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