Freezing Foods

I like to buy in balk, its cheaper, it saves time (trips to the store) and I always have something to make at home.

With such a large family its rare that the balk stays in the freezer more then a month or two, but it would be good to know what can be frozen and how long it will keep.

So here's a little list that shows how long food will keep in the fridge and freezer. Hope it helps on the never ending quest to save time, money and our sanity. :D


(site: http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/Keeping-Food.htm)

*I do disagree with the "not recommended" on freezing milk. I freeze mine all the time. Milk can be frozen for up to six weeks.

Baked Goods

The thing about baked goods is how lovely they are when they are fresh. Buy fresh and luxuriate in the aroma and texture. With good baked breads, cakes, and cookies there's really not a terrific reason to stockpile them.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Bread	Don’t refrigerate. Signs of spoilage are often evident after 7 days.	1 month
Raw Cookie Dough	2-3 days	3 months
Cakes	Store at room temp., except for cheesecake	Unfrosted cakes 2–4 months; fruit and angel 6–12 months
Cheesecake	3-7 days	1 month
Pumpkin Pie	2–3 days	1–2 months
Fruit Pie	2–3 days	6–8 months

Dairy

Typically, most aged, hard cheeses freeze reasonably well and keep fine in the fridge too. If they get a bit of mold, you can usually cut it off and use the clean cheese. This is not true of soft cheeses. Once you get even a hint of mold, pitch it.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Milk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Cream, Half & Half	1–2 weeks	3-4 weeks
Buttermilk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Open Canned Milk	1–2 weeks	Not recommended
Fresh Whipped Cream	1 day	Not recommended
Aerosol Can Whipped Cream	3 months	Not recommended
Sour Cream	2–3 weeks	Not recommended
Cottage Cheese & Ricotta	1–2 weeks	4 weeks
Yogurt	1 month	Not recommended
Hard Cheese & Grated Cheese (Opened)	6-12 weeks	Easy to freeze. Defrost in fridge to reduce crumbling.
Soft Cheese (Brie, Bel Paese)	2 weeks	Not recommended
Cheese Spreads	3-4 weeks	6–8 months
Cream Cheese	2 weeks	Not recommended. You can freeze cream cheese and use in recipes where creaminess isn't required.
Butter	3 months	12 months
Margarine	3 months	12 months
Pudding	2 days	Not recommended

Eggs

The closer you are to your egg source, the longer you can expect them to keep.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh in-shell, unwashed	1–2 months	12 months. To freeze, mix eggs well. Add a small amount of sugar or salt to preserve. Label with additive and use sugared eggs with desserts, salted eggs for baking or omelettes.
Fresh in-shell, washed	4-5 weeks	12 months.
Hard Boiled	2 weeks	Not recommended
Raw Whites/Yolks	2-4 days	12 months.
Pudding	2 days	Not recommended

Deli Foods

Buy deli type foods only for immediate consumption. If taking to a party or picnic, be vigilant about keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold! That said, some of us really do like cold pizza and Chinese food for breakfast.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Entrees, Cold or Hot	3-4 days	Not recommended
Sliced Lunchmeat	3-5 days	1–2 months
Salads (excluding green)	3-5 days	Not recommended

Fruit

Keeping fruit can be tricky. It depends on how ripe it is when you buy it and what conditions it needs to fully ripen. Some need a chill, others want to be left out on the counter. Many fruits can be prepared for freezing using a sugar and citric acid pack so you can enjoy them long after the season is past. That said, they are typically best used for jam or smoothies because freezing breaks them down so they taste fine but look ugly.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Apples	1 month at 32–35°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Apricots, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears & Plums	2 weeks–1 month at 32°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Avocados	3-5 days at 35–45°F (buy green and leave on counter for a week)	Not recommended
Bananas & Plantains	Bananas turn brown in the fridge but remain perfectly edible for a week or so.	Not recommended
Blueberries	2 weeks at 32°F with 90% humidity	6–8 months. Wash, dry, freeze in single layer. When frozen package and label.
Cherries	2 weeks at 32°F	Must be prepared for freezing.
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes & Oranges	2–6 weeks depending on type	Must be prepared for freezing.
Guavas & Papayas	1-2 days	Not recommended
Juice, opened container	1 week
Kiwis	3-5 days	Must be prepared for freezing.
Mangoes	Do not refrigerate	Not recommended
Melons	1 week	Not recommended
Pineapple, whole	1 week at 50–55°F	Not recommended

Meat - Fresh

As a general rule, the smaller the cut or package the less time it takes to dry out.

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Chicken or Turkey Pieces	1-2 days	9 months
Whole Chicken or Turkey	1-2 days	12 months
Beef Roasts & Steaks	3-5 days	6–12 months
Duck & Goose	1-2 days	6 months
Game Birds	1-2 days	6 months
Giblets	1-2 days	3–4 months
Ground Meat or Stew	1-2 days	3–4 months
Lamb Roasts or Chops	3-5 days	6–12 months
Pork Roasts or Chops	3-5 days	4–8 months
Pre-stuffed Pork, Lamb Chops or Chicken Breasts	1 day	3 months if prepackaged for freezing
Heart, Liver, Tongue	1-2 days	6–12 months
Venison Roasts, Steaks, or Chops	3-5 days	3–4 months
Ground Meat	1-2 days	3–4 months

Meat – Smoked or Processed

Preserved and deli meats should be presented carefully if used in a buffet setting. Keep in mind that the clock starts ticking the minute you set food out and is cumulative, so if you leave crackers and ham salad out for a half hour this evening, and set it out again for a half hour tomorrow, the total is one hour, not a half hour for each time. (It's something to think about so you can avoid getting sick.)

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Corned Beef	5-7 days	1–2 months
Whole Ham, Fully Cooked	7 days	6 weeks
Slices of Ham & Half Ham, Fully Cooked	3-5 days	6 weeks
Hot Dogs	7 days	1–2 months
Sausage – Smoked Links & Patties	7 days	1–2 months
Sliced Sausage (Pepperoni)	2-3 weeks	1–2 months

Meat – Cooked

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Chicken Nuggets or Patties (prepackaged)	1-2 days	2–3 months
Fried Chicken	3-4 days	2–3 months
Ground Turkey/Chicken	1-2 days	2–3 months
Rotisserie Chicken	3-4 days	2–3 months
Cooked Red & White Meats	3-4 days	2–3 months

Seafood – Fresh

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh Lean Fish: Cod, Flounder, Trout, Haddock, Halibut, Pollack & Perch	3–5 days	4–6 months
Fatty Fish: Mullet, Smelt, Salmon, Mackerel, Bluefish, Tuna & Swordfish	3–5 days	3 months
Shucked Mussels & Clams	7-2 days	1-2 days
Shucked Oysters	7-9 days	3–4 months
Crabmeat	7 days
Shrimp	3–5 days	6–12 months
Scallops, Crayfish, Squid	2-3 days	2-3 days
Caviar (Opened)	1 day	Not recommended

Seafood – Cooked or Processed

	Refrigerator	Freezer
Cooked Pieces	5–7 days	Not recommended
Smoked Fish	14 days	Not recommended
Cooked Shellfish	3-4 days	Not recommended