Food Storage Suggestions
Fresh Food
Storage
Tips
To store
unfrozen
meats,
fish and poultry"
€ Always
remove store wrappings.
o Rewrap in f0il, film or wax paper and refrigerate
immediately.
To store cheese,
wrap well with wax paper or
aluminum
f0il, or put in a plastic bag_
o Carefully
wrap to expel air and help prevent mold.
• Store pre-packaged
cheese in its own wrapping
if you wish.
To store vegetables,
use the vegetable drawers--
they've been designed
to preserve the natural moisture
and freshness
of produce
o Covering
vegetables
with a moist towel helps
maintain
crispness.
o As a further
aid to freshness, pre-packaged
vegetables
can be stored in their original wrapping.
Tips
on Freezing
Foods
o Freeze only top-quality
foods.
Freezing
retains
quality and flavor; it cannot
improve
quality°
o Freeze fruits
and vegetables
quicldy
after picking.
The sooner
you do, the better
the frozen product
will
be, with less dulling
and sorting to do.
• Use food
wraps
designed
especially
for freezing.
To store ice cream--Fine-quallcy
ice cream,
with high
cream content,
will normally
requ!re slightly lower
temperatures
than more
"airy" already-packaged
brands
with low cream
content.
° It will be necessary
to experiment
to determine
the
freezer compartment
location
and temperature
control
setting
to keep your ice cream at the right
serving
temperature.
o The reai of the freezer compartment
is slightly
colder
than
the front_
To freeze meat, fish and poultry,
wrap well in
freezer-weight
foil (or other heavy-duty
wrapping
material)
forming
it carefully
to the shape of the
contents..
This expels air. Fold and crimp
ends of
the package
to provide
a good,
lasting seal.
Don't iefreeze
meat that has completely
thawed;
meat, whether
raw or cooked,
can be fiozen
successfully only once.
14
Suggested
Storage
Times
Eating
qualit_t drops
after
time
shown
DAYS
MONTHS
IN
IN
REFRIGERATOR
FREEZER
AT
AT
35 _ to 40°i=.
0°F.
(2° to 4°C.)
(- 18°C.)
Fresh Heats
Roasts (Beef & Lamb) ........................... 3 to 5
Roasts (Pork & Veal) .............................. 3 to S
Steaks (Beef) ..............................................
3 m S
Chops
(Lamb) .......................................... 3 to S
Chops
(Pork)
............................................
3 to 5
Ground & Stew Heats ....................... I to 2
Variety Meats ...........................................
I to 2
Sausage (Pork)
........................................I to 2
Processed
Heats
Bacon
.........
.........................................................
7
Frankfurters
................................................
7
Ham (VVhole) .........................................7
Ham (Half) ........................................................
3 to S
Ham (Slices) ................................................... 3
Luncheon Meats ......................................
3 to 5
Sausage (Smoked)
......................................
7
Sausage (Dry & Semi-Dry)
............ 14 to 21
Cooked
Heats
Cooked
Meats and
Meat Dishes ...............................................
3 to 4
Gravy & Meat Broth
................................
I to 2
Fresh Poultry
Chicken & Turkey (Whole)
............. I to 2
Chicken (Pieces) ........................................
I to 2
Turkey (Pieces) ........................................
I to 2
Duck & Goose (Whole)
.................... I to 2
Giblets
.............................................................
I to 2
6to
12
4to8
6to
12
6to
9
3 to4
3 to4
3 to4
I to2
1
1t2
I to2
1 to2
I to2
Freezing
not
recom-
mended.
2to3
2to
3
12
9
6
6
3
Cooked
Poultry
Pieces (Covered with Broth)
...... I to 2
6
Pieces (Not Covered)
........................ 3 to 4
1
Cooked
Poultry Dishes ...................... 3 to 4
4 to 6
Fried Chicken ........................................ 3 to 4
4
(Other
than for
meats
& poultry)
FREEZER
Host fruits and vegetables ........................................
8-12 months
Lean fish ....................................................................................
6-8 months
Fatty fish, rolls and breads,
soups, stew, casseroles ................................................
2-3 months
Cakes, pies, sandwiches,
leftovers
(cooked),
ice cream (original carton)
...............................
I month max°
Meats, fish and poultry purchased from the store vary
in quality and age; consequently,
safe storage times in
your refrigerator will vary, For meat and poultry
information,
call the U,S. Dept. of Agriculture
at
800-535-4555.
New techniques are constantly being developed.
Consult the College or County Extension Service or
your local Utility Company for the latest information
on freezing and storing foods.