Keep Food Fresh

The right storage can help keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. Freezing food can also save you money if you store it correctly.

Storing Vegetables and Fruits

Most fresh vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator.

• Use asparagus, beans, brussels sprouts, greens, peas, and other fresh vegetables as soon as possible.
• Never store uncut potatoes, onions (excluding green onions), or winter squash in the refrigerator. The starch will convert to sugar.
• Most fruits should be used within a few days. 
• Wash lettuce, then dry and wrap in a paper towel before putting in a plastic bag.
• Restore wilted greens by soaking them in ice water for 15-30 minutes.
• Store an apple with potatoes to keep them from sprouting.
• Wash fresh berries in a vinegar bath to keep them fresh longer. Mix one part vinegar with three parts water to wash. Make sure the berries are dry before storing in the fridge.
• Store tomatoes outside the fridge, stem side down.
• Poke a hole in the side of a lemon and only squeeze out what you need. It will stay fresh longer than cutting it.

Vegetables

If you are storing this food item in the refrigerator...
Store no longer than...

Beans, green or wax
3 - 7 days

Beets
3-5 days

Broccoli
3-5 days

Brussels sprouts
3-5 weeks

Cabbage
1-2 weeks

Carrots
4-6 weeks

Cauliflower
1 week

Celery
2 weeks

Corn on the cob
2-3 weeks

Cucumbers
1 week

Eggplant
1 week

Greens
7-14 days

Lettuce or salad greens
3-5 days

Okra
3-7 days

Parsley
1-2 months

Parsnips
2-6 months

Peas or lima beans, unshelled
3-5 days

Peppers
4-7 days

Radishes
3-4 weeks

Spinach
10-14 days

Squash, summer
4-5 days

Tomatoes, ripe
4-7 days

Fruits/Juices

If you are storing this food item in the refrigerator...
Store no longer than...

Apples
1-3 weeks

Berries
1-7 days

Citrus fruits
3 weeks

Grapes
1 week

Juice, all types, opened
7-10 days

Juices, all types, unopened
3 weeks

Melons
3-7 days

Oranges
3-4 days

Peaches, apricots, nectarines
3-5 days

Pears, plums
3-4 days

Pineapple, ripe
2-4 weeks

Pumpkins
2-3 months

Rhubarb
2-4 weeks

Storing Foods in the Freezer

Store the following foods at 0 °F. Meat should be stored in its original package. If you have bulk meat, wrap the meat very tightly in either plastic wrap or freezer paper. Press the wrapping right up against the surface of the meat. Next, wrap another layer of aluminum foil around it or seal it inside a zip-top freezer bag.

Dairy Products

If you are storing this food item in the freezer...
Store no longer than...

Butter
12 months

Cheese, hard
6-8 months

Margarine
12 months

Milk, fluid
3 months

Whipped topping, unopened plastic tub
14 months

Fruits/Juices/Vegetables

If you are storing this food item in the freezer...
Store no longer than...

Fruit: berries, melons, apple slices
8-12 months

Juice concentrates
12 months

Vegetables, blanched or cooked
8-12 months

Grain Products/Baked Goods

If you are storing this food item in the freezer...
Store no longer than...

Bread
2-3 months

Bread dough
1 month or use-by date

Cake, angel food
6-12 months

Cake, frosted
1 month

Cake, unfrosted
2-4 months

Cookie dough
3 months

Cookies
6-12 months

Muffins
6-12 months

Pancakes, waffles
1 month

Pie, fruit
6-8 months

Pie, pumpkin or chiffon
1-2 months

Pie crust, ready-to-bake
12 months

Meat/Meat Alternatives

If you are storing this food item in the freezer...
Store no longer than...

Casseroles, meat, poultry, egg
12 months

Chicken or turkey, cooked
6-8 months

Chicken nuggets
12 months

Chicken or turkey, parts, raw
3 months

Chicken or turkey, whole, raw
14 months

Eggs, whites, yolks, substitutes, raw
12 months

Fish, cooked
3 months

Fish, raw
3-8 months

Gravy or meat broth
2-3 months

Meat, chops, steaks, roasts, raw
4-12 months

Meat, cooked
2-3 months

Meat or poultry, ground, raw
3-4

Meat, ham, frankfurters, bologna
1-2 months

Meat, luncheon
1-2 months

Meat, cooked
1-2 months

Sausage, raw or cooked
1-2 months

Soups or stews
2-3 months