The Shelf Life of Meat and Other Frozen Foods explained by professional Forex trading experts the “ForexSQ” FX trading team.
The Shelf Life of Meat and Other Frozen Foods
Freezing food will prevent it from going bad, but what is the optimum shelf life for frozen meats, veggies, fruits and other common foods? To avoid freezer burn and a general decline in quality, aim to buy only as much food as you can use in a reasonable amount of time. What’s reasonable? It depends on the food. Read below for more details.
The Shelf Life of Frozen Meat
Depending on the type of meat you’re freezing, it can last anywhere from one month to one year.
See below for specifics. No matter the duration, you’ll want to package your meat well. As a general rule, if you’re planning to use it within a couple of months, simply place the meat in the freezer in its original packaging. If you are planning to freeze it for longer than a couple of months, you’ll want to wrap it in another layer of aluminum foil or freezer paper or place the original contents in a sturdy zippered plastic bag. In either case, be sure to label the package as to its contents and the date it was frozen.
- More: How to Defrost Frozen Meat Quickly
Meat and Seafood | Shelf Life | Resources |
Bacon | 1-2 months | How to Package Meat for Freezing |
Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 year | |
Chicken, pieces | 9 months | |
Chops (pork, veal, lamb) | 4-12 months | |
Fish | 3-8 months | |
Ground meats | 3-4 months | |
Ham | 1-2 months | |
Hot dogs | 1-2 months | |
Lunch Meat | 3-4 months | |
Organ meats | 1-2 months | |
Roast | 4-12 months | |
Sausage, smoked | 1-2 months | |
Sausage, uncooked | 1-2 months | |
Shellfish | 3-12 months | |
Steak | 6-12 months | |
Wild game, uncooked | 8-12 months | |
©Erin Huffstetler |
Sources: USDA, National Center for Food Preservation, Food Marketing Institute
Freezing Milk and Other Dairy Products
Freezing milk isn’t common but it’s a perfectly safe way to preserve extra milk. Be sure to remove about a cup from a gallon container (or the equivalent from a smaller container) to allow for expansion as the liquid freezes.
Buttermilk can be frozen in ice cube trays, as can cracked and beaten eggs. Hard and semi-hard cheese freezes well, unlike soft cheeses and cream cheese.
Dairy | Shelf Life | Resources |
Butter | 6-9 months | How to Freeze Butter |
Buttermilk | 3 months | How to Freeze Buttermilk |
Cheese, hard | 6 months | Freezing Cheese |
Cheese, shredded | 2-3 months | |
Egg substitute | 12 months | |
Eggs, shelled | 12 months | How to Freeze Eggs |
Ice cream | 2-4 months | |
Milk | 3 months | How to Freeze Milk |
©Erin Huffstetler |
Sources: USDA, National Center for Food Preservation, Food Marketing Institute
Freezing Leftovers
Generous leftovers from a nice meal are a shame to waste and very easy to preserve in your freezer. As with meat, you’ll want to package everything carefully and tightly in close-fitting containers or plastic bags. Remember to label everything with a contents description and a date. Great candidates for freezing include soups, stews, casseroles, cooked meats and fish, and cooked beans, rice, and pasta. Dishes that won’t fare well in the freezer include dairy-rich foods such as cream sauces and custards, as well as salads of any kind.
Leftovers | Shelf Life | Resources |
Broth | 2-3 month | |
Casseroles | 2-3 months | |
Chicken nuggets/patties | 1-3 months | |
Fish | 3 months | |
Gravy | 2-3 month | |
Meat or poultry | 2-6 months | |
Pasta | 2 months | |
Pizza | 1-2 months | |
Soups and stews | 2-3 months | |
©Erin Huffstetler |
Sources: USDA, National Center for Food Preservation, Food Marketing Institute
Freezing Baked Goods and Nuts
Most baked goods freeze well, particularly if they are still fresh when popped into the freezer. A full (or nearly full) loaf of bread can be sliced before freezing, allowing you to remove just the number of slices desired. Put them right into the toaster. Wrapped well, unfrosted cakes stay fresh for up to four months. Cookies are also an excellent candidate for freezing.
Baked Goods & Nuts | Shelf Life | Resources |
Bread/rolls, unbaked | 1 month | |
Bread, baked | 2-3 months | |
Cake, baked (frosted) | 1 month | |
Cake, baked (unfrosted) | 2-4 months | |
Cookie dough | 3 months | |
Cookies, baked | 6-12 months | |
Pie, fruit (baked) | 6-8 months | |
Pie, fruit (unbaked) | 2-4 months | |
Pie, pumpkin | 1-2 months | |
Rolls, yeast | 3-6 months | |
Nuts, salted | 6-8 months | |
Nuts, unsalted | 9-12 months | How to Store Nuts |
©Erin Huffstetler |
Sources: USDA, National Center for Food Preservation, Food Marketing Institute
Freezing Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables are excellent candidates for freezing. If they’re frozen quickly, they retain many of their original nutrients. Frozen vegetables slip easily into soups and stews or right into a roasting pan alongside meat. Add frozen fruits directly to smoothies, sauces and glazes.
Fruits & Vegetables | Shelf Life | Resources |
Fruits & Vegetables | 8-12 months | How to Freeze Fruit |
©Erin Huffstetler |
Sources: USDA, National Center for Food Preservation, Food Marketing Institute
See Also:
- The Shelf Life of Refrigerated Foods
- The Shelf Life of Pantry Foods
The Shelf Life of Meat and Other Frozen Foods Conclusion
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