Freezer Storage Chart

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MEAT- Home Frozen
FISH- Home Frozen and Purchased Frozen (fillets and steaks)
POULTRY- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
FRUITS- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
VEGETABLES- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOODS- Baked Goods
COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOODS- Main Dishes
HOME FROZEN FOODS
DAIRY PRODUCTS

MEAT- Home Frozen
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Bacon		*
Corned Beef		*
Frankfurters		**
Ground Beef, Lamb, Veal	2-3 months
Ground Pork	1-2 months
Ham and Picnic Cured		*
Luncheon Meat		**
Roasts beef lamb, veal pork	6-12 months 6-9 months 3-6 months
Sausage, dry, smoked		***
Sausage, fresh, unsalted	1-2 months
Steaks and Chops beef lamb, veal pork	6-9 months 3-4 months 2-3 months
Venison, Game Birds	8-12 months
All Meats- Check for holes in trays and plastic wrap of fresh meat. If none, freeze in this wrap up to two weeks. For longer storage, overwrap with suitable freezer wrap. Put two layers of waxed paper between individual hamburger patties. Freezing cured meats not recommended. Saltiness encourages rancidity. If frozen, use within a month. Freezing not recommended. Emulsion may be broken, and product will "weep". **Freezing alters flavor.
FISH- Home Frozen and Purchased Frozen (fillets and steaks)
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Bluefish, Perch, Mackerel, Salmon	2-3 months	*
Cod, Flounder, Haddock, Sole	6 months	*
Breaded Fish	3 months	*
Clams	3 months	*
Cooked Fish or Seafood	3 months	*
King Crab	10 months	*
Lobster Tails	3 months	*
Oysters	4 months	*
Scallops	3 months	*
Shrimp, uncooked	12 months	*
All Meats- Check for holes in trays and plastic wrap of fresh meat. If none, freeze in this wrap up to two weeks. For longer storage, overwrap with suitable freezer wrap. Put two layers of waxed paper between individual hamburger patties. *Keep purchased frozen fish in original wrapping; thaw; follow cooking directions on label
POULTRY- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Chicken Livers	3 months
Chicken, whole or cut-up	10 months
Cooked Poultry	3 months
Duck, Turkey	6 months
All Meats- Check for holes in trays and plastic wrap of fresh meat. If none, freeze in this wrap up to two weeks. For longer storage, overwrap with suitable freezer wrap. Put two layers of waxed paper between individual hamburger patties.
FRUITS- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Berries, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, etc.	12 months	*
Citrus Fruit and Juice Frozen at Home	6 months	*
Fruit Juice Concentrates	12 months	*
*Freeze in vapor-proof container.
VEGETABLES- Home Frozen or Purchased Frozen
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Home Frozen	10 months	*
Purchased Frozen cartons, plastic bags or boil-in-bags	8 months	*
*Cabbage, celery, salad greens, and tomatoes do not freeze successfully.
COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOODS- Baked Goods
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Bread, unbaked	1 month	*
Cake, baked, frosted	8-12 months
Cake, baked, unfrosted angel food chiffon, sponge cheese cake chocolate fruit cake yellow or pound	2 months 2 months 2-3 months 4 months 12 months 6 months	*
Cookies, baked	8-12 months	*
Fruit Pie, unbaked	8 months	*
Pie, baked	1-2 months	*
Quick Bread, baked	2-3 months	*
Rolls, partially baked	2-3 months	*
Yeast Bread and Rolls, baked	3-6 months	*
*Freezing does not freshen baked goods. It can only maintain the quality (freshness) the food had before freezing.
COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOODS- Main Dishes
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Meat, Fish, Poultry pies and casseroles	3 months
TV Dinners shrimp, ham, pork, frankfurter beef, turkey, chicken, fish	3 months 6 months "
HOME FROZEN FOODS
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Bread	3 months	*
Cake	3 months	*
Casseroles- meat, fish, poultry	3 months	*
Cookies, baked and dough	3 months	*
Nuts salted unsalted	6-8 months 9-12 months	*
Pies, unbaked fruit	8 months	*
*Package foods tightly in foil, moisture vapor-proof plastic wrap, freezer wrap or water-tight freezer containers. For casseroles, allow head room for expansion.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
FOOD	RECOMMENDED STORAGE TIME AT 0°F	HANDLING HINTS
Butter	6-9 months	Store in moisture vapor-proof container or wrap.
Margarine	12 months
Whipped Butter and Margarine		Do not freeze. Emulsion will break and product will separate.
Buttermilk, sour cream and yogurt		Do not freeze.
Cheese Camembert cottage, farmer's cheese (dry curd only) Neufchâtel hard cheese Cheddar Edam, Gouda, Swiss, brick, etc. processed cheese food products (loaf, slices) Roquefort, blue	3 months 3 months 6 weeks 6-8 weeks 4 months 3 months	Thaw in refrigerator. Thaw in refrigerator. Do not freeze creamed cottage cheese- it gets mushy. Do not freeze. Cut and wrap cheese in small pieces; when frozen, may show mottled color due to surface moisture. Thaw in refrigerator. Becomes crumbly after thawing; still good for salads and melting.
Cream light, heavy, half-and-half whipped	2 months 1 month	Heavy cream may not whip after thawing; use for cooking. Thaw in refrigerator. Make whipped cream dollops; freeze firm. Place in plastic bag or carton; seal; store in freezer. To thaw, place on top of dessert.
Eggs in-shell whites yolks	12 months	Do not freeze.Store in covered container; freeze in amounts for specific recipes. For sweet dishes, mix each cup yolks with one tablespoon corn syrup or sugar. For other cooking, substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt for sugar.
Ice Cream, Ice Milk, Sherbet	2 months	Cover with plastic wrap or foil after each use to prevent drying out.
Milk	1 month	Allow room for expansion in freezer container; thaw in refrigerator. Freezing affects flavor and appearance; use in cooking and baking.