These short – but safe – time limits will help keep refrigerated foods from spoiling. Because freezing keeps foods indefinitely, recommended times are for quality.
PRODUCT
REFRIGERATOR (40˚F)
FREEZER (0˚F)
Eggs
Fresh in shell
3 to 5 weeks
Do not freeze
Raw yolks and whites
2 to 4 days
1 year
Hard-cooked
1 week
Does not freeze well
Liquid pasteurized eggs, substitutes, opened
3 days
Does not freeze well
unopened
10 days
1 year
Mayonnaise
Commercial, refrigerate after opening
2 months
Do not freeze
Frozen Dinners & Entrees
Keep frozen until ready to eat
3 to 4 months
Prepared salads
Store - prepared or homemade egg, chicken, tuna, ham or macaroni salads
3 to 5 days
Does not freeze well
Processed Meats
Hot Dogs – opened
1 week
1 to 2 months
unopened
2 weeks
1 to 2 months
Luncheon Meats – opened
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 months
unopened
2 weeks
1 to 2 months
Bacon
7 days
1 month
Raw Sausage – 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
3 weeks
1 to 2 months
unopened
3 months
1 to 2 months
Canned Ham (labeled- keep refrigerated) opened
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 months
unopened
6 to 9 months
Do not freeze
Fully cooked whole ham
7 days
1 to 2 months
half ham
3 to 5 days
1 to 2 months
Fresh meats
All ground meats, ground meat mixtures, stew meats