Fridge & Freezer Freshness Guide: Chicken, Eggs & More
Hi Hungry Girl,My grocery list is filled with healthy foods, but I never know how long everything will stay fresh. Do I go by smell? Do I keep a calendar? Help! I don’t want all my smart supermarket shopping to go to waste.
Keepin’ It Fresh
Hi Keepin’ It Fresh,Great question! The USDA and FDA offer so much helpful info on this subject, which I’ll relay below. And don’t discount your freezer as a way to stock those healthy foods! Technically, they’ll stay good in there indefinitely, but they’ll taste best if you stick to the time frames listed below. And keep reading for my Freezing & Reheating Guidelines, perfect for recipes!
HG Tip: Keep a marker and masking tape in the kitchen so you can date your food. (I mean label it with the date… not take it out to dinner!)
Food Freshness Guide
Click here to download a printer-friendly version!Raw Chicken Breast
Fridge: 1 - 2 days. Freezer: 9 months.
Cooked Chicken Breast
Fridge: 3 - 4 days. Freezer: 4 months.
Raw Ground Meat
Fridge: 1 - 2 days. Freezer: 3 - 4 months.
Raw Steak
Fridge: 3 - 5 days. Freezer: 6 - 12 months.
Cooked Meat (Ground or Steak)
Fridge: 3 - 4 days. Freezer: 2 - 3 months.
Raw Seafood
Fridge: 1 - 2 days. Freezer: 2 - 8 months.
Cooked Seafood
Fridge: 3 - 4 days. Freezer: 2 - 6 months.
Deli Meat (Unopened)
Fridge: 2 weeks. Freezer: 1 - 2 months.
Deli Meat (Opened)
Fridge: 3 - 5 days. Freezer: 1 - 2 months.
Soups & Stews
Fridge: 3 - 4 days. Freezer: 2 - 3 months.
Casseroles
Fridge: 3 - 4 days. Freezer: 2 - 6 months.
Breads/Baked Goods
Counter: 2 - 3 days. Fridge: 7 - 10 days. Freezer: 3 - 6 months.
Raw Whole Eggs
Fridge: 3 - 5 weeks. (Don’t freeze.)
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Fridge: 1 week. (Don’t freeze.)
Unopened Egg Substitute/Egg Whites
Fridge: 10 days. Freezer: 1 year. (Once thawed, use within 1 week.)
Opened Egg Substitute/Egg Whites
Fridge: 3 days. (Don’t freeze.)
Freezing & Reheating Guidelines!
To Freeze - Let your food cool completely. Then divvy up the food into equal servings, using containers that are freezer safe and microwave friendly. (Choose containers a little larger than the food itself, since it expands when it freezes. We love this set!) For individually portioned items like meatloaves and baked goods, wrap tightly in plastic wrap prior to placing in the containers.
To Reheat - If possible, thaw your food in the fridge overnight. This way, all you’ll have to do is remove or vent the lid, and microwave for a few minutes (less time for baked goods)! If you didn’t thaw the food in advance, no worries -- just remove/vent the lid, and use the defrost setting on your microwave, checking and stirring it every minute or two.
Chew on this:
Today, March 6th, is National Frozen Food Day! Here are some freezer-friendly recipes to get you started…
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