How to Store Food Safely

How-To

Whether you're storing baked goods, fresh produce or meat, ideal environments and shelf lives vary. Download our Food Storage Guide for specific instructions on storing baked items, food purchased frozen, foods purchased refrigerated, and even fresh fruits and vegetables.

Remember: When in doubt, throw it out!

Food Storage Guide

Once Opened

We get lots of questions about best before dates and how long to keep a product once opened. Here are some of the most common food items and storage times.

Note: Storage time varies and can be shorter due to multiple factors like how cold your fridge is, double-dipping, leaving it on the counter, etc.

Ingredient	Where to Store	Length of Time
Asian Sauces	Refrigerator	By best-before date or 1 - 2 months
Broth (in tetra pack)	Refrigerator Freezer	Refrigerator: 3 - 4 days Freezer: 2 - 3 months
Canned Milk : Evaporated Sweetened Condensed	Refrigerator Freezer	Refrigerator: 4 - 5 days Freezer: 2 - 3 months
Canned Fish (i.e. Tuna)	Refrigerator	1 - 2 days
Canned or Jarred Tomatoes: Tomato Paste Diced, Whole, Crushed	Refrigerator Freezer	Refrigerator: 5 days Freezer: 2 - 3 months
Eggs: Raw Cooked	Refrigerator Freezer	Raw, whole, shell-on: Refrigerator: By best-before date Raw, shell-off: Refrigerator: 1 - 2 days Frozen: 4 months Best to freeze either whole egg or egg whites Cooked, hardboiled: Refrigerator: 7 days Do not freeze
Leftovers: Homemade Take Out	Refrigerator Freezer	Refrigerator: 2 - 4 days Frozen: 1 - 2 months Some leftovers freeze and thaw better than others
Pickles	Refrigerator	1 - 2 months
Salad Dressing: Shelf Stable Deli/Refrigerated	Refrigerator	Shelf Stable: By best-before date or 3 months Deli/Refrigerated: By best-before day or 2 - 3 weeks
Salsa	Refrigerator Freezer	Refrigerator: 3 weeks Frozen: 2 - 3 months

The 2 hour rule

Use the 2 Hour Rule both at home and while shopping. The 2 Hour Rule states that all perishable foods must be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours of purchase or preparation. If the weather is hot, more than 27°C (80°F), reduce that time to 1 hour and use a cooler for perishable foods while shopping. Any perishable foods that have been left at room temperature for longer than these times should be discarded.
Refrigerate cooked foods as soon as possible after a meal. Once the foods have cooled, cover with lids or plastic food wrap. Use them quickly, or freeze them, as they have a short shelf life. Most leftovers should be used within 2 – 4 days; combination foods and foods that contain dairy, seafood or fish should be used within 1 – 2 days. If you have any doubts about the safety of leftover food, throw it out.