FoodStorageCheck

Thanksgiving Food Storage Times

13 foods · official USDA FoodKeeper guidance, snapshot 2026-07-24

The dishes on a holiday table have very different clocks. These are the official times for the ones the USDA FoodKeeper dataset covers.

FoodWhereOfficial time
TurkeyRefrigerator — from date of purchase1 to 2 days
Turkey partsRefrigerator — from date of purchase1 to 2 days
Cooked poultry dishesRefrigerator3 to 4 days
HamRefrigerator — from date of purchase6 to 9 months
GravyRefrigerator — after opening1 to 2 days
Cranberry sauceRefrigerator — after opening1 to 2 weeks
CasserolesRefrigerator3 to 4 days
PotatoesRefrigerator — from date of purchase1 to 2 weeks
Yams/sweet potatoesPantry — from date of purchase2 to 3 weeks
Dry stuffing mixPantry9 to 12 months
PiesRefrigerator — after opening1 week
Fruit piesRefrigerator — after opening1 week
Cream piesRefrigerator — after opening3 to 4 days

Cooked turkey and other perishable dishes should be refrigerated within two hours of serving. Refrigerator times assume 40 °F (4 °C) or below.

Every time above is quoted from the USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (v128, snapshot 2026-07-24) — nothing here is averaged or estimated. A storage window is a guideline, not proof that a specific item is safe. See the methodology.