How long will it keep?
TOPIC
Eat better
Article Features
PrintUse this interactive tool to see how long common foods will keep in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry shelf. You can also print our “How long will it keep?” chart to keep as a reference in your kitchen.
| Food | Shelf | Refrigerator | Freezer | Instructions (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | Shelf | Refrigerator | Freezer | Instructions (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | 2 weeks | |||
| Avocados | Until ripe | 2-5 days (once ripe) | ||
| Bananas | Until ripe | 2 days (once ripe) | ||
| Beef steak | 2-3 days | 10-12 months | ||
| Blueberries | 10 days | Loosely cover blueberries before placing them in the fridge. | ||
| Bread (store bought) | 2-4 days | 7-14 days | 1-3 months | |
| Broccoli | 3-7 days | |||
| Canola oil | 12-18 months (unopened) 6-9 months (opened) |
12 months (opened) | ||
| Carrots | 2-4 weeks | |||
| Celery | 2 weeks | |||
| Cereal | 8 months (unopened) 3 months (opened) |
|||
| Cheese (hard) | 3-6 months (unopened) 3-4 weeks (opened) | |||
| Cheese (soft) | Check “best before” date (unopened) 7 days (opened) |
|||
| Chicken, turkey slices | 1-2 days | |||
| Corn | 2-7 days | If corn is already husked, place in a damp towel and a plastic bag for storage. | ||
| Cucumber | 7 days | |||
| Eggs | Check “best before” date | |||
| Fish (salmon, trout) | 2-3 days | 2-3 months | ||
| Fish (sole, cod, pike) | 2-3 days | 3-6 months | ||
| Fruit juice | 3 weeks (unopened) 7-10 days (opened) |
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| Garlic | Up to 4 months | |||
| Grapes | 5 days | |||
| Herbs | 4-7 days | |||
| Ketchup | 1 year (unopened) | 6 months (opened) | ||
| Lamb chops | 2-3 days | 8-10 months | ||
| Leeks | 7 days | |||
| Lemons, limes | 7 days | 1 month | ||
| Lettuce | 7 days | |||
| Margarine | 8 months (unopened) 1-3 months (opened) |
6-12 months (unopened) | ||
| Mayonnaise | Check “best before” date (unopened) | 6-8 weeks (opened) | ||
| Meat (ground) | 1-2 days | 2-3 months | ||
| Meat slices | 2-3 days | |||
| Melons, whole | Until ripe | 3-7 days (once ripe) | Normally, whole watermelons will last longer in the fridge than other melons. | |
| Milk | Check “best before” date | 3 months | ||
| Mushrooms | 5 days | Store mushrooms in paper bag. | ||
| Nuts, canned (unopened) | 12 months | |||
| Nuts, package (unopened) | 3 months | |||
| Nuts, salted (opened) | 6-8 months | |||
| Nuts, unsalted (opened) | 9-12 months | |||
| Olive oil | 9-12 months (unopened) 6-7 months (opened) |
12 months (opened) | ||
| Onions | 3 weeks | |||
| Oranges | 7 days | 1 month | ||
| Pasta, dried | Several years | |||
| Peanut butter | 6-9 months (unopened) 2-3 months (opened) |
|||
| Pears | Until ripe | 3-7 days (once ripe) | ||
| Peppers (hot) | 1-2 weeks | Store hot peppers in a paper bag. | ||
| Peppers (sweet) | 7 days | |||
| Plums | Until ripe | 5 days (once ripe) | ||
| Pork chops/ribs | 2-3 days | 8-10 months | ||
| Potatoes | 1 month | Store potatoes in a paper bag. | ||
| Rice, brown | 6 months | |||
| Rice, white | Several years | |||
| Salad dressing, store bought | Check “best before” date (unopened) | Check “best before” date (opened) | ||
| Salsa | 12 months (unopened) | 2 weeks (opened) | ||
| Spinach | 3-4 days | |||
| Strawberries | 2 days | Loosely cover strawberries before placing them in the fridge. | ||
| Sugar, brown | 4 months | |||
| Sugar, white | 2 years | |||
| Sweet potatoes/yams | 2-3 weeks | |||
| Tomato sauce | 12 months (unopened) | 5 days (opened) | ||
| Tomatoes | Until ripe | 2-3 days (once ripe) | ||
| Veal chops | 2-3 days | 4-5 months | ||
| Vinegar | 2 years (unopened) 1 year (opened) |
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| Yogurt (opened) | Check “best before” date (unopened) 7-10 days (opened) |
1-2 months (unopened) |