A refrigerator makes everyday life much easier. It helps you store leftovers, keep groceries fresh longer, and avoid constant trips to the store. But even when food is kept cold, it does not stay good forever.
From meat and dairy to produce and condiments, every item has a different shelf life. Knowing how long foods typically last in the fridge can help reduce waste, save money, and lower the risk of eating something spoiled.
Here is a practical guide to how long common foods are usually good for in the refrigerator.
Eggs, Meat, and Seafood
These foods tend to have shorter storage times, especially when raw.
- Bacon, uncooked: 7 days
- Beef roast, steaks, or ribs, uncooked: 3 to 5 days
- Chicken, cooked: 3 to 4 days
- Chicken, uncooked: 1 to 2 days
- Eggs, hard-boiled: 1 week
- Eggs, raw in shell: 3 to 5 weeks
- Egg salad: 3 to 5 days
- Fish, cooked: 3 to 4 days
- Fish, uncooked: 1 to 2 days
- Ground beef, cooked: 3 to 4 days
- Ground beef, uncooked: 1 to 2 days
- Hot dogs, opened: 1 week
- Hot dogs, unopened: 2 weeks
- Lunch meat, opened: 3 to 5 days
- Lunch meat, unopened: 2 weeks
- Pork roast, chops, or ribs, uncooked: 3 to 5 days
- Sausage, uncooked: 1 to 2 days
- Shrimp, cooked: 3 to 4 days
- Shrimp, uncooked: 1 to 2 days
Produce and Plant-Based Foods
Fresh produce can vary a lot depending on the item and how it is stored.
- Apples: 3 weeks
- Apricots: 2 to 3 days
- Avocados: 3 to 4 days
- Asparagus: 3 to 4 days
- Beets: 7 to 10 days
- Bell peppers: 4 to 5 days
- Berries: 4 to 5 days
- Broccoli: 3 to 5 days
- Brussels sprouts: 3 to 5 days
- Cabbage: 1 to 2 weeks
- Carrots: 3 weeks
- Cauliflower: 3 to 5 days
- Celery: 1 to 2 weeks
- Cilantro: 7 days
- Corn: 1 to 2 days
- Cucumbers: 4 to 5 days
- Eggplant: 3 to 4 days
- Garlic: 1 to 2 weeks
- Ginger root: 1 to 2 weeks
- Grapes: 1 week
- Green beans: 3 to 4 days
- Green onions: 1 to 2 weeks
- Lettuce: 3 to 4 days
- Melons, cut: 3 to 4 days
- Mushrooms: 2 to 3 days
- Okra: 2 to 3 days
- Onions: up to 2 months
- Orange juice, opened: 7 to 10 days
- Parsley: 7 days
- Peaches: 3 to 4 days
- Radishes: 10 to 14 days
- Rutabagas: 2 weeks
- Spinach: 1 to 2 days
- Tofu: 1 week
- Tomatoes: 2 to 3 days
- Turnips: 2 weeks
- Zucchini: 4 to 5 days
Dairy Products
Dairy can spoil quickly once opened, so it is important to keep track of storage time.
- Butter: 1 to 3 months
- Buttermilk: 1 to 2 weeks
- Cottage cheese: 1 week
- Cream cheese: 2 weeks
- Half-and-half: 3 to 4 days
- Hard cheese, opened: 3 to 4 weeks
- Hard cheese, unopened: 6 months
- Margarine: 6 months
- Milk: 1 week
- Processed cheese slices: 1 to 2 months
- Shredded cheese: 1 month
- Soft cheese: 1 week
- Sour cream: 1 to 3 weeks
- Soy milk, opened: 1 week
- Whipped cream: 1 day
- Whipped topping: 1 to 2 weeks
- Whipping cream: 1 month
- Yogurt: 1 to 2 weeks
Prepared Foods and Leftovers
These foods are convenient, but they should not stay in the fridge too long.
- Bagels: 1 to 2 weeks
- Bread: 1 to 2 weeks
- Broth: 1 to 2 days
- Cake or cheesecake: 1 week
- Cookies: 2 months
- Leftovers: 3 to 4 days
- Muffins: 1 week
- Pie: 3 to 4 days
- Rolls: 1 week
- Soup or stew: 3 to 4 days
- Tortillas: 4 to 7 days
Condiments
Many condiments last longer than fresh foods, but they still have limits once opened.
- Barbecue sauce: 4 months
- Chocolate syrup: 6 months
- Canned frosting, opened: 1 week
- Jams and jellies: 6 months
- Ketchup: 6 months
- Maple syrup: 12 months
- Mayonnaise: 2 months
- Mustard: 12 months
- Olives: 2 weeks
- Pickles: 1 to 2 weeks
- Salad dressing: 3 months
- Salsa: 1 month
- Spaghetti sauce, opened: 4 days
A Final Reminder About Food Safety
These storage times are useful as a general guide, but they are not the only thing that matters. Always pay attention to how food looks, smells, and feels. If something seems off, has mold, gives off a sour odor, or has changed texture in a suspicious way, it is safer to throw it out.
When in doubt, it is always better to be cautious. A clean fridge and a little attention to storage times can go a long way in keeping your kitchen safer and your food fresher.
