KitchenHow long food keeps in the fridge and freezer
A quick guide to storage times for leftovers, meat, fish, eggs and everyday Indian kitchen items, with the simple rules that keep food safe.
Check with the official source. Rows marked "food safety guidance" follow the cold storage guidance of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Rows marked "kitchen practice" are common household practice, not official figures. Page reviewed in November 2026. This is general information, not medical advice. When in doubt, throw it out.
| Food | In the fridge (4 °C or colder) | In the freezer (−18 °C) | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked leftovers (dal, sabzi, curry) | 3 to 4 days | 3 to 4 months | Food safety guidance |
| Cooked rice | Cool quickly and refrigerate within an hour; best eaten within a day or two | Up to 1 month | Kitchen practice |
| Raw chicken and other poultry | 1 to 2 days | 9 to 12 months | Food safety guidance |
| Raw minced meat (keema) | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months | Food safety guidance |
| Raw mutton, lamb or other red meat pieces | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months | Food safety guidance |
| Raw fish | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 8 months, depending on the fish | Food safety guidance |
| Eggs in the shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Do not freeze in the shell | Food safety guidance |
| Hard boiled eggs | Up to 1 week | Does not freeze well | Food safety guidance |
| Kneaded atta dough | 1 to 2 days in a closed box | Not usual | Kitchen practice |
| Paneer, opened | Follow the pack; home-made paneer 2 to 3 days in a closed box | Texture turns crumbly | Kitchen practice |
| Curd (dahi) | Follow the pack; home-set curd turns sour after 3 to 4 days | Not usual | Kitchen practice |
| Cut fruit and salad | Same day, covered | Not usual | Kitchen practice |
| Ginger-garlic paste, home-made | About 1 to 2 weeks in a clean, dry jar | In small portions, a few months | Kitchen practice |
Five rules that matter more than the table
- Two hours. Cooked food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour in very hot weather.
- Cool fast. Spread hot food in shallow containers so it cools quickly, then refrigerate. A deep pot of hot dal stays warm in the middle for hours.
- Cover and separate. Keep raw meat, fish and eggs covered and below cooked food, so nothing drips onto food that will not be cooked again.
- Reheat until steaming. Bring curries and dals to a boil and heat other food until it is hot all the way through.
- Freezing pauses, it does not clean. Freezer times are about taste and texture. Food kept frozen stays safe, but germs wake up again when it thaws, so thaw in the fridge, not on the counter.
Signs that food should be thrown away
- A sour or unusual smell, bubbles or fizz in a dal or curry, or a slimy feel.
- Any mould on soft food such as bread, paneer, cooked food or soft fruit. Cutting the spot off is not enough.
- A swollen packet or tin.
Food can also be unsafe without any sign at all, which is why the time limits matter.
Questions people ask
How long can cooked food stay out?
Not more than two hours at room temperature, and not more than one hour in hot weather above about 32 °C. After that, refrigerate it or throw it away.
Can I reheat food twice?
It is safer to reheat only the portion you will eat, once, until it is steaming hot all through. Each round of cooling and reheating gives germs another chance to grow.
What temperature should the fridge be?
4 °C or colder for the fridge and minus 18 °C for the freezer. Do not pack the fridge so full that air cannot move.
Is it safe to eat rice the next day?
Yes, if it was cooled quickly and kept in the fridge within about an hour of cooking. Reheat it until steaming hot and do not keep it for long.
More kitchen help
- Cups to gramsAtta, maida, sugar, rice, ghee and more, by ingredient.
- MeasuresTeaspoon, tablespoon, cup, ml, katori, pav, tola and seer.
- Oven temperaturesCelsius, Fahrenheit and gas mark, with fan oven settings.
- SubstitutesWhat to use when an ingredient is missing.
- Cooking timesPressure cooker minutes for dals, beans and rice.
- How much to cookRice, dal, atta and vegetables for any number of people.
- Spice namesJeera, ajwain, kalonji: English and Hindi names with uses.
- Dal and grain namesDals, flours and millets in English and Hindi.
- Vegetable namesTori, tinda, parwal: English and Hindi names with season.