Freezer Chart
How Long in the Freezer
is Too Long?
Freezer Charts can be helpful. Knowing how long to your keep food in the freezer can be very useful. How long depends on the food itself and how it was, or was not, prepared.
You will find several helpful freezer charts below to assist you.
Freezer Chart: Storage Guidelines
Freezer Food Storage Information
The Recommended Storage Time (RST) is for storage at 0 °F. Temperature should not be more than 5°F. If temperature is not at optimal level, keep food no more than one week.
While it's not necessarily dangerous to store longer than recommended below, the flavor, texture and quality can deteriorate over time and make it less palitable.
Freezer Chart:
Meats Freezer Chart
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, Fish & Poultry (home frozen): | n/a | n/a |
| Bacon & Corned Beef | 2-3 months | See Note 1 below. |
| Frankfurters & Luncheon Meat | 2-3 months | See Note 2 below. |
| Ground Beef, Lamb, Veal | 2-3 months | See Note 4 below. |
| Veal, Ground pork and ham (picnic cured) | 1-2 months | See Note 3 below. |
| Roasts | Beef (6-12 months), Lamb/Veal (6-9 months), Pork (3-6 months) | See Note 4 below. |
| Sausage (dry/salted) | 1-2 months | If smoked see Note 3 below. |
| Sausage (fresh/unsalted) | 1-2 months | See Note 4 below. |
| Steaks & Chops | Beef (6-9 months), Lamb/Veal (3-4 months), Pork (2-3 months) | See Note 4 below. |
| Venison & Game Birds | 8-12 months | See Note 4 below. |
Freezer Chart:
Fish & Seafood Freezer Chart
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Fish (purchased frozen): | n/a | n/a |
| Fillets & Steaks: Lean fish, cod, flounder, haddock, sole | 6 months | See Note 4 below. |
| Fatty Fish: Bluefish, perch, mackerel, salmon | 2-3 months | See Note 5 below. |
| Breaded fish | 3 months | See Note 5 below. |
| Clams, cooked fish or seafood, lobster tails, scallops | 3 months | See Note 5 below. |
| King crab | 10 months | See Note 5 below. |
| Oysters | 4 months | See Note 5 below. |
| Shrimp (uncooked) | 12 months | See Note 5 below. |
Freezer Chart:
Poultry Freezer Chart
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen: | n/a | n/a | |
| Chicken (whole or cut up) | 10 months | See Note 4 below. | |
| Chicken livers | 3 months | See Note 4 below. | |
| Cooked poultry | 3 months | See Note 4 below. | |
| Duck | 6 months | See Note 4 below. | |
| Turkey | 6 months | See Note 4 below. |
Freezer Chart:
Fruits & Vegetables Freezer Chart
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Fruits: Home frozen or purchased frozen. | n/a | n/a |
| Berries, cherries, peaches, pears, pineapple | 12 months | Freeze in moisture/vapor proof container. |
| Citrus fruit & juice | Frozen at home (6 months), Juice concentrates (12 months) | n/a |
| Vegetables: | n/a | n/a |
| Home frozen | 10 months | Freeze in moisture/vapor proof container. |
| Purchased frozen (cartons, bags, boil-in-bags) | 8 months | Freeze in moisture/vapor proof container. |
Freezer Chart:
Dairy Freezer Chart
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Butter/Margarine; Whipped Butter/Margarine | Butter (6-9 months); Margarine (12 months); Whipped (do not freeze -- product will separate) | Freeze in moisture/vapor proof container. |
| Buttermilk, sour cream & yogurt | Do not freeze. | Do not freeze. |
| Cheese: | n/a | n/a |
| Camembert | 3 months | Thaw in refrigerator |
| Cottage (farmer's cheese (dry curd only) | 3 months | Thaw in refrigerator. Do not refreeze -- gets mushy. |
| Neufachatel (cream cheese) | Do not freeze. | Do not freeze. |
| Hard Cheese | Cheddar (6 weeks); Edam, Gouda, Swiss (brick)(6-8 weeks); Processed Cheese Products (loafs/slices) (4 months) | Cut & wrap in small pieces. May show mottled color after freezing due to surface moisture. Thaw in refrigerator. |
| Roquefort (blue) | 3 months | Becomes crumbly on thawing. Still good for salads & melting. |
| Cream: | n/a | n/a |
| Heavy, half & half | 2 months | May not whip after thawing -- use for cooking. Thaw in refrigerator. |
| Whipped | 1 month | Make into "dollops." Freeze firm. Put in plastic bag or carton (seal, store, freeze). Place on top of dessert to thaw. |
| Eggs: | n/a | n/a |
| Fresh, in shell | Do not freeze | Do not freeze |
| Whites | 12 months | Store in covered container. Freeze in amounts specific to recipes. |
| Yolks | 12 months | Sweet dishes: Mix yolks with 1 Tbsp. corn syrup or sugar. Regular: Mix yolks with 1/2 tsp. salt. |
| Ice cream, ice milk, sherbert | 2 months | Cover with plastic wrap or foil after use. |
| Milk | 1 month | Expands on freezing. Thaw in refrigerator. Freezing affects flavor and appearance. Use in cooking and baking. |
Freezer Chart:
Home Frozen Foods
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread | 3 months | See note 6 below. | |
| Cake | 3 months | See note 6 below. | |
| Casseroles (meat, fish poultry) | 3 months | See Note 6 below. | |
| Cookies (dough and baked) | 3 months | See Note 6 below. | |
| Nuts | Salted (6-8 months); Unsalted (9-12 months) | See Note 6 below. | |
| Pies | 8 months | See Note 6 below. |
Freezer Chart:
Commercially Frozen Foods
Also see: meats, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables and dairy products.
| Food Item | RST | Handling Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Baked goods: | n/a | n/a |
| Yeast breads & rolls (baked) | 3-6 months. | See Note 7 below. |
| Rolls (partially baked) | 2-3 months | See Note 7 below. |
| Bread (unbaked) | 1 month | See Note 7 below. |
| Bread/Quick (baked) | 2-3 months | See Note 7 below. |
| Cake (baked/unfrosted) | Angel food/Chiffon/Sponge (2 months); Cheese cake (2-3 months); Chocolate (4 months); Fruit cake (12 months); Yellow/Pound (6 months) | See Note 7 below. |
| Cake (baked/frosted) | 8-12 months | See Note 7 below. |
| Cookies (baked) | 8-12 months | See Note 7 below. |
| Pie (baked) | 1-2 months | See Note 7 below. |
| Fruit pie (unbaked) | 8 months | See Note 7 below. |
Note 1: Freezing cured meats not recommended. Salt encourages rancidity. If frozen, use within 1 month.
Note 2: Freezing not recommended. Product may "weep."
Note 3: Freezing alters flavor.
Note 4: Keep in original trays/wrap unless there are holes. If holes, rewrap. For longer storage, over-wrap with freezer wrap. Put layers of wax paper between patties of meat.
Note 5: Keep in original trays/wrap unless there are holes. If holes, rewrap. Thaw and follow cooking directions on label.
Note 6: Package tightly in foil, moisture proof wrap or freezer container. Allow casseroles head room for expansion.
Note 7: Freezing does not freshen baked goods. Quality/freshness is the same prior to freezing.
[Note: Information on this page was obtained from Texas Agricultural Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System]
Food Safety, Storage & Preservation
You might also want to check out the pages on the FDA website regarding freezer storage guidelines.
Links to Other Information
You might also want to check out the information on these pages:
- Freezer Storage Chart
- Freezer Storage Guidelines
- Dairy Storage Guidelines
- Meat/Fish/Poultry Storage Guidelines
- Kitchen Safety Tips
- Pantry Storage Guidelines
- Picking Produce
- Produce Storage Guidelines
- Refrigerator Storage Guidelines
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