Fresh Food Storage Guidelines

Dairy

Eggs
Time: Raw in shell, 3-5 weeks; hard-cooked, 1 week
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Keep fresh eggs in the original carton; throw away any cracked or leaking eggs.

Milk
Time: 7 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Always buy milk and dairy products at the end of your shopping trip to keep them cold and fresh.

Butter
Time: 1-3 months
Temperature: Refrigerator
Packaging and Tips: Butter is very susceptible to picking up flavors from other foods. Store in original carton or covered container to prevent flavor loss.

Yogurt
Time: 7-14 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Store yogurt in the original container.

Sour cream
Time: 7-21 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Once opened, use sour cream within 7-10 days.

Cheese
Time: Hard (cheddar, Swiss), 6 months unopened; soft (brie), 3-4 weeks opened; shredded cheese, 1 week; cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 7–14 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Wrap cheese tightly in original wrapping or plastic food-storage wrap to protect against mold, flavor loss. Keep cottage or ricotta cheese tightly covered in the original container. Store the container upside-down to seal out air and preserve freshness.

Meat, Poultry and Fish

Beef
Time: Ground, 1-2 days; roast, 3-5 days; steaks, 3-5 days; cooked beef (leftovers), 3-4 days; gravy and meat broth, 1-2 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Store meats in coldest part of the refrigerator. Store raw meat in original airtight packaging or plastic food-storage bags.

Poultry
Time: Whole chicken or turkey, 1-2 days; chicken parts, 1-2 days; Giblets, 1-2 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Juices can contaminate other foods. Store chicken and turkey in sealed packaging in lowest part of refrigerator.

Fish
Time: Lean fish (cod, sole), 1-2 days; fatty fish (salmon, halibut), 1-2 days; cooked fish, 3-4 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: To prevent odor, store fresh fish in sealed packaging away from other foods.

Shellfish
Time: Shrimp, scallops, shucked clams or mussels, 1-2 days; live clams or lobsters, 2-3 days; cooked shellfish, 3-4 days
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits (cold storage)
Time: Apples, 1-3 weeks; berries and cherries, 1-2 days; citrus fruit (oranges, lemons, limes, etc.), 3 weeks; grapes, 5 days; fruit juices,6 days; melons (cantaloupe), 1 week
Temperature: Refrigerator (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Keep fruit juices tightly covered. Wrap melons and cantaloupes to prevent flavor transfer to other foods.

Fruits (room temperature)
Time: Avocados, 3-5 days; bananas, 3-5 days; peaches, pears and apricots, 3-5 days
Temperature: Room temperature
Packaging and Tips: Ripen apricots, peaches and pears at room temperature; store in refrigerator when ripe.

Vegetables (cold storage)
Time: Asparagus, 1-2 days; beans (green or wax), 1-2 days; carrots and beets, 1-2 weeks; celery, 1-2 weeks; corn (in husk), 1-2 days; lettuce (head), 3-5 days; lettuce (leaf or shredded), 1-2 days; mushrooms, 1-2 days; spinach, 5-7 days
Temperature: (38 degrees F/4 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Store asparagus upright in plastic container containing 1-2 in. (2.5-5 cm) water. Rinse leaf or shredded lettuce with water and store in sealed plastic storage containers. Add a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and promote crisping.

Vegetables (cool storage)
Time: Onions, up to 4 weeks; potatoes, 2-3 months; sweet potatoes or yams, 2-3 weeks
Temperature: Cool storage (45-50 degrees F/7-10 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Onions need a dry storage space, so don’t store them with potatoes, which release moisture. Don’t store potatoes or onions in plastic bags. Better air circulation promotes a longer shelf life.

Vegetables (room temperature)
Time: Tomatoes, 1-3 days
Temperature: Cool storage (45-50 degrees F/7-10 degrees C)
Packaging and Tips: Ripen tomatoes at room temperature away from sunlight.