Trying to figure out what is still good in the freezer and what is not can be a big hassle. Other people feel that once it is frozen, it is good forever. This is not the case. The answer is not to taste it, or to smell it, but to know the food itself. Here are is how to determine if a food is still good in the freezer, followed by recommendations on how long it should stay in your refrigerator.
Mark the Food:
This is the only way to really determine whether a food that is in the freezer is still good. Take a permanent marker and write the date that it was frozen and the date that it should be taken out. Follow the recommendations below to ensure that you properly date the food’s expiration.
Dairy:
~Butter: Wrap package in vapor proof wrapping. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.
~Buttermilk: Place in freezer container and allow for headspace because liquid will expand. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
~Cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese: Do Not Freeze.
~Sour cream: Do Not Freeze.
~Yogurt: Transfer to freezer container. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Eggs:
~Hard Cooked Eggs: Do Not Freeze.
~Whites: Transfer to freezer container. Can be frozen for up to 1 year.
~Whole, beaten: Beat whites and yolks together. Transfer to a freezer container. Can be frozen up to 1 year.
~Whole, in their shell: Do Not Freeze. They will bust open.
~Yolks: Do Not Freeze, they will turn gritty.
Meats, Poultry, and Fish:
~Bacon: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
~Sausage, raw: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.
~Sausage, smoked links and patties: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
~Ham, fully cooked, whole: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
~Ham, canned: Remove from can, wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Do Not Freeze In the Can, you will hear a loud bang in the freezer and have a huge mess.
~Hotdogs: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
~Lunch meats: Leave in original wrapper. Over-wrap with plastic wrap or foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
~Beef, uncooked roasts and steaks: Over wrap in foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 year.
~Lamb, uncooked roasts and chops: Over wrap in foil. Can be frozen for up to 9 months.
~Pork, uncooked roast or chops: Over wrap in foil. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.
~Ground beef, lamb, pork, veal: Over wrap in freezer wrap or foil. Can be frozen up to 4 months.
~Poultry, uncooked, whole: Over wrap in foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 year.
~Poultry, uncooked, pieces: Over wrap in foil. Can be frozen for up to 1 year.
~Ground chicken or turkey: Over wrap in freezer wrap or foil. Can be frozen up to 4 months.
~Fish: Over wrap in freezer wrap or foil. Can be frozen up to 3 months.