Enrichment · Arts and Creativity

How long it keeps,
and what to use first.

Leftovers are safe for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, raw ground meat for only 1 or 2, and a freezer keeps food safe but not tasty forever. Add each container with the food, where it is and when it went in. The page gives the window from the federal cold storage charts, the last day to use it and the days left, sorted so the next one to use is on top, and flags anything that sat out too long or is stored too warm.

Add a containerWhat you get

In the refrigerator and freezer

The worked example is made up: six containers after a busy week. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Arts & CreativityFree

What you finish with
A record per container: what it is, the closest match among twenty foods on the federal cold storage charts, refrigerator or freezer, the date it went in, how it was cooled, the thermometer reading and four storage checks. Shows the use-by or best-by date for each, the next one to use with the days left and how many are past their window; flags food that sat out over 2 hours, a refrigerator above 40 °F or freezer above 0 °F, food past its window and food that does not freeze well.
Who it is for
Students learning to cook, families, culinary and family and consumer sciences classes, and anyone sharing a refrigerator.
Format
Browser reference with a saved record per container. Prints one record, the whole list in a table (tape it to the refrigerator) or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Put an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and the freezer if there is not one already.
  2. Add each container with the closest food on the list and the date it went in.
  3. Fix the flags first: anything left out too long goes in the trash.
  4. Eat from the top of the list down.
  5. Print the list and keep it on the refrigerator door.

Add a container

Why the times are so short

Cold storage times, federal chartsFoodRefrigerator (40 °F)Freezer (0 °F, quality)Cooked leftovers, soups, pizza3 to 4 days1 to 6 monthsRaw ground meat, poultry, fish1 to 2 days2 to 12 monthsRaw steaks, chops, roasts3 to 5 days4 to 12 monthsLunch meat, opened3 to 5 days1 to 2 monthsEgg, tuna or chicken salad3 to 5 daysDoes not freeze wellRaw eggs in the shell3 to 5 weeksDo not freeze in shellCold storage times, federal chartsCooked leftovers, soups, pizzaRefrigerator (40 °F): 3 to 4 daysFreezer (0 °F, quality): 1 to 6 monthsRaw ground meat, poultry, fishRefrigerator (40 °F): 1 to 2 daysFreezer (0 °F, quality): 2 to 12 monthsRaw steaks, chops, roastsRefrigerator (40 °F): 3 to 5 daysFreezer (0 °F, quality): 4 to 12 monthsLunch meat, openedRefrigerator (40 °F): 3 to 5 daysFreezer (0 °F, quality): 1 to 2 monthsEgg, tuna or chicken saladRefrigerator (40 °F): 3 to 5 daysFreezer (0 °F, quality): Does not freeze wellRaw eggs in the shellRefrigerator (40 °F): 3 to 5 weeksFreezer (0 °F, quality): Do not freeze in shell
Refrigerator times are for safety. Freezer times are for quality: food kept frozen at 0 °F stays safe, but it dries out and loses flavor.

The 2-hour rule

Bacteria grow fastest between 40 °F and 140 °F. Perishable food should go into the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking or buying, or within 1 hour when it is above 90 °F outside. Some bacteria make toxins that reheating does not destroy, so food left out too long goes in the trash.

You cannot smell it

The bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change how food looks, smells or tastes. Spoilage you can smell is a different group. That is why the charts use days, not a sniff test. When in doubt, throw it out.

Freezing pauses, it does not kill

At 0 °F bacteria stop growing, so frozen food stays safe for as long as it stays frozen. The freezer times are for quality. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service: Cold Food Storage Chart (foodsafety.gov and fsis.usda.gov).
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart (fda.gov), for lean and fatty fish.
  3. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety, and the Danger Zone (40 °F to 140 °F) (fsis.usda.gov).
  4. USDA FSIS: Freezing and Food Safety, and The Big Thaw: Safe Defrosting Methods (fsis.usda.gov).
  5. FoodKeeper app, USDA with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute (foodsafety.gov).

The worked example is made up. Times are the general federal guidance for home storage; follow a package date or label when it is shorter, and your school or workplace rules in a teaching kitchen. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.