Canned and frozen foods
Canned.—You may want to choose the highest quality for salads, or for serving “as is.” But second quality may do for combination dishes such as stews, casserole dishes, soups, and fruit puddings, where uniform size, shape, or color is not important.
Frozen.—Buy only packages that are frozen solid. Avoid partially thawed packages that feel soft or are stained. Thawing and refreezing lower quality.
Wise Storing
Meat, poultry, and fish
All meat should be promptly refrigerated.
The transparent wrap on prepackaged meat, poultry, or fish is designed for refrigerator storage at home for 1 or 2 days.
Meat or poultry wrapped in meat paper when brought from the store—or prepackaged roasts and steaks that may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days—should be unwrapped, placed on a platter or tray, and loosely covered before refrigerating. Wrap and store fish separately from other foods. Poultry giblets should also be wrapped and stored separately.
Keep cooked meat, poultry, and fish, and the gravy or broth made from them, in covered containers in the refrigerator. Use within 1 or 2 days.
Cured and smoked meats.—ham, frankfurters, bacon, sausage—can be stored in their original containers in the refrigerator. Mild-cured hams are similar to fresh meats in keeping quality. Use whole hams within a week, half hams and slices within 3 to 5 days. For best flavor, use bacon, franks, and smoked sausages within a week.