Your freezer isn’t just for lean cuisines, hot pockets, and frozen pizza – it can save you a lot of money and a whole lot of waste if you’re smart. Most of us don’t take full advantage of our freezers; we just throw stuff in there without carefully wrapping things, only to pull it out a week later covered in frostbite. Or, we have so much stuffed in there that we forget what’s been shoved to the back…and how long it’s been back there.
So when was the last time you cleaned out your freezer? Yes, believe it or not, the freezer does not keep things good forever! You should be cleaning out the freezer periodically, too, but not nearly as often as your refrigerator. And when it comes to meat, it’s particularly important.
Here’s a list of USDA approved freezer times, with some lasting up to a year!
Freezer times:
Cooked poultry — 4 months
Uncooked poultry parts — 9 months
Uncooked whole poultry — 12 months
Cooked meat — 2 to 3 months
Uncooked roasts — 4 to 12 months
Uncooked steaks or chops — 4 to 12 months
Uncooked ground meat — 3 to 4 months
Remember to make sure everything is wrapped up well. Put meat in a ziplock bag and don’t forget to write the date on it so you know how long it’s been in there!
