How long does food keep for in the freezer?

Most frozen food stays safe to eat indefinitely when kept at -18°C or below, but quality starts to decline after a few months. While your freezer acts like a pause button in terms of food safety, it's not a magic wand for freshness. Raw meat typically keeps well for 4-12 months, cooked foods for 2-6 months, and vegetables for 8-12 months before freezer burn and texture changes make them less appealing.

When you have an idea of optimal freezer storage times, you can reduce food waste, save money, and keep your meals tasting like they should. Here’s what you need to know about freezing food.

Freezer burn happens when air reaches your food's surface, causing moisture to evaporate. It looks like grey-brown patches or ice crystals on your frozen items. While freezer burn won't make you sick, it definitely affects taste and texture, often leaving food tough or soggy after cooking.

The best way to prevent, or minimise, freezer burn is by using proper packaging. Using airtight containers or quality freezer bags removes excess air and creates a protective barrier. Double-wrapping items in plastic wrap before popping them in freezer bags gives extra protection for long-term storage. If you're serious about freezer storage, you might want to consider a vacuum sealer, which sucks all the air from specially designed bags to give your food the best possible protection against freezer burn.

Prepared meals: If you’re a meal prep pro who likes to cook big batches at the weekend to make for simpler weeknights, individual portions can be stored efficiently in the freezer.

Casseroles, stews and other cooked foods maintain good quality for 2-6 months. Similarly, leftovers from dinner can be popped in the freezer after cooling down, and they'll keep for up to three months.

Vegetables and fruits: Most frozen vegetables stay good for 8-12 months. Fresh veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and corn retain their colour, texture and nutrients better if you blanch them. This quick 2-5 minute boiling, cooling and draining process stops enzymes that cause vegetables to become mushy and discoloured. Fruit, with its high water content, tends to get mushy when thawed, but is perfect for making smoothies and fruity frozen yogurt.

Does it make a difference whether you freeze fresh food yourself or buy it already frozen? Actually, yes. Commercially frozen foods are typically frozen at much colder temperatures and much faster than your home freezer can manage. This ‘snap freezing’ creates smaller ice crystals, which means better texture and quality when you eventually defrost and eat them.

Frozen vegetables you buy at the supermarket are also usually blanched and frozen at their peak freshness, often within hours of harvesting. This means they can actually be more nutritious than ‘fresh’ veggies that have travelled for days. Store-bought frozen foods generally maintain their quality for the full time listed on the package.

When you freeze fresh foods at home, they're still perfectly safe and can last just as long if properly packaged (and blanched, if veggies), but the texture might not be quite as good as commercially frozen items. The key is to freeze things as quickly as possible, at their freshest.

The safest way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight, though this requires planning ahead. If tomorrow's dinner isn't top of mind when you're going to bed and the following day you need something quickly, you've got a few other options.

Cold water thawing works well – just keep the food in a sealed bag and change the water every 30 minutes. Defrosting boards can work well for thinner cuts like steaks or fish fillets. Usually black and made of aluminium, they conduct the room temperature to your food, thawing it 2-3 times faster than a regular plate while keeping it safely cool. Try to avoid leaving food thawing on the kitchen bench for hours on end if you don't have one of these, as bacteria can multiply on the surfaces as they warm up.

In a real pinch, the microwave's defrost setting can work, but it's not ideal for larger items - the edges often start cooking while the centre stays frozen, which can affect texture. If you use the microwave to thaw, cook the food immediately afterwards.

Once thawed, most foods shouldn't be refrozen unless you've cooked them in between, for example, defrosting mince to make a bolognaise and then freezing portions of it. The exception? If your food still has ice crystals and feels fridge-cold, it's usually safe to refreeze.

Appliances Online stocks a large selection of chest freezers and upright freezers from leading brands, and with our legendary FREE delivery we can usually get orders to 95% of Australians by the next day (Mon-Fri) if it's in stock. We even offer paid Same Day Delivery in NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas if you order before 12pm on weekdays - very handy if you’re dealing with an unplanned thawing emergency!

Plus, we’ll save you from an unsightly nature strip by taking your old freezer away for safe recycling, for free. Check out our full range of freezers here, and if you have any questions on finding the best freezer for your home, read our Freezer Buying Guide, call our friendly team 24/7 on 1300 000 500, or message us via the chat icon at the bottom of your screen.