Charts for Storing Meat in the Refrigerator
Refrigerator Storage of Meats
| You can keep it approximately this long | |||
| Meats | In Refrigerator 35-40°F | In Freezer 0°F | |
| Raw roasts, steaks, chops, smoked | 3-5 days | 4-12 months |
|
| Raw livers, raw heart, raw kidneys and other variety meats | 1-2 days | 3-4 months | |
| Raw ground meat | 1-2 days | 3-4 months | |
| Sliced bacon | 7 days | 1 month | |
| Lunchmeat | 3-5 days, opened 2 weeks, unopened |
1-2 months | |
| Cooked meat dishes and leftovers | 3-4 days | 2-3 months | |
Refrigerator Storage of Poultry
| You can keep it approximately this long | |||
| Poultry | In Refrigerator 35-40°F | In Freezer 0°F | |
| Fresh poultry | 1-2 days | 9-12 months | |
| Cooked poultry, leftovers | 3-4 days, unless covered in broth or gravy, then 1-2 days | 4-6 months | |
Refrigerator Storage of Fish and Seafood
|
|
You can keep it approximately this long | ||
| Fish | On Refrigerator Shelves 35-40°F | In Freezer 0°F | |
| Fresh fish | 1-2 days. Keep shellfish to be eaten raw only a few hours. | 2-6 months | |
| Cooked fish | 3-4 days | 4-6 month | |
| Fresh shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid | 1-2 days | 3-6 months | |