You choose a food category and a storage location. We look up a rounded window that matches common consumer guidance for home refrigerators and freezers held at typical temperatures. When a pairing is uncommon (for example dry rice in the fridge), we suggest a more typical storage location and show its range.

Why ranges overlap

Food is biological: moisture, salt, acidity, preservatives, and packaging all shift spoilage speed. We show min–max style ranges to reflect that uncertainty—stay toward the shorter end if your fridge runs warm or the food sat out during prep.

• Freeze sooner if you cannot eat high-risk foods within the fridge window.
• Write dates on freezer tape so first-in, first-out is obvious.
• Never taste food you strongly suspect is unsafe to “confirm.”

Sources & references