If freezing meat and poultry in its original package longer than 2 months, over wrap these packages with airtight heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, or place the package inside a plastic storage bag.
Because freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following recommended storage times are for quality only.
| Raw Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat | |
| Hamburger & Stew Meat | 3 to 4 months |
| Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb | 3 to 4 months |
| Soups & Stews | |
| Vegetable or meat-added & mixtures of them | 2 to 3 months |
| Bacon & Sausage | |
| Bacon | 1 month |
| Sausage, raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey | 1 to 2 months |
| Smoked breakfast links, patties | 1 to 2 months |
| Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, & Pork) | |
| Steak | 6 to 12 months |
| Chops | 4 to 6 months |
| Roasts | 4 to 12 months |
| Meat Leftovers | |
| Cooked meat and meat dishes | 2 to 3 months |
| Gravy and meat broth | 2 to 3 months |
| Fresh Poultry | |
| Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, parts | 9 months |
| Cooked Poultry, Leftover | |
| Cooked poultry dishes | 4 to 6 months |
| Pieces, plain | 4 months |
| Pieces covered with broth, gravy | 6 months |
| Fish & Shellfish | |
| Lean fish | 6 months |
| Cooked fish | 4 to 6 months |
| Smoked fish | 2 months |
| Fresh shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid | 3 to 6 months |
The information provided came from the FDA’s website. For the full listing of all foods visit: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/UCM109315.pdf
