Fruits and Vegetables

Place fruits or vegetables in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.  Refrigeration retards spoilage.  Some fruits and vegetables store well without refrigeration such as bananas, pineapples, avocado, tomatoes, citrus, onion, garlic, potatoes, squash, apples, and pears.  Store these items in a cool place away from direct sunlight. 

Hearty Greens (kale, collards, chard):  Store in an open ended plastic bag-never store in a sealed plastic bag. 

Stone Fruit (apricots, peaches, nectarines):  Store in a brown paper bag in a cool, dry place.  This will allow for proper ripening.

Mushrooms:  store in a brown paper bag and store in the refrigerator.  Use within one week of purchase.

Herbs with long stems (parsley and cilantro)

Remove leaves from the bottom portion of the stem, place bundle of herbs in a glass jar filled with water, cover with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator.

Herbs with short stems (thyme and oregano)

Place herbs in a plastic bag and tightly roll the plastic bag around the herbs.  Then store in the refrigerator.

Animal Protein

Red meat:  This includes beef, pork, lamb, and game meat

Raw:  pork, beef, or lamb steaks and roasts keep 3-5 days in the fridge.  Ground meats will keep 1-2 days. 

Frozen:  Keep steak and roast cuts of beef and lamb in the freezer for 6-12 months, the same cuts of pork keep for 4-6 months.  Ground meats keep for 3-4 months in the freezer.

Cooked meat:  Red meats will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer. 

Gravy or broth made from red meats will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.

Poultry:  This includes chicken, turkey, and game birds

Raw:  Poultry should be used within 1-2 days of purchase.

Frozen:  Whole poultry can be frozen for 6-12 months.  Pieces may be frozen for 9 months.

Cooked:  Poultry covered with broth or gravy will keep 1-2 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.  Cooked pieces will keep 3-4 days in the fridge and 4 months in the freezer.  Cooked poultry dishes keep 3-4 days in the fridge and 4-6 months in the freezer.

Eggs

Eggs should be stored with the pointy side down in the coldest part of the fridge.  They will keep their quality for 1 month.  Eggs stored at room temperature will age more in a day than eggs stored in the fridge for 1 week.  Egg quality test:  put an egg in a bowl of water, if it floats it is bad.

Milk and Dairy

Store in the refrigerator preferably in a glass container; use by the expiration date.