How long can you keep food in the freezer? It depends
Food should always be frozen at the peak of its ripeness/freshness, experts say. Credit: iStock
Summer typically means backyard cookouts with a bounty of excess food. Instead of throwing out the leftovers, consider freezing them. But how long can you keep them in the freezer before they lose their flavor?
It depends on the food, according to freezerlabels.net, a company that makes labels for frozen foods. The company offers a handy chart with freezer freshness information by food groups.
For example, raw hamburger can be frozen for up to four months. Baked cookies will stay fresh for up to eight months, but a baked frosted cake will taste stale after only one month in the freezer. If there's extra pizza, wrap the slices in foil, put them in the freezer and they should still taste good up to two months later.
The list includes foods you should never freeze. Among them are deli meats, sour cream and apples.
To access the list, go to nwsdy.li/freezer.
