Storing food in the refrigerator
These time limits will help keep home-refrigerated food from spoiling.
| Eggs | |
|---|---|
| Fresh, in shell | 3-5 weeks |
| Raw yolks, whites | 2-4 days |
| Hard-cooked | 1 week |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes | Unopened, 10 days Opened, 3 days |
| Cooked egg dishes | 3-4 days |
| Mayonnaise, commercial (opened) | 2 months |
| Deli and vacuum-packed products | |
| Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, and macaroni salads | 3-5 days |
| Pre-stuffed pork, lamb chops, and chicken breasts | 1 day |
| Store-cooked dinners and entrees | 3-4 days |
| Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners (unopened) | 2 weeks |
| Raw Hamburger, ground and stew meat | |
| Ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb | 1-2 days |
| Stew meats | 1-2 days |
| Ham | |
| Ham, fully cooked, whole | 7 days |
| Ham, fully cooked, half | 3-5 days |
| Ham, fully cooked, slices | 3-4 days |
| Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meats | |
| Hot dogs | Unopened package, 2 weeks Opened package, 1 week |
| Luncheon meats | Unopened package, 2 weeks Opened package, 3-5 days |
| Bacon and Sausage | |
| Bacon | 7 days |
| Sausage, raw from meat or poultry | 1-2 days |
| Smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 days |
| Hard sausage (such as Pepperoni) | 2-3 weeks |
| Cooked Meat, Poultry, and Fish Leftovers | |
| Pieces and cooked casseroles | 3-4 days |
| Gravy and broth, patties, and nuggets | 1-2 days |
| Soups and Stews | 3-4 days |
| Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork) | |
| Steaks, chops, roasts | 3-5 days |
| Variety meats (Tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings) | 1-2 days |
| Fresh poultry, fish and shellfish | |
| Fresh Poultry | 1-2 days |
| Fresh Fish and Shellfish | 1-2 days |