How long can foods be stored?

• Refrigerated steaks and roasts should be used within three to four days after purchase.

• Ground meats, fresh poultry and raw fish should be used within one to two days after purchase.

• Milk, cream, cottage cheese and cream cheese are good for a week after opening.

• Hard cheeses that are tightly wrapped are good for two to three months.

• Eggs are good for three to four weeks. Keep them refrigerated.

• Cooked or uncooked vegetables are good in the refrigerator for three to five days.

• Berries are only good for about three to five days in the refrigerator before they mold or rot.

• Bread, cake and cookies (or anything made from a batter with yeast or wheat) should be used within a week to avoid mold.

• Baked goods will last longer (two weeks) if refrigerated.

• Deli meats should be used within four days after opening the package.

• Leftover meats are good for three to five days.

• Leftover chicken, gravy, sauce, chicken or tuna salads and turkey pies are only good for one to two days.

• Mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and other condiments should be used within a year of opening the container.

• Mayonnaise, once opened, is good for two months.

• Open bottles of salad dressing are good for three months.

• Ketchup, jams, jelly and peanut butter are good for six months.

• Opened jars of salsa should be discarded after a month.

• Frozen food is good for a year if tightly wrapped and stored consistently at 0½ F.

• If you cannot remember when a food was placed in the refrigerator, throw it out.

Many people do keep their food longer than the above guidelines. If you keep your food longer, make sure you check it each time to see that it has not turned moldy, slimy, stinky, rancid or otherwise rotten. Always check the food BEFORE you taste it.