With prices steadily rising, many of us are seeking frugal tips to reduce everyday expenses, such as how to make groceries last longer, how long you can freeze food, and how long you can keep leftovers in the fridge. But how long do certain foods last in the fridge? It depends on the food!
Check out this comprehensive cold food storage chart from How Long To Cook Calculator to help keep food stored safely while saving money:
Meat is one of the trickiest foods to keep safe in the fridge. Most uncooked meat, regardless of the type of cut, can be kept in the fridge for three to five days. However, there are some exceptions. Here is a quick rundown of how long meat stays fresh in the fridge.
Hot dogs can be kept around a week in the fridge.
Bacon and sausage can be kept in the fridge for approximately a week.
Ground meat is one of the exceptions that you have to be careful about — it will only stay fresh in the fridge for 1-2 days. This includes ground meat of any type: beef, ground poultry, pork, lamb, or mixtures.
Steak can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Absolutely! When prepared properly, steaks can last safely in the freezer for 4-12 months. Wrap each steak individually with plastic wrap (not butcher paper or foil) and seal as tightly as possible. Then, place the wrapped steaks in a resealable freezer bag and keep the freezer temperature as close to 0°F as possible.
Chicken and turkey have a shorter fridge life than meat — 1-2 days. This includes both whole poultry and poultry pieces.
You can freeze raw poultry for up to a year or to its “use by” date if you follow the same procedure for freezing meat: Wrap it up tight in plastic wrap and seal it in an airtight container or freezer bag. The cling or freezer wrap is essential for preventing the cold air from drying it out.
Both fatty fish such as tuna or salmon and lean fish such as cod and flounder will last 1-3 days in the fridge. Their main distinction is how long they last in the freezer. If you choose to freeze your fish, you should know that freezing salmon can maintain it for 2-3 months, while freezing halibut can keep it fresh for 6-8 months.
Now for the fun part — leftovers! As a general rule of thumb, most leftovers will last around 3-4 days in the fridge if they’ve been cooked. Now for the most important question — how long does pizza last in the fridge? The answer is 3-4 days, but it definitely doesn’t last that long in most households!
| Food | Type | Refrigerator | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salad | Chicken, egg, ham, tuna, or macaroni | 3-4 days | Not suitable for freezing |
| Hot dogs | Opened | 1 week | 1-2 months |
|
| Unopened | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Lunch meat | Opened or deli-sliced | 3-5 days | 1-2 months |
|
| Unopened | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Bacon and sausage | Bacon | 1 week | 1 month |
|
| Raw sausage (chicken, turkey, pork, or beef) | 1-2 days | 1-2 months |
|
| Fully cooked sausage | 1-2 days | 1-2 months |
|
| Sausage (purchased frozen) | 3-4 days after cooking | 1-2 months from purchase date |
| Ground meat | Hamburgers, ground beef, ground poultry, veal, pork, lamb, or mixtures | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
| Fresh meat | Steak | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
|
| Chops | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
|
| Roasts | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
| Ham | Fresh, uncured and uncooked | 3-5 days | 6 months |
|
| Fresh, uncured and cooked | 3-4 days | 3-4 months |
|
| Cured, uncooked | 5-7 days or by the “use by” date | 3-4 months |
|
| Fully cooked, vacuum-sealed, unopened | 2 weeks or by the “use by” date | 1-2 months |
|
| Cooked, store-wrapped, whole | 1 week | 1-2 months |
|
| Cooked, store-wrapped slices, half or spiral cut | 3-5 days | 1-2 months |
|
| Cooked country ham | 1 week | 1 month |
|
| Canned, unopened, with a “keep refrigerated” label | 6-9 months | Do not freeze |
|
| Canned, opened | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |
|
| Prosciutto, Parma, Serrano, or other dry Spanish or Italian | 2-3 months | 1 month |
| Fresh poultry | Whole chicken or turkey | 1-2 days | 1 year |
|
| Chicken or turkey pieces | 1-2 days | 9 months |
| Fish | Fatty fish (tuna, salmon, catfish, mackerel, etc.) | 1-3 days | 2-3 months |
|
| Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, sole, halibut, etc.) | 1-3 days | 6-8 months |
|
| Sea trout, rockfish, or ocean perch | 1-3 days | 4-8 months |
|
| Smoked | 14 days | 2 months |
|
| Fresh crabmeat | 2-4 days | 2-4 months |
|
| Fresh lobster | 2-4 days | 2-4 months |
|
| Live crab or lobster | 1 day | Not recommended |
|
| Live clams, oysters, scallops, mussels | 5-10 days | Not recommended |
|
| Shrimp, crayfish | 3-5 days | 6-18 months |
|
| Shucked clams, mussels, scallops, oysters | 3-10 days | 3-4 months |
|
| Squid | 1-3 days | 6-18 months |
| Eggs | Hard-boiled | 1 week | Do not freeze |
|
| Liquid egg substitute, unopened | 1 week | 12 months |
|
| Liquid egg substitute, opened | 3 days | Do not freeze |
|
| Frozen egg substitute, unopened | 3-4 days after thawing or before “use by” date | Do not freeze |
|
| Casseroles with eggs | 3-4 days after baking | 2-3 months after baking |
|
| Commercial eggnog | 3-5 days | 6 months |
|
| Homemade eggnog | 2-4 days | Do not freeze |
| Pies | Pumpkin or pecan | 3-4 days after baking | 1-2 months after baking |
|
| Custard or chiffon | 3-4 days after baking | Do not freeze |
|
| Quiche | 3-5 days after baking | 2-3 months after baking |
| Soups and stews | Vegetable or meat | 3-4 days | 2-3 months |
| Leftovers | Cooked meat or poultry | 3-4 days | 2-6 months |
|
| Chicken nuggets or patties | 3-4 days | 1-3 months |
|
| Pizza | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |