To know how long food lasts in your refrigerator is important so you can make decisions regarding when the food is good to eat. These are general guidelines on how long opened canned goods, dairy products and different kinds of meats lasts in the fridge before going bad. However it's always a good idea to look and smell at the product in question and examine it, often food is good a couple of days longer than you think. So remember: these are guidelines, take them into consideration, then inspect your food and make a decision based on those facts. How Long To Store Food In Refrigerator Guidelines
| Product
| Time
| | | | | Canned Goods (opened) | Fruit | 5 - 7 days
| Jams & Jellies
| 6 months | Mayonnaise
| 1 - 2 months
| Meats
| 1 - 2 days | | Pickles | 2 - 3 months
| Vegetables
| 2 - 3 days
| | | | | Dairy | Butter and Margarine
| 1 month
| Buttermilk
| 1 - 2 weeks
| | | | Cheese (opened):
| | Hard: Ceddar, swiss
| 3 - 4 weeks
| Parmesan, grated
| 1 year
| Soft: Cream, Neufchatel
| 2 weeks
| Cottage Cheese
| 5-7 days or package date
| | | | Eggs
| 1 month
| Half & Half
| 7 - 10 days
| Milk - whole & skim
| 1 week
| Sour cream
| 3 - 4 weeks
| Whipping cream
| 10 days
| | | | | Meat: | | Fresh Beef, lamb, pork, veal: | | Roasts
| 2 - 4 days
| Steaks, chops
| 3 days
| Ribs
| 2 days
| Stew Meat
| 2 days
| | Ground | 1 - 2 days
| | | | Processed Meats: (open packages)
| | | | Ham, whole & half
| 7 days
| Hot dogs
| 4 - 5 days
| Luncheon meats (sliced)
| 3 days
| Bacon
| 5 - 7 days
| | | | Fresh
| | | | | Fish
| 1 - 2 days
| Chicken
| 1 - 2 days
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