Here's Exactly How Long You Can Freeze Every Kind Of Food

Spoiler alert!
For SELF, by Audrey Bruno.

Photo: Brett Stevens / Getty; Graphic by Jocelyn Runice

Whether you freeze food as part of your meal prep strategy or you buy in bulk to help save money, stocking your ice box is never a bad idea. Herbs wilting? Turn them into flavor-packed ice cubes. Bananas browning? Cool 'em down and save them for banana bread.

And if you've ever found yourself wondering exactly how long can you freeze certain foods, you're not alone. Should you be eating last year's Thanksgiving leftovers, or that TV dinner you're pretty sure is from the 1990s? Maybe? Probably not?

This very handy infographic from FreezerLabels.net answers that question. It gathers information from the FDA, FoodSafety.gov, and Better Health and stores everything you want to know in one place. Since freezing helps preserve the safety of the food, the chart below offers recommended storage times related to quality.

Related: How To Properly Read A Nutrition Label

Photo: Courtesy of freezerlabels.net

Confused about the recommendation of not freezing your coffee? According to the National Coffee Association, the freezer recommendation likely applies to storing beans--so don't worry about your batch of brewed-coffee-turned-ice-cubes.

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