How Long Does Food Really Last in the Fridge?

Your fridge is doing a lot of quiet work, but it isn't a time machine. Different foods keep for wildly different amounts of time in there, and knowing the rough windows is the difference between using something in time and quietly binning it. Here's a practical rundown of how long the foods you buy most actually last.

Dairy and eggs

• Milk: about a week past opening
• Yogurt: up to 2 weeks
• Hard cheese: around 3 weeks; soft cheese closer to a week
• Butter: a month or more
• Eggs: up to 4 weeks

Meat and fish

Raw meat and fish are the most time-sensitive things in your fridge:

• Chicken and other poultry: 1-2 days
• Beef and pork: 3-4 days
• Fish and seafood: 1-2 days
• Bacon: about a week

If you won't get to these in time, the freezer buys you months instead of days. Check the Freezer Storage Time Chart for specifics.

Produce

• Leafy greens and salad: 4-6 days
• Berries: 2-5 days
• Carrots: up to 3 weeks
• Bell peppers and cucumber: about a week

A quick reminder that not everything belongs in the fridge — tomatoes, potatoes and onions are happier in the pantry. The Where to Store Food tool settles those debates.

Leftovers

Most cooked dishes keep 3-4 days in the fridge. For anything longer, freeze it. The Leftovers Storage Calculator gives you a use-by date from the day you cooked.

Make it last longer

Keep your fridge at or below 4°C / 40°F, don't overpack it (air needs to circulate), and store raw meat on the bottom shelf so it can't drip onto anything. For a food-by-food answer, the Food Shelf Life Calculator has you covered.

Stop tracking it in your head

The real trick isn't memorising these numbers — it's not having to. PantryKit keeps a running list of everything in your fridge, estimates each item's expiry date, and reminds you before it turns. That's how you go from guessing to knowing, and waste a lot less along the way.