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How long does it actually keep?

Cooked rice, leftover chicken, opened milk. Safe fridge and freezer times for 35+ everyday foods.

Food Storage Checker

The sniff test misses the bacteria that matter most, and the calendar guess ends with the 6-day-old rice getting eaten. These are the official storage windows, conservative end, counting from the moment the food went into the fridge.

Cooked riceLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 months
Cool it within 1 hour of cooking. Rice carries Bacillus cereus spores that survive cooking and grow at room temperature.
Cooked pastaLeftovers
Fridge3 to 5 daysFreezer2 months
Cream, seafood, or egg sauces cut that to 1 to 2 days.
Cooked chickenLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 to 6 months
Cooked beef or porkLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Cooked fishLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer1 to 3 months
Leftover pizzaLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer1 to 2 months
Soup or stewLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Cooked vegetablesLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 to 12 months
Cooked beans or lentilsLeftovers
Fridge3 to 5 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Curry or chiliLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Flavor actually improves after a day in the fridge.
Raw chicken or turkeyRaw meat & fish
Fridge1 to 2 daysFreezer9 to 12 months
Raw ground meatRaw meat & fish
Fridge1 to 2 daysFreezer3 to 4 months
Raw steaks or chopsRaw meat & fish
Fridge3 to 5 daysFreezer4 to 12 months
Raw fish or shellfishRaw meat & fish
Fridge1 to 2 daysFreezer3 to 8 months
Bacon (opened)Raw meat & fish
Fridge1 weekFreezer1 month
Sausages (raw)Raw meat & fish
Fridge1 to 2 daysFreezer1 to 2 months
Deli meat (opened)Raw meat & fish
Fridge3 to 5 daysFreezer1 to 2 months
Eggs (raw, in shell)Dairy & eggs
Fridge3 to 5 weeksFreezerNot recommended
Freeze beaten out of the shell if you must, up to a year.
Hard-boiled eggsDairy & eggs
Fridge1 weekFreezerNot recommended
Milk (opened)Dairy & eggs
Fridge4 to 7 daysFreezer3 months
Freezing is safe but the texture separates; shake after thawing.
Yogurt (opened)Dairy & eggs
Fridge1 to 2 weeksFreezer1 to 2 months
Hard cheese (opened)Dairy & eggs
Fridge3 to 4 weeksFreezer6 months
Cut mold off hard cheese generously (2.5 cm around) and the rest is fine. Soft cheese with mold goes in the bin.
Soft cheese (opened)Dairy & eggs
Fridge1 to 2 weeksFreezerNot recommended
ButterDairy & eggs
Fridge1 to 3 monthsFreezer6 to 9 months
Heavy cream (opened)Dairy & eggs
Fridge5 to 7 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
BreadPantry & produce
Fridge1 to 2 weeks (dries out)Freezer3 months
The counter (3 to 5 days) or the freezer beat the fridge, which stales bread faster.
BerriesPantry & produce
Fridge3 to 7 daysFreezer8 to 12 months
Do not wash until right before eating, moisture speeds up mold.
Leafy greens (washed)Pantry & produce
Fridge3 to 7 daysFreezerNot recommended
Fresh herbsPantry & produce
Fridge1 to 2 weeksFreezer2 to 6 months
Treat soft herbs like flowers: stems in a glass of water, loosely covered.
Opened pasta sauce (jar)Pantry & produce
Fridge5 to 7 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Opened canned food (rehomed)Pantry & produce
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer2 months
Move it out of the can into a sealed container first.
Cooked potatoesLeftovers
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezerNot recommended
Plain frozen potato turns watery; mashed with fat freezes fine for a month.
Guacamole or hummus (opened)Pantry & produce
Fridge3 to 4 daysFreezer1 to 2 months
Stock or broth (opened)Pantry & produce
Fridge4 to 5 daysFreezer2 to 3 months
Tofu (opened)Pantry & produce
Fridge3 to 5 daysFreezer3 to 5 months
Store covered in fresh water, changed daily. Freezing changes the texture to chewy, which some people prefer.

Times follow USDA and FoodKeeper guidance at the conservative end, counting from when the food went into the fridge (within 2 hours of cooking, 1 hour on a hot day). When in doubt, throw it out.

Good to know

The 2-hour rule beats every table

All the times here assume the food was refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour on a hot day). Food that sat out overnight is done, no matter what any chart says.

The freezer stops the clock, the fridge only slows it

Freezer times are about quality, not safety. Food kept at -18 C stays safe indefinitely, it just slowly gets dry and dull. Fridge times are the real safety windows.

Label the container

A strip of masking tape and a date takes 5 seconds and ends the was-this-Tuesday-or-Sunday debate for good. Day-count guessing is how old rice gets eaten.

Cooking guides

Pann plans your week around what you cook, so leftovers get planned into tomorrow's lunch instead of dying in the back of the fridge.

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