Shelf Life Tips
- How long does cooked beef soup last in the fridge or freezer? The precise answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions - refrigerate beef soup within two hours of cooking.
- To maximize the shelf life of cooked beef soup for safety and quality, refrigerate the beef soup promptly in covered airtight containers.
- Properly stored, cooked beef soup will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- To further extend the shelf life of cooked beef soup, freeze it; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
- How long does cooked beef soup last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 4 to 6 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
- The freezer time shown is for best quality only - cooked beef soup that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.
- How long does cooked beef soup last after being frozen and thawed? Cooked beef soup that has been thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before cooking; beef soup that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be eaten immediately.
- How long can cooked beef soup be safely left out at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; cooked beef soup should be discarded if left for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
- How to tell if cooked beef soup is bad? If cooked beef soup develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded.
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