ShelfLife
Leftovers and prepared food: 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Store-bought hummus (with preservatives) | 3 monthsfrom purchaseOpened: 7 days | Not recommended |
| Homemade or fresh hummus (no preservatives) | 7 days | Not recommended |
| Leftovers with meat, fish, poultry or eggs | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| Leftovers without meat (vegetables, potatoes) | 3–4 days | 1–2 months |
| Leftover pizza | 3–4 days | 1–2 months |
| Pâté from the deli counter | 1–2 daysfrom purchase | 1–2 months |
| Packaged meat pâtéWrap leftover pâté in plastic film. | 7 days | — |
| Packaged poultry pâté | 7 days | — |
| Leftover pizza | 3–4 days | 1–2 months |
| Frozen pizzaFridge time is after cooking. Keep frozen; cook as directed. | 3–4 days | 12 months |
| Potato salad | 3–5 days | Not recommended |
| Pasta salad | 3–5 days | Not recommended |
| Egg salad | 3–4 days | Not recommended |
| Chicken salad | 3–4 days | Not recommended |
| Soups and stews | 3–4 days | 2–3 months |
| Homemade vegetable soup | 3–4 days | 3 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.
- HummusFridge: 3 months
- LeftoversFridge: 3–4 days
- PâtéFridge: 1–2 days
- PizzaFridge: 3–4 days
- Potato saladFridge: 3–5 days
- SoupFridge: 3–4 days
Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.