Smoked polish sausage--still good?

disneyfanatic60

DIS Veteran
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Aug 26, 2002
Messages
910
I bought some smoked polish sausage links (not in airtight packaging) from a local deli last week. I totally forgot they were in the refrigerator. Someone pushed them to the very back and I just noticed them. I bought them a week ago Friday. I am assuming these are no longer good. Does anyone know the shelf life of these in a refrigerator.
 
If your sausages were precooked and are heat and serve like Hillshire farms is, 5 days. You're well beyond that.
If you're sausages were raw, such as from the meat counter, 2 days. You're well well beyond that.

Toss em.


Fridge guidelines.
Do not trust the thermostat on your fridge. Put a glass kitchen thermometer in a container of water in the fridge. Wait about 8 hours and make sure the reading is not over 40 degrees, nor under 35. Too cold and your Veggies and Milk will freeze. Too hot and your meat won't hold.


Shelf life of meats

Ground meats. Regardless of the meat. 2 days max.
Organ meats. Liver, etc 2 days max
Poultry, Fish, 2 days in the fridge max
Cooked Fish, 4 days Max
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Steaks, chops, and roasts 5 days max.
Cooked leftovers 4 days Max.
Lunch Meats, Pre cooked meats, etc. Hot Dogs. 2 weeks sealed and unopened, 5 days opened.
Raw Bacon. 1 week sealed and unopened. 2 days opened.
 
Shelf life of meats

Ground meats. Regardless of the meat. 2 days max.
Organ meats. Liver, etc 2 days max
Poultry, Fish, 2 days in the fridge max
Cooked Fish, 4 days Max
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Steaks, chops, and roasts 5 days max.
Cooked leftovers 4 days Max.
Lunch Meats, Pre cooked meats, etc. Hot Dogs. 2 weeks sealed and unopened, 5 days opened.
Raw Bacon. 1 week sealed and unopened. 2 days opened.

Really? Sometimes my packages say longer than those date guidelines for "sell by". Am I eating chicken gone bad if I've bought it on Monday, its sell by is Thursday, and I eat it on Friday? I thought this was fine... haven't gotten sick of it yet... but I don't want to be running a gamble!
 
Shelf life of meats

Ground meats. Regardless of the meat. 2 days max.
Organ meats. Liver, etc 2 days max
Poultry, Fish, 2 days in the fridge max
Cooked Fish, 4 days Max
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Steaks, chops, and roasts 5 days max.
Cooked leftovers 4 days Max.
Lunch Meats, Pre cooked meats, etc. Hot Dogs. 2 weeks sealed and unopened, 5 days opened.
Raw Bacon. 1 week sealed and unopened. 2 days opened.


Some of those seem extremely short time frames. I am going to bet they are the absolute safest times but you can probably bet by further out.

I have hot dogs in the fridge that are longer than 5 days open and they are fine had one for lunch yesterday!! I also keep bacon much longer than 2 days. It's very rare that I need a whole package but I might use it all within 7 days so I wrap it up and use it later in the week. It's always been fine.
 



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