Beef
Ground beef and steak have different shelf lives.
“Ground beef will probably last about a week,” O’Leary says. “Steak, depending on how it’s packaged, that might be a couple weeks or longer. Some of this newer packaging for steaks and roasts will really extend its shelf life.”
Generally speaking, both ground beef and steak turn brown when they start to spoil. But since they come from different places and are handled differently during packaging, other indications may be different. O’Leary says, “Some of them will just change color, some will produce odors. Any time you produce odors in food, it’s a pretty good indication that it’s ready to spoil or already spoiled.”
Shelf Life: About a week for a cut of steak in the fridge. Four days for ground beef.
Bananas
Unlike the other foods on this list, you don’t want to put bananas in the fridge. They’re not meant to be in temperatures that cold, and the environment will prevent them from ripening correctly. As far as knowing when they’ve spoiled, it’s a personal preference.
“If you put them in a container, the ethylene gas will stay around them and they’ll ripen quicker,” O’Leary says. “If you leave them exposed and the temperature is [moderate], you can let them ripen to a nice yellow. I kind of like them when they’re just about to turn brown, as they’re a little sweeter then—but it’s a personal taste on what you like.” Of course, if you sniff a banana and it gives off a moldy, mildewy scent, that’s a good sign it’s gone bad. You can also give it a squeeze: if it’s super mushy, it’s probably bad.
Shelf Life: Depends. A nice, yellow color and a firm texture (with a bit of give) indicate that it’s still good. Soft, brown and mushy are signs that its gone bad. And don’t throw these in your fridge!