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 month

Food	Storage tlme

MAIN DISHES Stews; meat, poultry

and fish casserole . . . . 2 to 3 months TV dinners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 to 6 months

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Butter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 to 9 months Margarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 to 9 months Cheese:

Camembert, brick,

Mozzarella, farmer’s . . . . 3 months Creamed cottage . . DO NOT FREEZE Cheddar, Edam. Gouda,

Swiss.etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 6 to8 weeks Freezing can change texture of

cheese.

Ice cream, ice milk

sherbet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 weeks

EGGS

Whole (mixed) . . . . . . . . . 9 to 12 months Whttes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 to 12 months Yolks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 to12 months

(Add sugar or salt to yolks or whole mixed eggs)

BAKEDGOODS

Yeast breads and rolls . . . . . . 3 months Baked Brown ‘N Serve

rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3months Unbaked breads.. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 month Quick breads . . . . . . . . . . . 2 to 3 months Cakes, unfrosted . . . . . . . . 2 to4 months Cakes, frosted . . . . . . . . . 8 to 12 months Fruit cakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 months Cookie dough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 months Baked cookies . . . . . . . . . 8 to12 months Baked pies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1to 2 months Pie dough only . . . . . . . . . . 4 to 6 months

‘Based cm U.S.D.A. and Machlgon Cooperdwe Extension Sewce suggesled slotage times.

If electricity goes off

Call the power company Ask how long power WI/I be off

1.If service ISto be Interrupted 24 hours or less, keep both doors closed This will help frozen foods to stay frozen.

2.If servrce IS to be Interrupted longer than 24 hours

[o]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 WIII 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 avarlable.	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 Q 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 qurckly. If the condition of the food is poor or you hove any suspicions, it is wise to drspose of it.