Arctic inventory: Eat it or dump it?

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

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