HEALTH Food Fo od Sto Stora rage ge ffor or Saf S 1afet ety y and and Qual Qualit ity y no. no. 9.3 9.310 10 by P. Kendall and N. Dimond
Quick Facts... Foods vary in the temperature and moisture they need to retain quality in storage. Stock only the kind and amount of food you can store properly to retain high quality and nutritive value. Use a thermometer to check that the refrigerator is at 35 to 40 degrees F and the freezer at 0 F degrees or below.
Use fresh, perishable foods soon after harvest or purchase. If they are stored, maintain the proper temperature and humidity humidity.. Even under proper storage conditions, foods lose freshness and nutritive value if they are stored too long. Signs of spoilage that make food unpalatable but not a bacterial hazard are the rancid odor and flavor of fats caused by oxidation, slime on the surface of meat, and the fermentation f ermentation of fruit juices due to yeast growth. Off-odors in foods and a sour taste in bland foods can indicate dangerous bacterial spoilage. However, food can be high in bacteria count even without such signals.
Food Selection Buy food from reputable dealers, with a known record for safe handling. Select dated products only if the “sell by” or “use by” date has not expired. While these dates are helpful, they are reliable only if the food has been kept at the proper temperature during storage and handling. Although Although many products bear “sell by” or “use by” dates, product dating is not a federal requirement. Select products labeled “keep refrigerated” only if they are stored in a refrigerated case and are cold to the touch. Frozen products should be solidly frozen. Packages of precooked foods should not be torn or damaged. Avoid cross-contamination cross-contamination when purchasing foods. Place raw meat and poultry in individual plastic bags to prevent meat from contaminating foods that will be eaten without further cooking. Put packages of raw meat and poultry in your shopping cart where juices cannot drip on other foods. Shop for perishables last. Keep refrigerated and frozen items together so they will remain cold. Place perishables in the coolest part of your car during the trip home. If the time from store to home refrigerator is more than one hour, pack them in an insulated container with ice or an ice pack.
Food Storage To retain quality and nutritive value, stock only the kinds and amounts of food you can store properly. properly. Proper storage means maintaining a clean refrigerator and freezer. Avoid overcrowding the refrigerator. Arrange items so cold air can circulate freely. To To reduce dehydration and quality loss, use freezer wrap, freezer-quality plastic bags, or aluminum foil over commercial wrap on meat and poultry that will be stored in the freezer fr eezer for more than two months. Table 1 gives short but safe time limits that will help keep refrigerated
food or flavor becoming dangerous eat.safe Theto time frozen foodsfrom are tospoiling maintain and texture. It istostill eat limits frozenfor foods that Refrigerator/F tor/Freezer reezer have been stored longer. This table is adapted from Refrigera Approximate Appro ximate Storage Storage Ti Times mes, Karen Penner, Penner, Kansas State University Cooperative Cooperative Extension Service, 1990, and USDA publications.
Table 1: Safe food storage guidelines. Product
Refrigerator (35-40 degrees)
Freezer (0 degrees)
Comments
BREADS, PASTRIES AND CAKES Breads: bak ake ed bre read ads s (no pres preser erv vatives) baked muffins baked quick breads par tially baked cinnamon rolls unbaked rolls and bread Cakes: frosted, baked unfrosted, baked Cookies: baked
Stor ore e in re reffrige rigera rattor to inh nhiibi bitt mold gro row wth.
Longer storage inactivates yeast, weakens gluten.
Keep in air tight container.
*Not necessary to refrigerate unless product produ ct cannot be used within 4-5 days or time recommended on package.
DAIRY PRODUCTS Bu t t e r bag. Buttermilk Cheese: cottage, ricotta cream cheese
2-3 months
12 m on t h s
Freeze in original car ton, overwrap in plastic freezer
1-2 weeks 5-7 days 2 weeks
NR 1 month 1 month
Check date on car ton. Will keep several days after date. Freezing changes texture of soft cheeses. Becomes cr umbly when frozen; can be used in cooking when creaminess is not important. Natural and processed cheeses can be frozen. Defrost in refrigerator ; cheese will be less likely to cr umble. Use
6-8 months 6-8 months 6-8 months See package 3-4 weeks
Dip, sour cream: commercial homemade Margarine Milk: evaporated, opened fluid whole or low-fat reconstituted nonfat dr y
2 weeks 3-4 days 3 months 3-5 days 1 week 1 week
NR NR 12 months 1-3 months 1-3 months 1-3 months
Overwrap in plastic freezer bag for frozen storage. Freezing affects milk’s flavor, appearance; use for cooking.
Sosuwr ecereteanmed, condensed, opened Whipped topping: frozen carton (thawed) in aerosol can prepared from mix Yogur t
-5wdeaeykss 23-3
1-3 m No Rnths
Sour cream will separate if frozen.
2 weeks 3 weeks 3 days 1 month
NR NR NR NR
Natural, aged cheeses (cheddar, Swiss, br ick, gouda, mozzarella, etc.) large pieces, packaged or wax coated slices or opened packages Parmesan, Romano (grated) Pasteurized process cheese Coffee whitener (liquid) Cream, light or half & half (UHT processed-opened) (UHT processed-unopened) whipping or heavy
NR
soon after thawing.
Whipping cream will not whip after thawing. Whipped cream may be frozen and stored for 1-2 weeks.
Yogur t will separate if frozen.
EGGS AND EGG PRODUCTS Eggs: fresh yolks or whites
in shell, fresh in shell, hard-cooked
Eggs: liquid pasteur ized eggs or egg substitutes, opened Egg-containing products: Canned puddings, opened Custards, custard sauces, puddings, custard-filled pastr ies and cakes
4 days
12 m on t h s
3 weeks 1 week
NR NR
4-5 days
1 year
1-2 days
NR
1-2 days
NR
To freeze, break eggs out of shell; stir until yolk is well blended with white or other yolks. Add small amount of salt, sugar or corn syrup syru p to improve keeping quality. Decorated Easter eggs: If you intend to eat them, keep refrigerated. If eggs are at room temperature temperatur e for more than 2 hours, do not eat them.
Refrigerator (35-40 degrees)
Product
Freezer (0 degrees)
Comments
FRUITS Apples Apr icots, cranberr ies Avocados Bananas Berr ies, cherries Canned fruits, opened Citr us fruits Dr ied fruit: cooked uncooked Grapes, peaches, pears, plums and rhubarb Juices: canned, bottled, frozen concentrate Melons
1-3 weeks 1 week 3-5 days 1-2 days, unpeeled 1-2 days 3-5 days
Peel, dip in lemon juice, tray freeze; store in freezer bag. Texture will be softer after freezing. Refr igerate in glass or plastic to avoid metallic taste. Wrap cut surfaces to prevent loss of Vitamin C.
Transfer canned juice to glass or plastic container after opening. Wrap cut surfaces to prevent Vitamin C loss, control odors.
*Freeze all fruits in moisture- and vaporproof containers. conta iners. F Follow ollow recommended procedu procedures res in fact sheet 9.331, Freezing Fruits .
MEATS Fresh Bratwurst: fresh precooked Chops: lamb por k, veal Ground beef, stew meat, ground por k, turkey, veal, lamb Roasts: beef lamb veal or por k Sausage: por k, beef, turkey Steaks, beef Variety meats (tongue, liver, brains, hear t, kidneys) Cooked Canned meat, opened Cooked meat and meat dishes
1-2 days 5-7 days 2-4 days 2-4 days
2-3 months 2-3 months 6-9 months 4-6 months
1-2 days 2-4 days 2-4 days 2-4 days 1-2 days 2-4 days
Ham: canned, unopened half whole Luncheon meats Sausage: smoked dr y and semidr y sausage
Meats may be left in the supermarket superma rket packaging for refrigerator storage or for ver y br ief freezer storage. For frozen storage beyond two weeks, rewrap in moisture- and vapor proof wrap or freezer bags.
Quickly refr igerate all cooked meats and leftovers. Use as soon as possible. Cut large roasts into halves to cool in refrigerator. Fats tend to separate in homemade gravies, stews and sauces but usually recombine when heated. Cool leftover gravy and broth quickly, in shallow containers, in the refrigerator. Keep packaged meats in original package. For best quality, use within one week of “sell by” date.
Frozen, cured meats lose quality rapidly; use as soon as possible. Small pieces of canned ham (opened) may be frozen for 4-6 weeks.
*Storage time after vacuum-sealed package is opened. Unopened package may be kept two weeks or accordi according ng to date on package.
MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANEOU S PERISHABLE ITEMS Baby food
2-3 days
See comment
Candies Casseroles
6 months 1-2 days
6 months 1 month
6 months* 6 months 2-3 days 2-3 days 1 week after opening
6-12 months NR 1 month 4-6 months 1-3 months
Ground spices Salad dressings, opened Sandwiches Soups, stews Soy milk
Store covered. Do not feed baby from jar. Reheat only enough for 1 feeding. Freeze homemade baby food in ice cube trays, covered. Use in 2-4 weeks. Chocolates may discolor. Can be stored in cupboard.
Unopened, aseptically packaged soy milk can be stored at room temperature for several months.
Product
Refrigerator (35-40 degrees)
Freezer (0 degrees)
1 week
5 months
Tofu
Comments Change storage water ever y day or two after opening.
*Refrigeration is not necessar y but will help keep flavor fresher.
POULTRY Fresh Chicken and tur key, whole Chicken, pieces Duck and goose, whole Giblets Turkey, pieces Cooked
1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days
Canned poultr y, opened Cooked poultr y dishes Fr ied chicken Pieces, covered with broth not in broth
1-2 days 3-4 days 3-4 days 1-2 days 3-4 days
12 months 9 months 6 months 3-4 months 6 months Quick-cool meat and broth separately in shallow NR 4-6 months 4 months 6 months 1 month
containers. Add ice cubes to concentrated broth to speed cooling and to aid fat removal.
VEGETABLES Asparagus Beans, green or wax; celer y Beets, cabbage, carrots, tur nips Broccoli, Br ussels sprouts Cauliflower Corn, in husks without husks Cucumbers Lettuce, other salad greens Mushrooms Okra Onions: green mature Peas, lima beans, unshelled Peppers Radishes Tomatoes: canned, open fresh, r ipe
2-3 days 1 week 1-2 weeks 1 week 1 week 1-2 days 1-2 days 1 week 1 week 1-2 days 3-5 days 3-5 days 1-2 weeks 3-5 days 1 week 2 weeks 1-4 days 5-6 days
8-12 months 8-12 months 8-12 months 8-12 months 8-12 months 8-12 months NR NR 8-12 months 8-12 months NR 3-6 months 8-12 months 8-12 months NR
Store in bag or lettuce keeper. Do not wash before refrigerator storage.
Store unshelled in refrigerator until used.
See 9.341, Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products . 8-12 months
*Blanch fresh vegetables and freeze in moisture- and vaporproof materials. See 9.330, Freezing Vegetables .
WILD GAME AND SEAFOOD Wild Game Rabbit, squirrel Venison Wild duck, pheasant, goose, whole Seafood Canned fish, seafood, opened Clams, oysters (shucked), scallops Cooked fish Crab Fillets, fatty: mullet, ocean perch, sea perch, sea trout, striped bass Fillets, lean: cod, flounder, haddock Fresh water fish, cleaned Lobster, shelled or not Salmon steaks Shrimp Smoked fish
1-2 days 2-4 days 1-2 days
6-12 months 6-12 months 6 months
1 day 1-2 days
NR 3-4 months
1-2 days 1-2 days
1 month 2 months
1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 days 1-2 weeks
Store in coldest par t of refr igerator. Do not use if liquid is frothy.
NR: Not recommended.
1
P. Kendall, Colorado State Universit University y Cooperative Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor, and N. Diamond, M.S., R.D.; food science and human nutrition.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Milan A. Rewerts, Director of Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Un iversity iversity,, Fort Collins, Colorado. Cooperative Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products menti oned is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.