12 | English
Food Preservation
Food Preservation Tips–
To reduce the risk of spoilage,
minimize food handling. Store fruits and vegetables sepa-
rately. Store meats in the original packaging; once opened,
re-wrap tightly.
Ethylene Gas–
Many fresh foods emit ethylene gas, a
naturally-occurring compound that hastens food ripening
and spoilage. Sub-Zero refrigerators come with an air puri-
fication system (based on technology developed by NASA)
that scrubs the air of ethylene and odor every 20 minutes.
To reduce spoilage, do not store ethylene-producing fruits
and vegetables with those that are ethylene-sensitive.
Indicates an ethylene-producing food.
Indicates an ethylene-sensitive food.
Humidity–
The optimal humidity varies for different foods.
To keep food fresher longer, store foods in the areas
designated in the following charts.
Food Preservation
FOOD
ECODE REFRIGERATOR
FREEZER
FRESH FRUITS
Apples
1–2 months
Freezing
fresh fruits
is not
recommended
Apricots
1–2 weeks
Avocados
†
2–4 weeks
Bananas*
1–4 weeks
Blueberries
10–18 days
Cantaloupe
2–3 weeks
Cherries
2–3 weeks
Figs
7–10 days
Grapefruit
6–8 weeks
Grapes
2–3 weeks
Honeydew melon
3–4 weeks
Kiwifruit
4–6 weeks
Lemons
1–6 months
Limes
6–8 weeks
Mangos
†
2–3 weeks
Nectarines
2–4 weeks
Oranges
3–8 weeks
Peaches
2–4 weeks
Pears
†
2–3 weeks
Pineapple
2–4 weeks
Plums
2–5 weeks
Raspberries
3–6 days
Strawberries
7–10 days
Tomatoes*
1–3 weeks
EGGS AND DELI
Eggs (fresh)
3 weeks
Freezing
eggs and deli
is not
recommended
Egg substitute (opened)
3 days
Egg, tuna, or ham salad
3–5 days
Lunch meat, thinly sliced
1–2 days
*Do not refrigerate.
†
Ripen on the counter before refrigeration.
FOOD
ECODE REFRIGERATOR
FREEZER
FRESH VEGETABLES
Artichokes
1–2 weeks
Freezing fresh
vegetables
is not
recommended
Asparagus
2–3 weeks
Bean sprouts
7–9 days
Beans (green or lima)
7–10 days
Beets without tops
3–4 months
Bok choy
3 weeks
Broccoli
1–2 weeks
Cabbage
3–6 weeks
Carrots
1–5 months
Cauliflower
3–4 weeks
Celery
1–2 months
Corn
5–8 days
Cucumbers
10–14 days
Eggplant*
1–2 weeks
Fresh herbs
1–3 weeks
Garlic*
6–7 months
Ginger*
6 months
Jicama*
1–2 months
Kale
1–2 months
Leeks
2 months
Lettuce
2–3 weeks
Mushrooms
1–2 weeks
Onions
1–6 months
Parsley
1–2 months
Peas (sugar, snap, snow)
1–2 weeks
Peppers (bell or chile)
2–3 weeks
Potatoes*
5–10 months
Radishes
1–2 months
Shallots
6 months
Spinach
10–14 days
Squash (soft rind)
1–2 weeks
Tamarillos
7–10 days
Water chestnuts
2–4 months
*Do not refrigerate.
FOOD
ECODE REFRIGERATOR
FREEZER
SOUP
Stew with meat
3–4 days
2–3 months
Vegetable soup
3–4 days
2–3 months
MEATS, FISH, AND POULTRY
Bacon
7 days
1 month
Beef steaks, roast
3–5 days
6–12 month
Bluefish, perch
2 days
2–3 month
Corned beef
5–7 days
1 month
Ham (whole)
7 days
1–2 months
Hamburger
1–2 days
3–4 months
Meat dishes (cooked)
3–4 days
2–3 months
Pork and veal chops
3–5 days
4–6 months
Poultry (cooked)
3–4 days
4–6 months
Poultry (raw)
1–2 days
9 months
Salmon, mackerel
4 days
5–9 months
Sausage (raw)
1–2 days
1–2 months
Shrimp
1 day
6 months
Smoked breakfast links, patties
7 days
1–2 months
DAIRY
Butter
3 months
1 year
Cottage cheese
1–2 weeks
4 weeks
Cream cheese
2 weeks
Not recomm.
Process cheese
3–4 weeks
6–8 months
Whole or skim milk
1–2 weeks
Not recomm.
Yogurt
1 month
Not recomm.
