ShelfLife
Dairy and eggs: storage times
Tap a food for how to store it, how to tell it has gone bad and whether it freezes well.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1–2 monthsfrom purchase | 6–9 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Buttermilk | 1–2 weeksfrom purchase | 3 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Hard cheese (cheddar, Swiss, block parmesan) | 6 monthsfrom purchaseOpened: 3–4 weeks | 6 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Soft cheese (brie, goat cheese) | 1–2 weeksfrom purchase | 6 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella) | 1 monthfrom purchase | 3–4 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Grated parmesan, dry | 12 monthsfrom purchase | Not recommended | — |
| Processed cheese slices | 3–4 weeksfrom purchase | Not recommended | — |
| Liquid coffee creamer, refrigerated | 3 weeksfrom purchase | — | — |
| Powdered coffee creamer | — | — | 2 yearsfrom purchaseOpened: 2–3 months |
| Cottage cheese | 2 weeksfrom purchaseOpened: 1 week | Not recommended | — |
| Heavy cream | 10 daysfrom purchase | 3–4 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Ultra-pasteurized whipping cream | 1 monthfrom purchaseOpened: 1 week | Not recommended | — |
| Half-and-half | 3–4 daysfrom purchase | 4 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Sweetened whipped cream | 1 day | 1–2 months | — |
| Cream cheese | 2 weeksfrom purchase | Not recommended | — |
| Raw eggs in the shell | 3–5 weeksfrom purchase | Not recommended | — |
| Raw whites or yolks | 2–4 days | 12 months | — |
| Hard-boiled eggs | 1 week | Not recommended | — |
| Kefir | 1 weekfrom purchaseOpened: 1–2 days | Not recommended | — |
| Margarine and spreads | 6 monthsfrom purchase | 12 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Fresh milk | Until the use-by date | 3 monthsfrom purchase | — |
| Shelf-stable (UHT) milk | —Opened: 5–7 days | — | 6–12 monthsfrom purchase |
| Ultra-pasteurized milk, sold chilled | 1–3 monthsOpened: 7–10 days | — | — |
| Lactose-free milk | —Opened: 1 week | Not recommended | — |
| Ricotta | 2 weeksfrom purchaseOpened: 1 week | Not recommended | — |
| Yogurt | 1–2 weeksfrom purchase | 1–2 months | — |
Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.
- ButterFridge: 1–2 months
- ButtermilkFridge: 1–2 weeks
- CheeseFridge: 6 months
- Coffee creamerFridge: 3 weeks
- Cottage cheeseFridge: 2 weeks
- CreamFridge: 10 days
- Cream cheeseFridge: 2 weeks
- EggsFridge: 3–5 weeks
- KefirFridge: 1 week
- MargarineFridge: 6 months
- MilkFridge: until the use-by date
- RicottaFridge: 2 weeks
- YogurtFridge: 1–2 weeks
Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.