Frozen Food: How Long It Keeps in the Freezer

Everything in this category is bought frozen and stays that way, so the freezer window from purchase is the number that matters. At 0°F food doesn’t spoil on a clock — these are quality windows, marking where freezer burn and ice crystals start taking the texture apart, and they vary far more product to product than most people expect. Read the fridge column carefully: on most of these it applies to leftovers after the food is cooked, not to a thawing plan, and for several products USDA doesn’t recommend refrigerating the cooked food at all.