Shelf-stable foods – Shelf Life After Coded Date
SHELF STABLE FOODS
UNOPENED REFRIGERATOR
IN PANTRY
IN PANTRY AFTER OPENING AFTER OPENING
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PANTRY STORAGE
Shelf-stable foods such as canned
Baby food, jars or cans,
fruits & vegetables Use-by date 2-3 days
meats & eggs
1 day
goods, cereal, baking mixes, pasta, dry
beans, mustard, ketchup and peanut
cereal, dry mixes
butter can be kept safely at room tem-
Formula
1-2 days
perature.
Bacon Bits, Imitation
4 months
Beans, Dried
12 months
Refer to jar
4 months
12 months
To keep these foods at their best quality,
Canned goods, low acid 2-5 years 3-4 days
(such as meat, poultry,
fish, gravy, stew, soups,
beans, carrots, corn,
pasta, peas, potatoes,
spinach)
Canned goods, high acid
12-18 months
5-7 days
(such as juices, fruit,
pickles, sauerkraut,
tomato soup, and foods
in vinegar-based sauce)
85ºF) cabinets away from the stove or
the refrigerator's exhaust. Extremely hot
are harmful to canned goods.
Never use food from cans that are leaking,
rusting, bulging, badly dented, or with
a foul odor; cracked jars or jars with
Cereal, ready-to-eat 6-12 months
Cook before eating
(oatmeal, etc.) 12 months
3 months
6-12
months
loose or bulging lids; or any container
that spurts liquid when you open it.
NEVER TASTE such foods. Throw out any
Coffee, whole beans, 1-3 weeks 1 week
non-vacuum bag
(For all types; 3-4 months
ground, in cans 2 years
frozen; 2 weeks refrigerated) 1 week
instant, jars and tins
12 months 2-3 months
BAKING INGREDIENTS
food you suspect is spoiled. In general,
most canned foods have a long shelf
life, and when properly stored, can be
Baking powder
6 months
Baking soda
18 months
Biscuit or pancake mix
15 months
Cake, Brownie, Bread Mixes
12-18 months
3 months
6 months
Pkg use-by date
•
Low-acid canned goods — two to
five years (canned meat and poultry,
stews, soups except tomato, pasta prod-
ucts, potatoes, corn, carrots, spinach,
Cornmeal, regular, degerminated 6-12 months 12 months
stone ground or blue
1 month 2-3 months
beans, beets, peas and pumpkin).
Cornstarch 18 months
Flour, white
6-12 months
18 months
6-8 months
•
High-acid canned goods — 12 to 18
months (tomato products, fruits,
Flour, whole wheat
1 month 6-8 months
sauerkraut and foods in vinegar-based
Frosting, canned 10 months
1 week
sauces or dressings).
Frosting mixes
12 months
Chocolate, unsweetened
18-24 months
and semi-sweet, solid
3 months
1 year
•
Some canned hams are shelf-stable.
Never store ham or any foods labeled
Chocolate syrup
2 years
6 months
“keep refrigerated” in the pantry. These
Cocoa and Cocoa Mixes
Indefinitely
CONDIMENTS
1 year
Barbecue sauce, bottled
12 months 4 months 1 month
Ketchup, Cocktail or
Chili sauce
12 months 6 months 1 month
for several weeks, or even months, af-
ter opening, as the accompanying chart
Chutney 12 months 1-2 months
Horseradish, in jar
12 months 3-4 months
Mayonnaise, commercial
2-3 months 2 months
Mustard 12 months 12 months
Olives, black and green
12-18 months
2 weeks
Pickles
12 months
1-2 weeks
Salad Dressings,
commercial, bottled 10-12 months 3 months
Salsa, picante & taco
12 months 1 month
sauces
1 month
indicates. However, be sure to read
package labels. Some items must be
refrigerated after opening. Of course,
products that become contaminated
(bugs in flour, for example) should be
immediately thrown out.
COOKIES, packaged
2 months 8-12 months frozen
4 weeks
CRACKERS 8 months 8
Freeze or refrigerate 3-4 months
1 month
Shelf-stable foods such as canned
goods, cereal, baking mixes, pasta,
dry beans, mustard, ketchup and
peanut butter can be kept safely at
room temperature.
To keep these foods at their best
quality, store them in clean, dry, cool
(below 85°F) cabinets away from the
stove or the refrigerator’s exhaust.
Extremely hot (over 100°F) and
freezing temperatures are harmful to
canned goods.
In general, most canned foods have a
long shelf life, and when properly
stored, can be eaten for several years:
•Low-acid canned goods – two to five
years (canned meat and poultry,
stews, soups except tomato, pasta
products, potatoes, corn, carrots,
spinach, beans, beets, peas and
pumpkin).
•High-acid canned goods – 12 to 18
months (tomato products, fruits,
sauerkraut and foods in vinegar-based
sauces or dressings).
Some canned hams are shelf-stable.
Never store ham or any foods labeled
“keep refrigerated” in the pantry.
These foods must be stored in the
refrigerator.
Many shelf-stable foods remain
edible for several weeks, or even
months, after opening, as the
accompanying chart indicates.
However, be sure to read package
labels. Some items must be
refrigerated after opening.