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Reviewed September 2002

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Contents

• Winning the proper food storage
• Safety first
• Refrigerator storage tips
• Preventing bacterial growth
• Foods that need special care
• For safety sake
• Dairy
• Fresh fruits
• Fresh vegetables
• Fresh uncooked meat, fish, poultry
• Cured and smoked meats
• Other foods

Related publications

• MP556, Storing Food in the Freezer
• MP557, Storing Food in the Cupboard
• MP562, Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Root Cellars

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Storing Food in the Refrigerator

Fresh uncooked meat, fish, poultry

Storage recommendations are for 37 degrees Fahrenheit

Chops

• 2 to 3 days

Clams, oysters, scallops, shrimp

• Store in coldest part of refrigerator
• Shucked
  1 day

Clams, crab, lobster

• Store in coldest part of refrigerator
• In shell
  2 days

Fish and shellfish, fresh cleaned, including steaks and fillets

• 1 day

Ground meat

• 1 to 2 days

Poultry, ready-to-cook chicken, duck or turkey

• 2 days

Roasts

• 2 to 4 days

Seafood

• Store in coldest part of refrigerator
• Cook live shellfish immediately and use cooked meat within two days

Steaks

• 2 to 3 days

Stew meat

• 1 to 2 days

Variety meats (liver, heart, etc.)

• 1 day

Meat, poultry or fish
When brought in plastic wrapping from self-service counters, store in these packages. Meat packages in self-service counters have been handled by many shoppers. Opening these before storage risks contamination.

MP558, reviewed September 2002

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