Which foods shouldn't you freeze?
Short answer: USDA FoodKeeper lists freezing as not recommended for 60 foods, including eggs in the shell, hard-boiled eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, lettuce, cucumbers, mayonnaise-based salads and cream pies. In most cases texture suffers; food kept frozen stays safe.
Dairy Products and Eggs
- Cheese (parmesan; shredded or grated)
- Cheese (processed slices)
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Cream (whipping, ultrapasteurized)
- Dips (sour cream based)
- Egg substitutes (liquid)
- Eggs (in shell)
- Eggs (hard-boiled)
- Kefir (fermented milk)
- Pudding
- Sour cream
- Whipped cream (aerosol can)
- Whipped topping (aerosol can)
- Ricotta
- Milk (lactose-free)
Produce
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Citrus fruit (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, tangerines, clementines)
- Coconuts (fresh)
- Guava
- Kiwi fruit
- Artichokes, whole
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce (iceberg, romaine)
- Lettuce (leaf, spinach)
- Radishes
- Kumquats
- Bagged greens (leaf, spinach, lettuce, etc.)
Deli and Prepared Foods
- Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners (with USDA seal)
- Fruit, cut
- Hummus (commercial (pasteurized, with preservatives)
- Hummus (traditional (no preservatives, not pasteurized)
- Olives (from olive bar)
- Egg salad
- Potato salad
- Seafood salads (tuna salad, shrimp salad, salmon salad, mixed seafood salad, etc.)
- Chicken salad
- Ham salad
- Pasta salad
Baked Goods
- Doughnuts
- Pastries, danish
- Cream pies (banana cream, coconut cream, butterscotch)
- Chiffon pies (chocolate, lemon)
- Tube cans (of biscuits, rolls, pizza dough, etc.)
- Biscuits (refrigerated)
Condiments, Sauces and Canned Goods
- Relish
- Cranberry sauce (canned)
- Cranberry sauce (homemade)
- Salad dressing (creamy)
- Salad dressing (vinaigrette)
- Salad dressing (dry,packaged)
Seafood
- Caviar (fresh, in jar)
- Fresh whole lobster (live)
- Fresh clams, mussels, oysters
- Herring (glass packed, in wine sauce)
Meat
- Ham (canned (“keep refrigerated” label)
Vegetarian Proteins
Shelf Stable Foods
- Coconut oil
- Polenta (shelf-stable)
Foods that do freeze well
| Food | Freezer time (best quality) |
|---|---|
| Bread (store-bought) | 3–5 months |
| Butter | 6–9 months |
| Shredded cheese | 3–4 months |
| Hard cheese (cheddar, Swiss) | 6 months |
| Milk | 3 months |
| Raw egg whites and yolks (out of the shell) | 12 months |
| Cooked rice | 6 months |
| Cooked pasta | 1–2 months |
| Bananas | 2–3 months |
| Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries | 8–12 months |
| Cranberries (fresh) | 12 months |
| Flour tortillas | 6 months |
| Onions | 10–12 months |
| Cooked or mashed potatoes | 10–12 months |
Freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen stays safe indefinitely.
Common questions
Can you freeze eggs?
Not in the shell, and not hard-boiled: USDA FoodKeeper lists both as not recommended. Raw whites and yolks, taken out of the shell, freeze for 12 months.
Can you freeze cream cheese?
USDA FoodKeeper lists freezing as not recommended. Keep it in the fridge and use it within 2 weeks of buying.
Can you freeze sour cream?
Freezing isn't recommended. Keep it in the fridge and go by the date on the package.
Can you freeze lettuce?
Freezing isn't recommended. Iceberg and romaine keep 1–2 weeks in the fridge; leaf lettuce and spinach keep 3–7 days.
Can you freeze cranberry sauce?
It's not recommended because it can turn watery after thawing. Homemade cranberry sauce keeps 7–10 days in the fridge; canned keeps 1–2 weeks after opening.
Is it unsafe to eat food that was frozen anyway?
Usually it's a quality problem, not a safety one. Food kept frozen at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe indefinitely; texture and flavor are what suffer.
How long food lasts
Source: USDA FoodKeeper data. This page is general information, not medical advice. When in doubt, throw it out.