By Liz Pulliam Weston
Money Cental
Food to last a few weeks may be the surest way to conserve cash. Could you go more than a few days without visiting a grocery store?
How long you can store food in the freezer*
| Food | Months | Food | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon and sausage | 1 to 2 | Meat, uncooked ground | 3 to 4 |
| Casseroles | 2 to 3 | Meat, cooked | 2 to 3 |
| Egg whites or egg substitutes | 12 | Poultry, uncooked whole | 12 |
| Frozen dinners and entrees | 3 to 4 | Poultry, uncooked parts | 9 |
| Gravy, meat or poultry | 2 to 3 | Poultry, uncooked giblets | 3 to 4 |
| Ham, hot dogs and lunch meats | 1 to 2 | Poultry, cooked | 4 |
| Meat, uncooked roasts | 4 to 12 | Soups and stews | 2 to 3 |
| Meat, uncooked steaks or chops | 4 to 12 | Wild game, uncooked | 8 to 12 |
| * Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture |
Frozen foods are great until the power goes out; even if you don’t open the door much, the contents of a freezer will start to thaw within a couple of days.
Our plan in a disaster or blackout,then, is to:
- eat out of the fridge first.
- then move on to the freezer.
- keeping all the shelf-stable pantry foods like pasta, canned chili and rice for last.
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