How to Store Food Properly: The Fridge and Freezer Table for Every Item

Throwing food away is wasted money, and storing it wrongly is worse than that — food poisoning happens more than people assume, and most of it comes from food that looked correctly stored but was wrong on timing or temperature.

The golden rule: two hours

Cooked food should not sit out for more than two hours (one hour if it's above 32°C). Bacteria multiply rapidly between 5 and 60°C — that range is called the danger zone.

At the same time, don't put very hot food straight into the fridge — it raises the temperature inside and puts everything else at risk. Cool the pot quickly in a basin of cold water first, then refrigerate.

Fridge table

• Cooked food — 3 to 4 days
• Raw meat or chicken — 1 to 2 days
• Raw fish — 1 day only
• Eggs in shell — 3 to 5 weeks
• Boiled eggs — 1 week
• Cut vegetables — 3 to 4 days
• Sauces and marinades — 1 week (5 days with mayonnaise)
• Risen dough — 2 days

Freezer table

• Raw meat — 6 to 12 months
• Raw chicken — 9 months
• Fish — 3 to 6 months
• Cooked food — 3 months
• Bread and pastries — 3 months
• Soup and stock — 4 months
• Vegetables (after blanching) — 8 months

Frozen food stays technically safe indefinitely, but texture and flavour deteriorate past these times.

Freezing properly

1. Small flat portions. A flattened bag freezes and thaws far faster than a deep container, and takes less space.
2. Push the air out. Air causes freezer burn — those pale dry patches that wreck the flavour.
3. Write the date. Anything undated sits there until you doubt it and throw it out.
4. Leave room to expand. Liquids grow as they freeze — leave two centimetres at the top.

Thawing — the most important part, and the one most often done wrong

Thawing on the counter is the most dangerous habit in a kitchen. The surface reaches room temperature and bacteria multiply on it while the centre is still frozen.

The three safe methods: in the fridge (best, overnight); in cold water in a sealed bag, changing the water every half hour; or in the microwave if you're cooking it straight after.

And don't refreeze anything that has thawed — unless you cook it first.

Things that don't freeze well

• Raw watery vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, tomato) — they go limp
• Boiled potatoes — the texture turns grainy
• Cream or egg-based sauces — they split
• Eggs in their shells — they burst

Signs food has gone off

Smell and texture matter more than the date. Any sour off smell, any sliminess, any mould — throw it out. Cutting the mould off is not a fix: in soft foods the mould sends roots deep below what you can see.

And if there's any doubt: throw it away. A meal costs far less than food poisoning.