Dairy & Eggs: How Long They Keep
The dairy case is where use-by dates do the most work and noses do the rest. Below is every dairy and egg product USDA’s FoodKeeper covers — the fridge window for each, what the freezer really does to it, and the signs it’s turned. The pattern worth knowing: most dairy freezes safely but comes back changed, which is why the freeze verdicts here lean on what you’ll cook, not just what’s allowed.
- Almond milk ❄️
- Butter ❄️
- Buttermilk ❄️
- Cheese Curds (fresh, unaged)
- Cheese (hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan) ❄️
- Cheese (parmesan; shredded or grated) ❄️
- Cheese (processed slices) ❄️
- Cheese (shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc.) ❄️
- Cheese (soft such as brie, bel paese, goat) ❄️
- Coconut milk ❄️
- Coffee creamer (liquid refrigerated)
- Coffee creamer (powdered)
- Cottage cheese ❄️
- Cream cheese ❄️
- Cream (half and half) ❄️
- Cream (heavy) ❄️
- Cream (light) ❄️
- Cream (whipped, sweetened) ❄️
- Cream (whipping, ultrapasteurized) ❄️
- Dips (sour cream based) ❄️
- Egg dishes ❄️
- Egg substitutes (liquid)
- Eggnog (commercial) ❄️
- Eggs (hard boiled cooked) ❄️
- Eggs (in shell) ❄️
- Eggs (raw whites, yolks) ❄️
- Ghee
- Kefir (fermented milk) ❄️
- Margarine ❄️
- Milk (lactose-free)
- Milk (plain or flavored) ❄️
- Nacho cheese (store bought)
- Pimento cheese (packaged)
- Powdered milk
- Pudding
- Quark (fresh cheese)
- Rice milk
- Ricotta ❄️
- Sour cream ❄️
- Soy milk ❄️
- String Cheese ❄️
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- Whipped cream (aerosol can) ❄️
- Whipped topping (aerosol can)
- Whipped topping (tub) ❄️
- Yogurt ❄️