How Long Can you Safely Freeze Your Food

from Treehugger
Condensed

Raw meat & fish

• Ground beef, turkey, veal, pork and lamb: For best flavor and texture, these ground meats are best used within three or four months of being frozen.
• Steaks, chops and roasts: These cuts of beef, veal, lamb or pork can be frozen for six to 12 months before losing quality. Chops of these meats start to lose quality after four to six months and whole roasts are best used within four to 12 months. These are some wide windows, so check for freezer burn and other signs of quality deterioration periodically. 
• Poultry: Whole birds can keep their quality for up to a year; pieces of birds keep their quality for up to nine months.
• Fish: For optimum quality, fatty fish (salmon, tuna) should be consumed with two to three months. Lean fish (cod, flounder) should be consumed within six months.

Fruits and vegetables
You can freeze most vegetables and non-citrus fruits for about eight to 12 months

Soups, stews, chili and casseroles​Soups, stews, chili and casseroles that have vegetables, meats, grains, pasta or cheese will keep their quality for two to three months in the freezer. This stands whether they are newly purchased or freshly made and frozen.

General leftovers

• Cooked meat or poultry: Eat within two to six months for optimum quality.
• Pizza: Don't leave leftover pizza in the freezer for more than one or two months if you want it to taste its best.
• Chicken nuggets or patties: Use them within one to three months or they'll start to lose flavor and texture.
• Waffles, pancakes and French toast: These breakfast staples can be frozen for up to a month and they will still hold their quality, according to Betty Crocker.

​How to prevent freezer burn

• Make sure your freezer's temperature is accurate. It should be at 0 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid freezer burn and to keep the food safe. The NDSU Food Freezing Guide offers a good example of what happens above that temperature: The same loss of quality in frozen beans stored at 0 F for one year will occur in three months at 10 F, in three weeks at 20 F, and in five days at 30 F.
• Package your items tightly so they stay moist and away from oxygen. Use freezer wrap and bags and containers specifically made for the freezer.
• Don't overload the freezer. "Add only the amount that will freeze within 24 hours. This is usually 2 or 3 pounds of food per cubic foot of storage space. Overloading slows down the freezing rate, and foods that freeze too slowly may lose their quality," according to the Food Freezing Guide.
• Vacuum seal foods if possible or make sure to draw as much air out of the packaging before you place them in the freezer.
• The longer food is in the freezer, the more susceptible to freezer burn it becomes. Label your foods in the freezer with the date they went in and a best by date, and plan your meals accordingly. When it comes to thaw out food, let it thaw in the fridge, not at room temperature, which is a too-good opportunity for microorganisms to grow.