How Long To Keep Food In The Fridge (INFOGRAPHIC)

Do you ever wonder how long you should keep food in your fridge before it goes bad? A package of deli meat, Chinese takeout, leftover dinner, a jar of mayonnaise -- all these items have a different shelf life in the fridge. It's important to know how long to keep them and when to toss them. Don't wait until it starts to smell!

Here's a handy visual guide that you can print out and keep on your refrigerator door. Thanks to FoodRepublic.com for bringing this great infographic to our attention.

If you're looking for more detailed information on when to toss those leftovers, check out our guide, The Refrigerator Rules.

From HellaWella.com

Comments

[SteveDenver]

02:39 AM on 03/01/2012

If you're concerned with getting the most NUTRITIONAL VALUE from foods, don't keep food in the refrigerator for a long time. If you end up not being able to use all your groceries, consider creating stock, soup, or cooking items (such as meat) and FREEZING THE COOKED FOOD.

[samjay45]

02:58 PM on 02/23/2012

This chart is stupid. Eggs, for instance, are good for up to 6 weeks after sell by date as long as they have been kept refridgerated. We used to go to the butcher and buy whole cows or pigs cut to our specifications and freeze the meat. We were told as long as it was frozen when it was cut, and kept frozen it would be good for up to 18 months. Never had a problem with food poisoning etc. Seems to me this chart is made to benefit the distributors (grocery stores, etc), so they can make more money because you throw away food after reading dumb stories like this.

[bob40wil]

01:53 PM on 02/23/2012

When meat smells like a week old corpse, chuck it.

[bob40wil]

01:50 PM on 02/23/2012

When things turn green or black or if the Tupperware cover pops off by itself that's the time to throw things out.

[Hubert39]

01:09 PM on 02/23/2012

Most packages have a date on them on how long they will be good. This reports is about 1 to 2 months different then what the packages say.

[LkeToRead]

01:04 PM on 02/23/2012

I don't even want to know, because every single item in my refrigerator has probably already expired. I do know the eggs have an official printed expiration date of about 3 weeks ago but I ate one this morning anyway. Yep, still alive and kicking and not sick yet.

[Joe Hennes]

01:03 PM on 02/23/2012

This article brought to you courtesy of your local grocery store (that wants you to throw out and replace perfectly good food.) LOL.

[MarkRB]

12:40 PM on 02/23/2012

Are you kidding me?? Bacon for only 7 days, and a month in the freezer??? It's cured meat!!! And hard cheese for only a few weeks?? Who hasn't shaved off the top layer of mold off a chunk of cheddar and used the perfectly fine cheese beneath?? Who hasn't eaten crystalized ice cream?? If you wrap the food up well enough so that it doesn't get freezer burn, it'll last years. Hot dogs for only a couple of months in the freezer??? LMAO!!!

[mds308]

12:25 PM on 02/23/2012

It's time to let the food go when:
the food looks like it could be on an episode of 'Hoarders.'
you put it in the front and the next time you open the frig' it's in the back.
the expiration date starts with 19**.
your food starts its own penicillin farm.
you can tie the carrots/celery in a knot.
you can drink the lettuce.
the box of Arm & Hammer is waving a white flag.

[LkeToRead]

01:06 PM on 02/23/2012

"the expiration date starts with 19**."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That is actually a good, valid point. I bet there are plastic wrapped products in the back of many freezers that expired somewhere around 1999.

[360Dunk]

11:48 AM on 02/23/2012

When the yogurt in the back of your fridge becomes the same color as the Lucky Charms guy, it's time to toss it.

[gardenmom]

11:44 AM on 02/23/2012

just use common cooking sence. sometimes i have to sniff, look and taste milk b4 i decide, lunchmeats are the tricky one for me tho. they kind of gross me out. but other wise, hamberger should smell and look like hamberger, bacon like bacon, cheese like cheese.

although you have to be carful with cross contaminating condiments. i always use a fresh utensil when using condiments. mixing jelly and peanutbuter on a knife or mayonais with anything can spell spoiled condiment so fast.

[LkeToRead]

01:12 PM on 02/23/2012

"sometimes i have to sniff"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The sniff test works well, especially with milk...just do not get the nostrils too close lest something slip out. (I am just kidding, but my grandmother used to jam her nostrils right on food when she sniffed grossing me out.)

[gardenmom]

01:18 PM on 02/23/2012

foods not a hanky...lol,, thats funny

[babby201]

11:09 AM on 02/23/2012

Visiting a dear friend who has an enormous home , with multiple freezers .
I went down to a finished basement larger than most people's homes to get something for dinner later that night .
opening the freezer , I found a few things in tupperware that had to go ,when asked by my friend why I was throwing out food from the freezer , I told her I figured it was about time since the freezer labels on the tupperware had her name on them, It was her married name from two husbands ago !

[baronvm]

10:49 AM on 02/23/2012

but they don't tell you when to throw out the refrigerator!

[kcaron1504]

10:35 AM on 02/23/2012

I have a carton of milk in my fridge with a photo of the Lindburgh Baby on it .. think its time to toss it out !

[Ashley Smith0327]

10:32 AM on 02/23/2012

Well duuhhhh