Follow the table for keeping food in the fridge below in order to keep your food in check without endangering your health with food poisoning and avoid your food from being wasted. The limited-time restrictions for home-refrigerated goods will help avoid them from being spoiled or unhealthy to consume. The refrigerator storage standards are for quality only; it is possible to keep frozen foods kept continuously at 0 ° F or below permanently (more info on refrigeratorplanet.com).
How Long Does Food Last in the Refrigerator?
Types of Foods Duration
| Types of Foods | Duration | |
| Meat | Beef Roast, Steaks or Ribs | 3 to 5 days |
| Uncooked Chicken | 1 to 2 days | |
| Cooked Chicken | 3 to 4 days | |
| Uncooked Ground Beef | 1 to 2 days | |
| Cooked Ground Beef | 1 to 2 days | |
| Sausage | 1 to 2 days | |
| Pork Roast, Chops or Ribs | 3 to 5 days | |
| Hot Dogs | 1 week | |
| Dairy | Milk | 1 week |
| Margarine | 6 months | |
| Buttermilk | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Butter | 1 to 3 months | |
| Cream Cheese | 2 weeks | |
| Processed Cheese | 1 to 2 months | |
| Shredded Cheese | 1 month | |
| Whipped Cream | 1 day | |
| Soy Milk | 1 week | |
| Yogurt | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Seafoods | Uncooked Fish | 1 to 2 days |
| Cooked Fish | 3 to 4 days | |
| Uncooked Shrimp | 1 to 2 days | |
| Cooked Shrimp | 3 to 4 days | |
| Spot Prawns or Lobster | 2 days | |
| Mackerel, Shellfish or Smoked Fish | 2 months | |
| Sole | 6 months | |
| Eggs | Unopened Frozen Eggs | 12 months |
| Raw Eggs in Shell | 3 to 5 weeks | |
| Raw egg whites and yolks | 2 to 4 days | |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | 1 week | |
| Egg Salad | 3 to 5 days | |
| Hard-cooked eggs | 1 week | |
| Egg Casseroles | 3 to 4 days | |
| Fruits | Apples | 3 weeks |
| Apricots | 2 to 3 days | |
| Avocados | 3 to 4 days | |
| Berries | 4 to 5 days | |
| Grapes | 1 week | |
| Melons | 3 to 4 days | |
| Peaches | 3 to 4 days | |
| Tomatoes | 2 to 3 days | |
| Vegetables | Asparagus | 3 to 4 days |
| Bell Peppers | 4 to 5 days | |
| Broccoli | 3 to 5 days | |
| Brussels Sprouts | 3 to 5 days | |
| Cabbage | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Carrots | 3 weeks | |
| Cauliflower | 3 to 5 days | |
| Celery | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Corn | 1 to 2 days | |
| Eggplant | 3 to 4 days | |
| Garlic | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Lettuce | 3 to 4 days | |
| Onion | 2 months | |
| Parsley | 7 days | |
| Radishes | 10 to 14 days | |
| Spinach | 1 to 2 days | |
| Zucchini | 4 to 5 days | |
| Mushrooms | 2 to 3 days | |
| Leftovers | Cake or Cheesecake | 1 week |
| Bagels | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Bread | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Cookies | 2 months | |
| Rolls | 1 week | |
| Muffins | 1 week | |
| Pie | 3 to 4 days | |
| Tortillas | 4 to 7 days | |
| Soup and Stew | 3 to 4 days | |
| Cooked meat and poultry | 3 to 4 days | |
| Chicken nuggets | 3 to 4 days | |
| Hamburgers and Patties | 3 to 4 days | |
| Pizza | 3 to 4 days |
Tips & Tricks to Prolong the Life of the Food in Your Refrigerator
Any foods with unusually long shelf lives are available in the market. But there are those foods for any can of peas or container of milk that appear to ruin the minute you get them home. To prolong the life and use of your fresh fruit, milk, meat, and more, use these tips, strategies, and leftover ideas.
Keep Your Green Foods with Paper Towels
If not stored properly, lettuce will rapidly go from fresh and crisp to wilted and nasty. Be sure to move the lettuce or any green and leafy vegetable to a proper container as soon as you get back from the supermarket, a bag or plastic storage container would fit perfectly. Before zipping up the bag or closing the lid, apply several sheets of paper towels to the upper and lower part.
Keep the Fridge at the Right Temperature
Making sure your refrigerator is cold enough to keep your beef, vegetables, milk, and condiments frozen is among the most essential things you can do. Refrigerators must be 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and freezers should be at or below zero degrees, as per the Food and Drug Administration (official website).
Store Dough and Cookies with Bread
You may be determined to bring your cookies in decorated cookie storage, but that will not keep them fresh. By storing them in a zip-lock plastic bag with half a piece of bread inside, prevent your chewy cookies from becoming dry. You should also put the baggie in the jar if you are adamant about the cookie jar.
Keep Herbs in a Damp Paper Towel
New herbs may make a variety of ingredients or split it. Keep cilantro, tarragon, oregano, garlic, rosemary, basil, and thyme covered in moist paper towels to preserve them fresher for a longer period of time, then put them in a zip-lock plastic container (more info on spoonuniversity.com).
Boil the Old Eggs
Fresh eggs will stay in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 weeks in their shells, so if five weeks passes and you haven’t used those eggs yet, don’t just toss them. Boil your eggs hard, and they’ll stay fresh for an extra week.
Store Milk in the Back of Your Fridge
There are various areas in your refrigerator: the cool zone at the rear of the top and middle racks, the medium zone at the center, and the moist zone, better known as the crisper drawers. Stop placing your milk in the door and switch it to a cool zone in the rear of your refrigerator to hold milk fresh for longer.
Store Vegetables in the Crisper Drawer
When kept in their original package, most vegetables would be good as new, but they flourish in the freezer and last better when put in the crisper drawer. This section of your refrigerator, contains your lettuce, bell peppers, cauliflower, celery, eggplants, zucchini, beans, greens, radishes, cabbage, and more (more info on thespruceeats.com).
Wash Fresh Produces before Storing Them in the Fridge
As soon as you get back from the store, you might be inclined to clean your fruits and vegetables, but that only adds moisture to your food, which can lead to mold and bacterial growth. Right after you plan to eat it, wash your fresh produce to avoid spoilage.
Freeze Your Leftovers
When you have made a large batch of something good and are unable to consume it, don’t neglect it for days until it’s tossed away in the back of the refrigerator. Put it in a fitting jar instead, mark it with the contents and date, and place it in the freezer.
Optimal Places to Store Different Types in the Fridge
Tucking the refrigerator so full is one of the greatest faults people make. It helps the refrigerator work harder as food blocks the passage of air which keeps some parts of the fridge colder than others. It is possible to ensure good ventilation and ensure an optimal temperature by taking a proactive approach to putting food in the fridge in an intelligent manner.
| Refrigerator Compartments | Recommended Storage |
| Main Compartment | The main compartment is where the majority of the food is kept, as well as several racks, which are normally often accessible. |
| Lower Shelves | Store raw meat, milk, and poultry on the lower shelf because the temperature in this area of the refrigerator appears to be cooler. It’s better to put them there if the refrigerator has a designated drawer for these things. This is because these lids help to preserve a temperature that is constant for them. |
| Upper Shelves | On the top shelf, you can put leftovers, prepared meals, and beverages. Herbs, since they are usually used more frequently than any other items, may also go on the top shelf. The upper shelves often appear to get the temperature that is most stable. This is nice to stop going bad for some things that quickly spoil. |
| Door(s) | In a pullout compartment that is accessible without removing the main lock, some new fridges have a door to enter often retrieved foods. This region is perfect for food that is better eaten in the cold. It is important to put non-perishable things like beverages, certain condiments, water, and other items that do not spoil easily. | Sealed Drawers | Generally speaking, this is where all the fruits and vegetables should be placed. Prevent combining the fruits and vegetables with meat. An increased probability of cross-contamination may be produced by storing these products together. | Refrigerator Top | Usually, people stack things on top of their refrigerator. Make sure you never put wine in this position, because it’s going to spoil the wine. Don’t put bread on top of the refrigerator, either. The heating from the refrigerator will cause it to spoil faster. Placing equipment, cookbooks, and non-food products on top is absolutely fine. |
What Temperature Should a Refrigerator Be at?
Retain the refrigerator at the right temperature. Hold the temperature of the refrigerator at or below 4° C (40° F). The temperature of the freezer should be 0° F (-18° C). periodically monitor the temperatures. Thermometers for electronics are the easiest way to grasp these temperatures and are usually inexpensive.
Refrigerate your perishables as soon as you get them in, foods needing refrigeration must also be stored in the refrigerator. Keep to the “two-hour rule” at room temperature to throw out products requiring refrigeration. Never allow beef, poultry, fish, eggs, or vegetables, or other foods that need cooling to stay for even more than two hours at room temperature, one hour if the temperature of the air is above 90 ° F. It also extends to products such as leftovers and meals for take-out. And, don’t congest the fridge or freezer too closely so that air can’t escape while placing food away.
From beef to vegetables to condiments, the guidelines above will help you know how long the refrigerator can actually last for staple and fresh foods. A great refrigerator is really a present that keeps on delivering, whether you load up on supermarket items or choose to wolf down those leftovers. But just because you put in the fridge all your produce, condiments, and tasty treats doesn’t guarantee they’re going to last forever (read more on thekitchn.com).
Video Food Storage Guidelines: How Long Does Food Last in the Fridge?
You can get more information and the Complete Guide to Storing Food in the Fridge here.How to Store Food In The Fridge?
Do you really know how to store food in the fridge? Putting away the groceries may seem like a kitchen no-brainer, but there’s actually some science to it. Following these simple refrigeration rules will help keep everything fresher, tastier, and safer.
What Not To Put In The Fridge
The first thing to know about what to put in your fridge is what not to put in it. Refrigeration can damage the texture or flavor of many fruits and vegetables. For example, bananas will turn black, tomatoes will lose flavor, and sweet potatoes will harden. If you like some of your produce chilled, refrigerate them only when you’re about to eat them.
Ok, maybe some fridges used just for beer (yep, we know why you need a refrigerator for garage), but not all of them.
Some fruits, like peaches and avocados, will ripen faster outside of the fridge. Once they reach their prime, you can store them for up to three days in the fridge without sacrificing any quality.
There are some fruits and vegetables that produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen, and other fruits and veggies are sensitive to it, causing them to spoil faster. Apples, pears, and plums produce ethylene, so keep them separate from broccoli, green beans, and lettuces.
Most fridges have bins where you can control the humidity. Unless you want limp lettuce, a good rule of thumb is that if it gets misted at the market, keep it in the humidity bin. Mushrooms don’t like humidity, so keep them out of the bin and store them in a paper bag.
Basic Rules
Rules for the rest of the fridge are pretty easy. Keep the fridge below 40 degrees. Since the back is cooler than the front, put dairy there. Place poultry and other meats on a baking tray on the very bottom. If you have seafood, just put it on top. This will prevent dripping and possible cross-contamination. Eggs should be kept in their original carton and not in the door. However, less perishable items like condiments, jams, and sodas, should be stored in the door. You can also keep the butter you are currently using here, but the rest of it should be stored in a cooler part of the fridge to last longer. Use the leftover case from a six-pack of beer to help organize sauces and turn it into a tote for your next BBQ.
How to store food in the fridge (infographics)
This table displays the storage life of some chilled food in the coldest part of a refrigerator (your thermometer should show a temperature below 5 °C in the main section of the refrigerator).
N.B. Many of these products are labeled with a use-by date. This can be used as a guide to the shelf life of the unopened product.
N.B. Many of these products are labeled with a use-by date. This can be used as a guide to the shelf life of the unopened product.
Video Review: The Proper Way to Store Food in Your Fridge – CHOW Tip
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