How Long Can I Freeze These Foods & Leftovers?
Have you ever looked in your freezer and found some meats or shrimp or leftovers that have been in there for a while and ask yourself, “I wonder how long I can freeze some of this stuff?”
I know I do and then I wished I dated it and wrote was was in the vacuum sealed freezer bag. I have stuff in my garage freezer chest that I have no idea if it’s chicken livers or sauteed mushrooms.
Even when I do write on the bag what it is, after a while the ink fades and I can’t read what I wrote. I guess that’s when it’s time to toss it.
What NOT to Freeze
Before we look at ingredients and food’s recommended storage times, let’s look at foods you should not freeze for various reasons. Here they are:
| Apples | Food in Cans |
| Artichokes | Mayonnaise |
| Beer | Mellon |
| Buttermilk | Pasta |
| Canned Fish | Potatoes |
| Coffee | Rice |
| Cream Cheese | Salad Greens |
| Deli Meats | Soda |
| Eggs (shells on) | Sour Cream |
| Eggplant | Sprouts |
Recommended Storage Times for Frozen Foods
These time period recommendations come from www.fda.gov, www.foodsafety.gov, https://ask.usda.gov/s/
Dairy and Eggs Freezing Times
| Butter | 6-9 months |
| Eggs (Raw) | 1 month |
| Cottage Cheese | 1 month |
| Hard Cheeses | 6 months |
| Ice Cream | 2 months |
| Margarine | 12 months |
| Soft Cheeses | 6 months |
| Yogurt | 2 months |
Meat & Poultry Freezing Times
| Bacon | 1 month |
| Beef Chops | 4-6 months |
| Beef Roasts | 12 months |
| Chicken (parts) | 9 months |
| Chicken (whole) | 12 months |
| Chicken Nuggets | 1-3 months |
| Ham (cooked) | 2 months |
| Lamb | 9 months |
| Pork Chops | 4-6 months |
| Pork Roast | 4-12 months |
| Turkey (ground) | 3-4 months |
| Turkey (parts) | 9 months |
| Turkey (whole) | 12 months |
| Veal | 9 months |
Seafood Freezing Times
| Clams (live) | 2-3 months |
| Clams | 3-6 months |
| Crab | 10 months |
| Fish (cooked) | 4-6 months |
| Fish (lean) | 6 months |
| Fish (fatty) | 2-3 months |
| Fish (smoked) | 2 months |
| Lobster | 12 months |
| Shellfish | 3-12 months |
Fruits & Vegetable Freezing Times
| Fruit (citrus) | 3 months |
| Fruit (non citrus) | 9-12 months |
| Nuts | 3 months |
| Vegetables | 8-12 months |
How to Freeze Foods to Reheat
I wrote a post about freezing food to reheat that you may be interested in and I’ll write more about this topic as I learn more.
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