How long will foods keep in refrigerator/freezer?

How long will foods keep in the refrigerator/freezer
(Courtesy: Food Democracy)
Product Refrigerator Freezer
Eggs
Fresh, in shell 3 to 5 weeks Don’t freeze
Raw yolks, whites 2 to 4 days 1 year
Hardcooked 1 week Don’t freeze well
Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes opened/unopened 3 days/10 days Don’t freeze well/1yr
Mayonnaise
commercial refrigerate after opening 2 months Doesn’t freeze
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni salads 3 to 5 days Doesn’t freeze well
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats
Hot dogs,opened pkg/unopened pkg 1 week/2 weeks 1-2 months both
Luncheon meats, opened package/unopened package 3-5 days/2 wks 1-2 months both
Bacon & Sausage
Bacon 7 days 1 month
Sausage, raw from chicken, turkey, pork, beef 1 to 2 days 1 to 2 months
Smoked breakfast links, patties 7 days 1 to 2 months
Hard sausage–pepperoni, jerky sticks 2 to 3 weeks 1 to 2 months
Summer sausage–labeled “Keep Refrigerated”
opened/unopened 3 weeks/3 months 1 to 2 months both
Ham, Corned Beef
Corned beef, in pouch with pickling juices 5 to 7 days Drained, 1 month
Ham, canned–labeled “Keep Refrigerated”
opened/unopened 3-5 days/6-9 months 1 to 2 months/Doesn’t freeze
Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened 2 weeks 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked vacuum sealed at plant, dated, unopened “use by” date on package 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, whole 7 days 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, half 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Ham, fully cooked, slices 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
Hamburger & stew meat 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Ground 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
Variety meats–tongue, liver, heart, kidneys, chitterlings 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Pre-stuffed, uncooked pork chops, lamb chops, or chicken breast stuffed with dressing 1 day Don’t freeze well
Soup & Stews
Vegetable or meat added 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months
Meat Leftovers
Cooked meat and meat casseroles 3 to 4 days 2 to 3 months
Gravy and meat broth 1 to 2 days 2 to 3 months
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole 1 to 2 days 1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces 1 to 2 days 9 months
Giblets 1 to 2 days 3 to 4 months
Cooked Poultry
Fried chicken 3 to 4 days 4 months
Cooked poultry casseroles 3 to 4 days 4 to 6 months
Pieces, plain 3 to 4 days 4 months
Pieces covered with broth, gravy 1 to 2 days 6 months
Chicken nuggets, patties 1 to 2 days 1 to 3 months
Pizza
Pizza 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months
Stuffing
Stuffing–cooked 3 to 4 days 1 month
Beverages, Fruit
Juices in cartons, fruit drinks, punch 3 weeks unopened
7-10 days opened 8 to 12 months
Dairy
Butter 1 to 3 months 6 to 9 months
Buttermilk 7 to 14 days 3 months
Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss) 6 months, unopened
3-4 weeks, opened 6 months
Cheese Soft (such as Brie, Bel Paese) 1 week 6 months
Cottage Cheese, Ricotta 1 week Doesn’t freeze well
Cream Cheese 2 weeks Doesn’t freeze well
Cream–Whipped, ultrapasteurized 1 month Doesn’t freeze
Cream–Whipped, Sweetened 1 day 1 to 2 months
Cream–Aerosol can, real whipped cream 3 to 4 weeks Doesn’t freeze
Cream–Aerosol can, non dairy topping 3 months Doesn’t freeze
Cream, Half and Half 3 to 4 days 4 months
Eggnog, commercial 3 to 5 days 6 months
Margarine 4 to 5 months 12 months
Milk 7 days 3 months
Pudding package date; 2 days after opening Doesn’t freeze
Sour cream 7 to 21 days Doesn’t freeze
Yogurt 7 to 14 days 1 to 2 months
Dough
Tube cans of rolls, biscuits, pizza dough, etc. Use-by-date Don’t freeze
Ready-to-bake pie crust Use-by-date 2 months
Cookie dough Use-by-date unopened or opened 2 months
Fish
Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, sole, etc.) 1 to 2 days 6 months
Fatty fish (bluefish, mackerel, salmon, etc.) 1 to 2 days 2 to 3 months
Cooked fish 3 to 4 days 4 to 6 months
Smoked fish 14 days or date on vacuum package 2 months in vacuum package
Shellfish
Shrimp, scallops, crayfish, squid, shucked clams, mussels and oysters 1 to 2 days 3 to 6 months
Live clams, mussels, crab, lobster and oysters 2 to 3 days 2 to 3 months
Cooked shellfish 3 to 4 days 3 months
Note: These short but safe time limits will help keep refrigerated foods from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only. Storage times are from date of purchase unless specified on chart. It is not important if a date expires after food is frozen.

Sources:

USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
The Food Keeper, The Food Marketing Institute

Tu Y Yo, Somervile, MA

My part-time wife, full-time student Melissa has made Somerville her home for the next year. She goes to school in neighboring Cambridge. The choice between a long dreary weekend by myself in New York and one with me by her side in this ever festive and vibrant student town is always an easy one to make. One that has brought me here thrice over the last six weeks. The romance of her company and this town was however lacking some good food to make it a perfect getaway every time.

Most culinary engagements in idyllic Cambridge proved less than satisfying. Food it seems is the last thing on a student's mind which is why the establishments here get away by serving fairly average food.

I decided to head North within Somerville in search of something more interesting this morning. A 10 minute walk and a small bus ride brought us outside a large, colorful storefront near the Tufts University campus. Tu y Yo initially seemed unusually expensive. Jose, a young man from El Salvador was welcoming as our host and server. We found out that they only serve brunch till 2:00 which was a little disappointing.

We decided to stay and ordered tamales, sopes, quesadilla and a side of rice and beans for lunch.
Tamales sampler($10.95) with chicken, corn, coconut, fish and pork fillings was quite a discovery. The tiny Tamales (or as Melissa put it this morning-Tamalitos) were steamed fresh and wrapped in corn husk and banana leaves with a black bean dip. The sampler was every bit gourmet.

The sopes were warm and fluffy with beans, fresh cheese, onions, lettuce and really fine Mexican sausage. The quesadilla here defied stereotypes. It used a small corn flour turnover(more like arepas) filled with cheese and meat ; far from the conventional quesadillas that use flour tortillas. The cinnamon infused Mexican coffee could have been a little warmer.

Jose mentioned that the place serves food rooted in family tradition and the recipes go back hundreds of years. If appetizers are anything to go by, we will be back soon for more. At $44 for two for lunch this place may be more suitable for professors in the area.