Food Storage Guidelines: How Long to Keep Food in the Fridge (2025)
Stay informed about food safety with our comprehensive food storage guidelines, covering everything from dairy to meat to vegetables. Learn how long you can keep common refrigerated items fresh and get tips on maximizing the shelf life of your groceries. Plus, discover expert advice on organizing your fridge effectively to prevent food loss and ensure optimal freshness throughout the week.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Knowing the refrigerator storage times for various food items helps you determine when it’s time to consume or discard them.
- Maintaining proper fridge and freezer temperatures, storing foods in appropriate compartments, using airtight containers for leftovers, and avoiding overcrowding ensures optimal air circulation all help keep food fresh longer.
- By planning ahead for the week and organizing the fridge effectively, individuals can prevent food loss and ensure they consume items before they spoil, reducing waste and saving money.
Wondering if those leftovers are still good? What about that meat? Or milk? Our infographic breaks down the shelf life of common refrigerated items and offers up tips for keeping food fresh.
Because sell-by dates often aren't reliable indicators of when something has gone bad, it can be difficult to know how long is too long when it comes to an item’s shelf life. These need-to-know food storage guidelines will help keep you healthy and your fridge fresh.
Tips to keep food fresh longer
Follow this expert advice to help keep food fresh for longer in your fridge:
- Keep your fridge temp at or below 40°F, and set your freezer to 0ºF.
- Don’t slice foods until you’re ready to eat them.
- Store leafy vegetables with humidity control set on high.
- Store fruits with humidity controls set on low.
- Don’t store meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables in the same crisper.
- Don’t put easily perishable items in the fridge door, where the temp is warmer.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers.
- Avoid overcrowding, as this can block cold air circulation and cause warm spots.
Be sure to plan ahead for the week to prevent food loss, and don’t forget to organize your fridge in the most effective way.
Refrigerator Storage Times
How long do those eggs last? Should you toss that hamburger meat? Our fridge storage timeline has the answers.
Dairy
Opened Milk: 3-5 days
Opened Cheese: 2-3 weeks
Eggs
Fresh: 2-5 weeks
Products with eggs: 1-2 days
Deli Meat
Unopened: 2 weeks
Opened: 3-5 days
Meat
Steaks, chops, roasts: 3-5 days
Ground meat: 1-2 days
Poultry
Whole or parts: 1-2 days
Leftover cooked meat and poultry: 3-4 days
Fish
Raw fish and shellfish: 1-2 days
Leftover cooked seafood: 3-4 days
Vegetables
Beans, cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce, peppers: 1 week
Beets, celery, corn on the cob, carrots: 2 weeks
Fruit
Berries: 2-3 days
Avocados: 7-10 days
Citrus: 3 weeks
Always stay safe when handling food. When in doubt, throw it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule refrigerator maintenance now!
Extend the lifespan of your refrigerator and prevent unexpected and costly breakdowns with our routine maintenance service.
Was this information helpful?
Schedule refrigerator maintenance now!
Maintain Refrigerator Resources
Find out how hot your refrigerator compressor should get and how to resolve the problem when the compressor is overheating.
Learn whether you can store a refrigerator outside and the limitations of using a fridge in an outdoor environment.
Learn about keeping a second refrigerator/freezer in the garage safely and whether an extra fridge is right for your household.
Refresh your routine with water dispenser and ice maker maintenance for a healthier home. Learn the benefits of regular maintenance on searshomeservices.com.
Glossary Terms
A dual ice maker is a feature in some refrigerators that includes two separate ice makers: one in the fridge compartment and another in the freezer section. This setup doubles the appliance's ice-making capacity.
A French-door refrigerator features two doors that open side-by-side on the top section for the refrigerator compartment, with a bottom freezer drawer, combining style, efficiency, and easy access to both refrigerated and frozen goods.
Refrigerant is a chemical compound used in HVAC systems and refrigerators to absorb heat from the environment by cycling through states of evaporation and condensation, enabling the cooling process through its cycle of evaporation and condensation.
R-12 refrigerant, also known as Freon-12, is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compound that was once widely used in air conditioning systems, refrigerators, and aerosol propellants before its phase-out due to environmental concerns.
Common Repair Refrigerator Symptoms
The most common reasons your Kenmore Elite refrigerator stopped working are a locked compressor, damaged evaporator or a defective electronic control board.
The most common reasons your Maytag refrigerator stopped working are a locked compressor, damaged evaporator or a defective electronic control board.
The most common reasons your Kenmore refrigerator is noisy are a faulty ice maker assembly, defective electronic control board or a locked compressor.
The most common reasons your Kenmore refrigerator fan is not working are a defective electronic control board, damaged evaporator or a locked compressor.
The most common reasons your Whirlpool refrigerator fan is not working are a defective electronic control board, damaged evaporator or a locked compressor.
The most common reasons your Whirlpool refrigerator is not making ice but the water works are a faulty icemaker assembly, a defective water valve, or a malfunctioning PCB.