The quality and taste of your favorite foods can be preserved in the freezer anywhere from one to 12 months at the right freezer temperature. This time frame varies for fresh or cooked meats, fruits, vegetables, soups and leftovers.
According to the FDA, frozen foods will keep indefinitely in a freezer as long as it is running. It will not become harmful to consume, but freezing does not stop chemical reactions like oxidation - which when coupled with dehydration from the freezer will cause freezer burn.
There's a short and a long answer here. The short answer is that foods will keep indefinitely in a frozen state. That's right -- as long as your freezer is plugged in and functioning normally, frozen foods will never expire, go bad, or pose any health issues.
According to the USDA, if food is frozen properly (at 0°F or below) it should be safe to eat indefinitely. 1 But that doesn't mean that that pizza from a year ago will taste good.
For best quality, use frozen produce within 8 to 12 months of freezing, per the National Center for Home Food Preservation. If you're unable to use frozen fruits and vegetables within 12 months, they're still safe to use indefinitely, though the quality may be lower as time goes on.
Up to 12 months: Larger cuts like roasts, chops, and steaks can also keep for up to 12 months, which can also help budget-conscious shoppers when shopping for a deal. 3-4 months: Ground meat, including beef, turkey, and chicken, lasts three to four months. 1 month: Ham has a much shorter freezer life of 1 month.
What happens to meat that's frozen too long? Food that is stored in a freezer at zero degrees will be safe to eat indefinitely.
Frozen food will remain safe indefinitely if frozen properly.
Good news: Shelf-stable canned goods are safe more or less indefinitely, lasting up to five years or more according to the USDA. It's typically safe to eat food that's past its expiration date, with a few exceptions.
Ice crystals forming on frozen food are not an indicator that food has gone bad. Ice crystals do not signify contamination, nor do they cause food-borne illnesses. Look for further signs to determine if this food is safe to eat. If there are small ice crystals, this shows that the food has lost its moisture.
According to the USDA, food poisoning bacteria does not grow in the freezer, so no matter how long a food has been frozen, it is safe to eat. However, food that has been stored in the freezer for an extended period of time may lose its quality, meaning it may be dry and may not taste as good as newly frozen food.
Zip-top bags are great for freezing food because it's easier to get all the air out of them than it is with rigid containers. And zip-top bags have an added space-saving benefit: You can stack them, if you lay them flat to freeze first.
Is It Safe to Eat Freezer-Burned Food? You might be inclined to toss your food, but USDA officials say that any food affected by freezer burn is safe to eat. While your steak may taste a little “off”, you won't actually be at any greater risk for foodborne illness.
The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0°F (-18°C) or below can be kept indefinitely.
The good news is that fish and other seafood store extremely well when frozen. Like meat, they're able to last for a very long time before they start to deteriorate. Generally, raw fish and shellfish last the longest shelf life in the freezer — the leaner the meat is, the longer it can keep.
Per FSIS-USDA guidelines, if kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire. For best quality, taste and texture, keep whole raw chicken in the freezer up to one year; parts, 9 months; and giblets or ground chicken, 3 to 4 months.
Forgotten Leftovers and Meals
Sadly, frozen foods and meals should be eaten within three to four months, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. 2 After that their quality degrades significantly. If anything has been in your freezer for more than six months, it may be time to say goodbye.
If the sausage has a “Sell-By” date, or no date, store it for the times recommended below. Freeze sausage if you can't use it within the times recommended for refrigerator storage. Once frozen it doesn't matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely.
When frozen foods are covered in snow-like crystals, it's best to toss them. But if only small amounts of icy deposits are present, scrape them off and get cooking: Just be ready to adjust cooking times and/or add extra seasonings to make up for texture changes and loss of flavor.
Bacon should only be kept frozen for a maximum of 1-2 months due to its high salt and fat levels – frozen any longer and it may go rancid. But don't just toss the packet of bacon in the freezer as is – because you will have to defrost the whole packet and then eat it within a few days.
Frozen shrimp should still be safe to consume according to its expiration date. However, if stored in the refrigerator, shrimp will only remain good for 1-2 days.
To extend its shelf life, you might be wondering if you can freeze mayonnaise. The short answer is yes, but just because you can doesn't mean you should. Although freezing mayonnaise can safely preserve it, the low temperatures will damage its texture and render it inedible.