What’s On Your Plate? Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging

Appendix 3—Storing Cold Food

Product	Refrigerator (40 °F or below)	Freezer (0 °F or below)
Eggs*
Raw eggs in shell	3 to 5 weeks	Do not freeze. Instead, beat yolks and whites together; then freeze.
Hard-cooked eggs	1 week	Do not freeze.
Salads
Egg, chicken, ham, tuna & macaroni salads	3 to 5 days	Does not freeze well.
Hot Dogs
Opened package	1 week	1 to 2 months
Unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Luncheon Meats
Opened package or deli sliced	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Bacon & Sausage
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Sausage, raw — from chicken, turkey, pork, beef	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 months
Hamburger & Other Ground Meats
Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb, & mixtures of them	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb & Pork
Steaks	3 to 5 days	6 to 12 months
Chops	3 to 5 days	4 to 6 months
Roasts	3 to 5 days	4 to 12 months
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole	1 to 2 days	1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces	1 to 2 days	9 months
Soups & Stews
Vegetable or meat added	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Leftovers
Cooked meat or poultry	3 to 4 days	2 to 6 months
Chicken nuggets or patties	3 to 4 days	1 to 3 months