If shopping for your groceries, at times, is not stressful enough, think about all the food you throw away weekly. Putting away your refrigerated or freezer meats to maximize their freshness may come in close second. So why not learn about some cold food storage guidelines for meats, to optimally keep your perishables fresh and more importantly safe to enjoy. Such as what foods can and should not be frozen plus the maximum duration to store your food safely. Some of these food storage tips might even surprise you.
| Food Item | Refrigerator (40°F) | Freezer (0°F) |
| Eggs Fresh, in shell | 3 Weeks | Not Recommended |
| Raw yolks, whites | 2-4 Days | 1 year |
| Hardcooked eggs | 1 Week | Not Recommended |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitute — opened | 3 Days | Not Recommended |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitute — unopened | 10 Days | 1 year |
| Commercial, refrigerate after opening | 2 Months | Not Recommended |
| Store-made or homemade egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads | 3-5 Days | Not Recommended |
| Pre-stuffed pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed with dressing | 1 Day | Not Recommended |
| Store-cooked convenience meals | 1-2 Days | Not Recommended |
| Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal | 2 Weeks, unopened | Not Recommended |
| Vegetable or meat-added | 3-4 Days | 2-3 Months |
| Hotdogs — opened package | 1 Week | 1-2 months |
| Hotdogs — unopened package | 2 Weeks | 1-2 months |
| Lunch meats — opened | 3-5 Days | 1-2 months |
| Lunch meats — unopened | 2 Weeks | 1-2 months |
| Bacon | 7 Days | 1 Month |
| Sausage, raw from pork, beef, turkey | 1-2 Days | 1-2 Months |
| Smoked breakfast links, patties | 7 Days | 1-2 Months |
| Hard sausage — pepperoni, jerky sticks | 2-3 Weeks | 1-2 Months |
| Ham, fully cooked — whole | 7 Days | 1-2 Months |
| Ham, fully cooked — half | 3-5 Days | 1-2 Months |
| Ham, fully cooked — slices | 3-4 Days | 1-2 Months |
| Hamburger and stew meats | 1-2 Days | 3-4 Months |
| Ground veal, pork, lamb and mixtures of them | 1-2 Days | 3-4 Months |
| Steaks, beef | 3-5 Days | 6-12 Months |
| Chops, pork | 3-5 Days | 4-6 Months |
| Chops, lamb | 3-5 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Roasts, beef | 3-5 Days | 6-12 Months |
| Roasts, lamb | 3-5 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Roasts, pork and veal | 3-5 Days | 4-6 Months |
| Cooked meat and meat dishes | 3-4 Days | 2-3 Months |
| Gravy and meat broth | 1-2 Days | 2-3 Months |
| Chicken or turkey, whole | 1-2 Days | 1 Year |
| Chicken or turkey pieces | 1-2 Days | 9 Months |
| Ground turkey | 1-2 Days | 3-4 Months |
| Fried chicken | 3-4 Days | 4 Months |
| Cooked poultry dishes | 3-4 Days | 4-6 Months |