Overview | Beef | Pork | Fish

Meat Storage Times

• Overview
• Beef Home Storage and Related Products
• Pork Home Storage
• Fish Home Storage
  

General Guidelines

Since product dates aren't a guide for safe use of a product, how long can the consumer store the food and still use it at top quality? Follow these tips:

• Purchase the product before the date expires.
• Follow handling recommendations on product.
• Keep lamb in its package until ready to use.
• Refrigerate lamb roasts and chops 3 to 5 days (ground lamb, 1 to 2 days); and 3 to 4 days after cooking.
• If product has a "Use-By" Date, follow that date.
• If product has a "Sell-By" Date or no date, cook or freeze the product by the times recommended above.
• For best quality, use frozen lamb roasts and chops within 6 to 9 months; ground lamb, 3 to 4 months.

Fresh fish and seafood must be handled carefully to avoid food safety problems. The following tips assure safe handling.

• Refrigerate fresh fish in the original leak proof container immediately after purchase.
• Refrigerate (fresh fish) for only 1 or 2 days.
• Clean freshly-caught fish and place in a cooler of finely crushed ice as soon as possible after the catch.

Store canned fish products in a cool, dry place for no longer than a year. Discard any product that has an off odor or appearance or is in a damaged can.
Place commercially packaged frozen fish products in the freezer in the original wrapper immediately after purchase to maintain quality. Store in the freezer at 0°F or lower.

Source USDA

Also Check Out Our: Meat Cooking Times and Butcher Cuts Pages