Vegetables and Pasta, Image Courtesy of Healingdream, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The following are guidelines for storing baked goods, dry ingredients, fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, and dairy products.
While food guidelines are usually accurate, there is always the possibility that other factors may speed the time it takes foods to spoil, so foods that don’t smell right should always be discarded. Given the risks, a good policy to follow is: When in doubt, throw it out.
Baked Goods
Ideally, baked goods should be stored at room temperature because they go stale faster in the fridge, with the exception of cheesecakes and other items containing dairy products (especially cream). Anything with fresh dairy must be refrigerated at all times.
Baked goods stored in cupboards and pantries usually go stale within a few days, though freezing can extend longevity. Baked goods stored in the freezer should keep for the following times:
- Angel, sponge, layer, or cheesecake – 4-6 months
- Bagels – 2 months
- Baked cookies – 4-6 months
- Bread – 3 months
- Danishes, doughnuts – 3 months
- Fruit pies (baked) – 1 year
- Muffins, quick breads, rolls – 2-4 months
- Nut pies – 6 months
- Pumpkin or chiffon pies – 1 month
- Unbaked cookie dough – 6 months
- Unbaked pie shells – unopened 12 months, opened 2 months (these should be used within a day if transferred to the fridge)
Storing bread dough in the freezer is not recommended, as it may not rise as well afterward. Freezing custard-based pies is also not advisable.
Dry Foods
Whenever possible, check the expiry dates on dry foods that are stored at room temperature. However, if there isn’t a visible expiry date, the following guidelines can be used:
- Bouillon cubes or granules – 2 years
- Brown rice – 6 months in a tightly sealed container
- Cereals – 6-12 months (but will likely go stale more rapidly once opened unless kept in a tightly sealed bag or container)
- Crackers – 6 months (faster after opening)
- Flavoured rice (i.e., with herbs) – 6 months in a tightly sealed container
- Instant potatoes – 6-12 months
- Noodles (containing dried egg solids) – 1-2 months
- Pasta (without egg solids) – 1 year
- Plain white rice – 2 years or more in a tightly sealed container
- Popcorn – 1-2 years in a sealed container
Canned Meals and Snacks
Discard tins that are rusted, leaking, bulging, or giving off a bad odour, as these are signs of spoilage. Otherwise, assuming they’re not old when purchased, canned foods stored in a dry place should keep for the following times:
- Canned fruit (including tomatoes) – unopened 12-18 months, opened 2-3 days in the fridge
- Canned meals – unopened 2-5 years for low-acid items such as most pastas, stews, soups, and vegetables; 12-18 months for anything containing tomatoes, fruit, sauerkraut, or vinegar
- Canned or bottled olives – unopened 1 year, opened 2 weeks in the fridge
- Pickles – unopened 1 year, opened 3 months in the fridge
Cooking and Baking Ingredients
Store for the following times or until the expiry date if listed, whichever comes first:
- Baking cocoa – unopened 8 months, opened 3-6 months
- Baking powder and soda – 6 months after opening
- Brown sugar – 4 months
- Coconut (canned or shredded in an unopened package) – 1 year (refrigerate after opening)
- Corn and canola oils – 18 months
- Cornmeal – 12 months in a tightly sealed container
- Cornstarch – indefinitely in a tightly sealed container
- Dried fruit – 6 months
- Flour, all types – 6-8 months
- Gelatin – 18 months in original container or package
- Honey – 12 months in a sealed container
- Marshmallows – 2-3 months
- Nuts in a vacuum can – 3 months (1 year refrigerated)
- Nuts in the shell – 4 months (1 year refrigerated)
- Olive oil – 24 months
- Pancake mix – 6-9 months
- Powdered or confectioner’s sugar – 18 months
- Prepared cake, pudding, and biscuit mixes – 9-12 months
- Semisweet chocolate – 18 months
- Shortening (unopened) – 18 months (6-8 months after opening)
- Chocolate syrup (unopened) – 2 years (refrigerate after opening)
- Molasses – 12 months unopened, 6 months opened (refrigeration can extend life)
- Vanilla extract – unopened 2 years, opened 1 year if tightly sealed
- Vinegar – unopened 2 years, opened 1 year if tightly sealed
- White sugar, brown sugar – 2 years (sugar doesn’t go off, but may change flavour)
Herbs and spices are highly variable. Generally, whole spices can last up to 4 years and ground spices up to 2, while ground herbs such as oregano will last for between 6 months and 2 years with proper storage. Herbs and spices should be stored in airtight jars in a cool, dark, dry place. If they no longer smell strongly, they are probably past their prime.
Dry Beverages
Like spices, dry beverages should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. For best flavour, don’t keep dry beverages beyond their use-by times:
- Canned coffee – 2 years unopened
- Instant coffee – 1-2 years (2 months after opening)
- Whole bean coffee – 1-2 weeks
- Tea bags – 18 months
- Powdered tea – 3 years
- Loose tea – 2 years
Condiments and Spreads
Most condiments and spreads must be refrigerated after opening. Always check the label, and throw condiments and spreads away when they have passed their expiry dates.
- Jam and preserves – unopened 12 months, opened 6 months
- Ketchup and chilli sauces – unopened 12 months, opened 1 month
- Opened salad dressing – 3 months or expiry date – whichever comes first
- Peanut butter – unopened 6-9 months, opened 2-3 months (will keep longer if refrigerated)
- Prepared yellow mustard – unopened 2 years, opened 6-8 months
- Syrup – unopened 1 year in pantry, opened 1 year in fridge
These guidelines assume that the food is not stale or old when purchased and that food products are sealed in their original airtight packaging. Improper storage will shorten the lives of dry goods so that they may go stale before their use-by dates. Storing in a cool, dry place in airtight containers helps to preserve the maximum lifespan of dry goods.
To prevent food poisoning, meats and dairy products should not be stored past their use-by dates in the refrigerator and recommended food storage guidelines should be followed for frozen items to ensure quality.
Fruits and Vegetables
The length of time that fruits and vegetables will keep in the fridge varies based on a number of factors, including freshness and ripeness at time of purchase. The following storage times are approximations, and under-ripe produce often keeps longer:
- Mushrooms, okra, guavas, papayas – 1-2 days
- Cilantro, parsley, asparagus, pineapples, berries, cherries, tangerines – 2-3 days
- Plums, avocados, kiwis, green onions, collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, beans, broccoli, peas – 3-5 days
- Melons, cauliflower, celery, cabbage, green beans, chillies, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce – 1 week
- Beets, radishes, carrots – 2 weeks
- Cranberries, citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits – more than 2 weeks
- Apples – 1 month
- Fruit juice – 3 weeks unopened, 7-10 days opened (8-12 months unopened in the freezer)
Most fresh fruits will keep 8-12 months in the freezer. Some exceptions include citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits, as well as pineapple, which keep just 4-6 months when frozen. Of the produce that is not usually refrigerated, if properly stored, squash and potatoes will last 3-6 months, and onions and garlic for about 2 months.
Canned Produce
Never consume food from a can that is rusted, bulging, leaking, or giving off a bad odour, as these are signs of spoilage. Unopened cans of produce stored in a dry place can be expected to last for the following times:
- Canned or bottled olives – 1 year
- Pickles – 12-18 months
- Canned fruit (including tomatoes) – 12-18 months (2-3 days after opening)
- Canned vegetables – 2-5 years for low-acid vegetables; 12-18 months for anything containing sauerkraut or vinegar
Meats in the Freezer
Most meats will keep for several months in the freezer as long as they’re stored in a freezer bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Individual freezing guidelines are as follows:
- Bacon (unopened in original packaging) – 1 month
- Chicken, turkey (cooked) – 4 months
- Chicken, turkey (raw) – 1 year whole, 9 months cut up
- Cooked meat leftovers, casseroles – 2-3 months
- Fish sticks (cooked) – 18 months
- Fresh lean fish (raw) – 2-3 months
- Frozen dinners – 3-4 months or expiry date – whichever comes first
- Gravy, meat broth, soup stock, soup, chilli, stew – 2-3 months (freezing soups that contain cream is not recommended)
- Ham slices (cooked) – 1-2 months
- Sausages (cooked or raw) – 1-2 months
- Scallops (raw) – 3 months
- Shrimp, crab (raw) – 4 months
- Steak and chops (raw) – 3-4 months
- Stewing or ground meat (raw) – 3-4 months
- Uncooked roasts (beef, chicken, lamb, or pork) – 4-6 months
- Unopened luncheon meats and hot dogs – 1-2 months
Adding a sticker with the date of freezing to the package or container can provide an alert as to when frozen meats need to be discarded.
Meats and Eggs in the Fridge
Most meats don’t last long in the refrigerator, though cooking can increase the length of time they will keep.
- Bacon – 7 days (unopened)
- Chicken or turkey – 1-2 days
- Cooked crab – 1-2 days
- Cooked fish – 3-4 days
- Cooked red meat leftovers and casseroles – 3-4 days
- Eggs fresh in the shell – 3-5 weeks
- Eggs hard-cooked in the shell – 1 week
- Fresh lean fish – 1-2 days
- Gravy, meat broth – 1-2 days
- Ham slices (cooked) – 3-4 days
- Lamb or pork (roasts or chops) – 3-5 days
- Live shellfish (i.e., lobster) – same day purchased
- Poultry (cooked) – 3-4 days
- Poultry (raw) – 1-2 days
- Raw shellfish – 1-2 days
- Sausage – 1-2 days
- Scallops (cooked) – 2-3 days
- Steak or beef roast – 3-5 days
- Stew or ground meat – 1-2 days
- Stuffed lamb chops, pork chops, or chicken breasts – 1 day
- Unopened luncheon meats and hotdogs – 2 weeks (3-5 days after opening) or expiry date, whichever comes first
These guidelines assume that the meat was bought fresh and that it has been kept in a cold fridge at all times. If the meat has been left out at any point or the fridge setting is not cold enough, it will spoil faster.
Dairy Products in the Fridge
Safe storage times for dairy products are highly variable, and sometimes products expire before their use-by dates, particularly if they’ve been opened. The following are average times that dairy products are likely to keep:
- Butter – salted 1-3 months, unsalted 3-4 weeks
- Buttermilk – 1-2 weeks
- Commercial mayonnaise – 2 months
- Cream cheese – 2 weeks
- Cream, half and half – 3-4 days
- Cream-based soups (i.e., bisque, chowder) – 2 days
- Eggnog – 3-5 days
- Fresh milk – 5-7 days
- Hard cheese (whole or grated) – 6-12 weeks
- Homemade dips – 2 days
- Ice cream – 1-2 months (freezer)
- Margarine – 4-5 months
- Canned milk (opened) – 3-5 days (after opening, transfer to a sealed glass or plastic container as opened cans may rust, causing illness if the leftover portion is eaten)
- Soft cheese (i.e., brie), cottage cheese – 1 week
- Sour cream – 1-3 weeks
- Whipped cream – 1 day (2 months in the freezer)
- Yogurt – 7-14 days
References:
- Clemson University’s Home and Garden Information Center. (n.d.). “Food Storage: Refrigerator and Freezer.” Clemson.edu.
- Food Marketing Institute. (2001). “Food Storage Information.” FMI.org.
- Sidney South West Area Health Service. (n.d.). “If I buy it, how long will it last?” CS.NSW.gov.au.
- USDA. (2005). “Freezing and Food Safety.” FSIS.USDA.gov.