January is always a good time to take stock and reorganize. And while many of us may be paying close attention to our closets, bank accounts and calories, now is also a good time to tackle the freezer. If you were good last year (which I wasn’t always) items were labeled and dated when they went in. In that case, the following guide will prove useful for cleaning out and organizing. If you haven’t been as diligent with dates and labels, this guide can come in handy in the future, as I know you’ve resolved to get that date-label thing under control in 2014.
I’m not suggesting you throw anything away if it has been lurking in your freezer longer than these guidelines - the food is still perfectly safe to eat - but be prepared for a little freezer burn or other diminished quality.
BEEF AND PORK
Larger cuts can be frozen for longer than small ones, but all meat should be well wrapped and bagged in freezer-specific packaging.
Bacon unopened, in original packaging, up to 2months
Sausage, raw, up to 3 months
Ham, fully cooked, up to 2 months
Lunch/deli meats, unopened in original packaging inside a freezer-bag, up to 2 months
Ground beef, veal, lamb, pork, up to 4 months
Chops, up to 4 months
Roasts, about 4 months
Steaks, about 4 months
POULTRY
Ground chicken, turkey, up to 4 months
Chicken or turkey, pieces, up to 9 months
Chicken or turkey, whole, up to 12 months
Cooked, covered with broth, gravy, up to 6 months
DAIRY
Ice cream, unopened, up to 2 months; opened with plastic wrap pressed to surface, 2 weeks
Buttermilk, up to 3 months
Hard cheese such as parmesan and cheddar, unopened, 6 to 8 months
Soft/fresh cheese such as ricotta, cottage cheese, unopened, up to 4 months
Butter, about 6 months
Egg whites, up to 1 year
Egg yolks (with 1/8 teaspoon salt OR 1 ½ teaspoons sugar per 4 yolks added before freezing), up to 1 year
FISH AND SHELLFISH
Lean fish such as pollock, catfish, up to 6 months
Oily fish such as salmon, trout, up to 3 months
Shellfish, up to 3 months
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Apples, pears, peeled, cored and sliced, up to 6 months
Asparagus, blanched, up to12 months
Berries, up to 12 months
Corn on the cob, blanched, up to 6 months
Fresh herbs, up to 2 months
Peaches, plums, halved and pitted, about 4 months
BAKED GOODS
Cakes, up to 3 months
Cheesecake, up to 2 months
Pies, up to 3 months
Cookie dough, about 3 months
Cookies, about 2 months
Quick breads, about 2 months
Yeast bread, about 4 months
MISCELLANEOUS
Casseroles (lasagna, manicotti, chicken and rice) up to 4 months
Soups and stews, up to 4 months
Sauces, such as marinara and pesto, up to 6 months
Sources: Personal experience, Southern Living Fix It & Freeze It/Heat It & Eat It: A Quick-Cook Guide to Over 200 Make-Ahead Dishes and The Foolproof Freezer Cookbook by Ghille James
Food, Pages 31 on 01/08/2014