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.
FOOD STORAGE CHART
Storage times will vary according to the quality Dfthe food, the type of packaging or wrap used
lmoisture and
Food |
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| Storage | Time | ||
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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| 8tol2months |
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VEGETABLES |
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| 8 months | |||||
Commercially |
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| frozen |
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Home | frozen | .............. | 8 to 12 months | |||||||
MEAT |
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Bacon | .................... |
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| 4 weeks | or | less | |||
Corned |
| beef | .............. | 4 weeks | or | less | ||||
(Salting meat shortens freezer life) |
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Frankfurters |
| ..................... |
| 1 month | ||||||
Ground beef, lamb, veal .... 2 to 3 months | ||||||||||
Roasts: |
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| 6 to 12 | months | |||
Beef | .................... |
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lamb |
| and | veal | 6 to | 9 months | |||||
Pork | 4to8months |
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Sausage, | fresh | ............. | 1 to | 2 months | ||||||
Steaks | and | chops: |
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Beef | .................... |
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| 8 to 12 | months | ||||
lamb, |
| veal, |
| pork | 3 to | 4 months | ||||
FISH |
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Cod, | flounder, |
| haddock |
| 6 months | |||||
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 |
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fish, | crab, |
| scallops | 3 to | 4 | months | ||||
Alaskan |
| king | crab | 10 | months | |||||
Shrimp, |
| uncooked | 12 | months | ||||||
POULTRY |
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Chicken |
| or turkey, |
| 12 months | ||||||
whole |
| or | parts |
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Duck |
| .......................... |
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| 6months | |||
Giblets |
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| 2to3months |
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Cooked |
| poultry | w/gravy | 6 months | ||||||
Slices | (no | gravy) |
| 1 month | ||||||
MAIN | DISHES |
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Stews; | meat, | poultry |
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and | fish | casserole | 2 to | 3 months | ||||||
TV dinners | ................. |
| 3 to | 6 months | ||||||
Food |
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| Storage | Time | |
DAIRY | PRODUCTS |
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Butter |
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| 6 to | 9 months | |||
Margarine | ..................... |
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| 12 | months | ||||||
Cheese: |
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Camembert, |
| Mozzarella, |
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| farmer’s |
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| 3 months | ||||||
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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Whole |
| (mixed) |
| ................. |
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| 12 months | |||||
Whites |
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| 12 months | ||||
Yolks | ........................... |
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| 12months | |||
[Add sugar or salt to yolks or whole mixed eggs] | ||||||||||||
BAKED | GOODS |
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Yeast | breads | and rolls | .......... |
| 3 months | |||||||
Baked |
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| 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 | .................... |
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| 12 | months | ||||
Cookie |
| dough |
| .................. |
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| 3 months | |||||
Baked |
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| cookies |
| ............ |
| 8 to | 12 months | ||||
Baked |
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| pies |
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| 1 to | 2 months | ||||
Pie | dough | only | ............. |
| 4 to | 6 months | ||||||
Based |
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| U.S.D.A. | and | Michigan | Cooperative | |||||
Extension Service suggested storage times. |
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If electricity |
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Call | the | power | company. | Ask how long power | ||||||||
will be | off |
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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 colder 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 fla- vor may be affected. If the condition of the food is poor or if you feel it is unsafe, dispose of it.
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