Food Storage Suggestions
storage times
for meat and poultry*
DAYS
MONTHS
IN
Eating quality drops REFRIGERATOR FREEZER
after time shown
AT
AT
35 to
O F.
Fresh Meats
Roasts (Beef & Lamb) ....3 to 5
Roasts (Pork & Veal)
to 5
Steaks (Beef). .3 to 5
Chops (Lamb)
.3 to 5
Chops (Pork).
5
Ground & Stew Meats ..1 to 2
Meats ..1 to 2
Sausage
..1 to 2
Processed Meats
Bacon.
.7
Frankfurters. 7
Ham (Whole).
.7
Ham (Half) .. .....3 to 5
Ham
..3
Luncheon Meats ...3 to 5
6 to 12
4 to 8
6 to12
6 to 9
3 to 4
3 to 4
3 to 4
1 to 2
1
1 to 2
1 to 2
1 to 2
Sausage (Smoked) .7
not
Sausage (Dry Semi-Dry)14 to 21
mended
Cooked Meats
Cooked Meats and
Meat Dishes. .3 to 4
2 to 3
&
Broth 1 to 2
2 to 3
esh Poultry
Chicken & Turkey (Whole) 1 to 2
12
Chicken (Pieces) . . . to 2
9
Turkey
..1 to 2
6
Duck & Goose (Whole) ..1 to 2
6
Giblets
..1 to 2
3
Cooked Poultry
(Covered with
to 2
6
Pieces (Not Covered). .3 to 4
1
Cooked Poultry Dishes. 3 to 4
4 to 6
Fried Chicken’..
....3 to 4
4
(Other than for
& poultry)
FREEZER
Most fruits and vegetables . . . . .
.8-12 months
Lean
.6-8 months
Fatty
rolls and
soups, stew, casseroles. 2-3 months
Cakes, pies sandwiches,
leftovers (cooked),
ice cream
carton) 1 month max
New techniques are constantly being
developed. Consult the College or County
Extension
or your local Utility
Company for the latest Information on
freezing and
foods.
*U.S. Department of Agriculture
Meats, fish and poultry purchased
from the store vary in quality and
consequently, safe storage time
“
refrigerator will vary.
store unfrozen meats, fish and
poultry:
. Always
store wrappings.
●
Rewrap in foil. film or wax paper
and refrigerate immediately.
To store cheese, wrap well with
wax
paper or aluminum foil, or put
in a plastic bag.
Carefully wrap expel air and
help prevent mold.
Store prepackaged cheese in its
own wrapping if you wish.
To store vegetables, use the
vegetable drawers-they’ve been
designed to preserve the natural
moisture and freshness of produce.
. Covering vegetables with a moist
towel helps maintain crispness.
●
As
aid to freshness.
prepackaged vegetables can be
stored in their original wrapping.
equipped)
it
certain
designed
To store ice cream—Fine quality
ice cream. with high cream content,
will normally require slightly lower
temperatures than more “airy”
already-packaged brands with low
cream content.
●
will be necessary to experiment to
determine the freezer compartment
location and temperature control
setting to keep your ice cream at the
right serving temperature.
●
The rear of the freezer compartment
is slightly colder than the front.
Tips on freezing foods
There are three essential requirements
for efficient home freezing.
1. Initial quality. Freeze only
quality foods. Freezing retains quality
and flavor: it cannot improve quality.
2. Speed. The quicker fruits and
vegetables are frozen after picking,
the better the frozen product will
be. You’ll save time, too, with less
culling and sorting to do.
3.
Proper packaging. Use food
wraps designed especially for
freezing: they’re readily available
most
stores.
To freeze meat, fish and poultry,
wrap well in freezer-weight foil (or
other heavy-duty wrapping material)
forming it carefully to the shape of
the contents. This expels air. Fold
and crimp ends of the package to
lasting
Don’t refreeze meat that has
completely thawed; meat, whether
raw or cooked, can be frozen
successfully only once.
Limit freezing of fresh (unfrozen)
meats or seafoods to number
pounds at a time follows:
22’ Model ...................................2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For convenience . . .
.
Store 1 ike things together. This
saves both time and electricity
because you can find foods faster.
. ace the oldest items up front so
they can be used up promptly.
Use shelves on the door for most
often used sauces and condiments.
●
Use the meat drawer, on models
so equipped, for temporary storage
of meats you do not freeze.
To save money in energy
and food costs
●
Cover moist foods with tight 1 ids,
plastic film or foil.
Leaf vegetables and fruits placed
in drawers will last
when
stored in closed plastic containers
or wrapped in plastic film.
Do not overload your fresh food
or freezer compartment with lot
of warm food at once.
. Open the door the fewest times
possible to save electrical energy.
. When going out of town
for several days, leave as few
perishables as possible in the
refrigerator. If your refrigerator has
an icernaker, move the icemaker
feeler arm to the STOP (up) position
and shut off water to the refrigerator.
