Food Safety: When To Throw It Out

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Food Safety: When To Throw It Out All Miavita Features

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by Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N., Miavita Nutrition Director

When I was a kid, I hated " leftovers. " I'd inspect my dinner closely to make

sure it didn't " look old. " And I'd always groan that it didn't taste right.

Now that I make my own dinners, I've learned to love the remains of past days.

Excess portions of a Sunday family dinner, Saturday brunch or a restaurant

" doggie bag " mean one weeknight's E-Z meal.

But I still have residual wariness about leftovers' freshness. Even with proper

refrigeration, foods can go bad if left aside for too long.

Here's a quick guide to the shelf life of foods in your refrigerator and

freezer, and when it's time to give various leftovers the heave-ho.

How Long Will Stored Foods Stay Fresh?

Note: When packaged foods have an expiration date, use it, as well as any other

notes on the label regarding freshness and storage, as your guide.

FOODKEEPS IN REFRIGERATOR FOR...KEEPS IN FREEZER FOR...Poultry, fresh Whole

chicken and turkey1 - 2 days1 yearSeparate pieces1 - 2 days9 monthsGround

turkey1 day3 - 4 monthsPoultry, cooked In broth or gravy1 - 2 days6

monthsPieces not in broth or gravy3 - 4 days4 monthsCooked casseroles3 - 4 days

4 - 6 monthsFish Fattier fish (salmon, bluefish)1 - 2 days1 monthLean fish

(cod, haddock)1 -2 days2 - 3 monthsMilk5 - 7 days (opened container) Yogurt7 -

10 days (opened container) Eggs Whites2 - 4 days12 monthsWhole, fresh in shell3

- 4 weeksDon't freezeYolks2 - 4 days12 monthsCheese Cottage cheese5 daysDon't

freezeHard cheese3 - 5 months (unopened)6 months 3 - 4 weeks (opened) Soft

cheese2 weeks4 monthsButter, margarine1 month3 - 6 monthsProcessed meats

Luncheon meats3 - 5 days (opened vacuum- sealed package)1 - 2 months 2 weeks or

until " use by " date expires (unopened vacuum-sealed package) Fresh meats

Steaks3 - 5 days6 - 12 monthsChops/roasts (beef)3 - 5 days6 - 12 monthsGround,

stewing meats1 day3 - 4 months

Heidi Schuppenhauer <heidis@...> wrote:

>They love kefiili as well as the grains! I feed mine lots of clabbered milk,

>fil mjolk, whey, etc. Anything that's extra, they get.

Mine love it too! But it's pricey to feed to a chicken ... unless

you have a cow. I think you have a cow, right? We are a ways

off from that yet ...

-- Heidi Jean