How Long can Lunch meat last in the fridge?

Question

If i bought a pound of turkey a pound of ham and a half pound of cheese how long will those last?

Answer 1

I assume that you are asking 'how long' AFTER the 'sell date'???

Experience tells me - (with the foods properly wrapped/cooled)

Turkey (sliced) - one week
Ham (sliced) - one week
Cheese (any) - perhaps a month, or longer

Each time you remove the food from the fridge, and handle it in any way, you subject it to 'surface' contact (hands, counter tops, etc) which can contaminate it, and changes in storing temps ---- causing it to spoil quickly... meats, with their fat/preservative contents, tend to maintain freshness less time than cheeses.

Answer 2

It depends on how you wrap up and keep the meat and cheese
in the fridge.
I would say for both the turkey and ham, it will take about 4-5
days and the cheese, much longer about 14 days before they
start to turn 'off'. But, if they are kept in the freezer section of
the fridge, then they can stay good indefinitely, provided no
electricity to the fridge due to power blackout.

Answer 3

Sounds as though you bought sliced deli-meat... those will spoil quicker than other more processed "lunch-meats".

My experience with deli-meat is:

Turkey: 3-5 days after purchase
Ham: 5-7 days after purchase (add 4 days for smoked ham)
Roast Beef: 3-5 days after purchase
Swiss cheese: 30 days.
Cheddar Cheese: 20 days
Provolone Cheese; 90 days

A good salami lasts forever !!

Someone very astutely mentioned how handling will accellerate spoilage...

Answer 4

It depends on if you want to eat it or not.

Fresh from the deli meat doesn't last as long as the stuff in the packages. 5 days - tops if it's in a sealed container. You can freeze some of it to use later.

Cheese can last 2 weeks if it's kept sealed and you can scrape off the mold and still eat it.

Answer 5

It totally depends on the temperature of the refrigerator. I have a full-size fridge at my house, and meat & cheese seem to last for at least a month or so. At work, we have one of those small "college dorm" refirgerators. If I put luncheon meat in cheese in there today, next week it wouldn't be fit to feed a starving dog.

Answer 6

For the meat I'd say 4-5 days. For the cheese you might be able to go a little longer as long as it's not moldy.

Answer 7

I keep all my lunchmeats and cheese in foodsaver bags, "The one that removes all the air". I have no problems keeping cheese for 3 weeks and lunchmeat's up to 10+ days. most of the time they don't last that long.

Answer 8

cheese indefinitely, deli meat should be used no later than four days it starts to spoil

Answer 9

I wouldn't eat it after 4 days.

Answer 10

Up to 7 days if it looks funny or has slime on it pitch it.