Food Storage
For full item by item information regarding home storage guidelines and recommended packaging, consult The Frugal Kitchen's Food Storage Guidelines for proper packaging and storage of food items kept in the home. Other informative sources are, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Labeling Fact Sheets, National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Still Tasty, an excellent web guide to food safety.
Food expiration dates.
When you shop for food you will be presented by a variety of dates marked on various products:
"Best by" dates. Shelf stable products such as condiments and peanut butter are marked with "use by" and "best by" dates by the manufacturer. These are NOT safety dates. The product may be perfectly safe to eat for months or even years after the best by date. The best by date tells you how long the produce will remain fresh when properly stored. After the best by date the product's texture, color, and taste will begin to change. Proper storage conditions will cause these changes to happen very slowly, but exposure to very high or very low temperatures could hasten deterioration.
"Sell by" dates. Perishable meat, seafood, and dairy are marked with "sell by" dates. When shopping for these perishable items, check the shelf for the sell by date furthest from today's date to ensure you are purchasing the freshest product. Sell by dates are not "best by" dates, or safety dates. Few people purchase perishables with the idea of immediately consuming them. These items will still be good for some time after the "sell by" date, to give you plenty of time to use up the contents.
"Expiration Date". Only found on infant foods. Babies have very sensitive digestive systems, so the federal government regulates the time allowed for baby formula and other food products to be purchased and consumed. Always store these items as directed and use or dispose by the expiration date.
Packing codes. Packing codes are meant for manufacturers and retail outlets, not consumers. They do not indicate the quality of the contents, or the safety of the food. In fact, some manufacturers stop testing after a certain amount of time, such as 18 months or two years, on the assumption few people will keep food that long. But their safe shelf life can go on for many more years, even decades. Canned goods from WWII have been opened and found perfectly safe to eat.
Commercially canned goods
These are the familiar tin cans on our supermarket shelves. Many different food items are commercially canned - vegetables, fruit, beans, seafood and meat products, kids meals such as spaghetti-o's and beefaroni, gravies, even brown bread. Products that have been sterilized inside of a sealed can should remain safe to eat for decades as long as the can is not subjected to temperature extremes and remains sealed. However the quality of the contents, the nutritional value, color, texture, and aroma, will begin to deteriorate after 12 to 36 months. Vegetables, legumes, and fruit stored in water have the longest shelf life, and should have good quality for at least three years. Because of the oils in the ingredient list, most condiments, meat, poultry, fish or shellfish products, soups, stews, and items in sauce such as baked beans, should be consumed within 6 to 9 months. Once opened, remove contents from cans and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers for 3 to 4 days.
If you can, purchase case lots of frequently used canned items. Aldi's and Save-a-Lot have excellent regular prices, and you can usually find loss leaders on canned goods several times per year in your favorite supermarket. You can stack canned goods, in their cardboard cases, on the bottom of your kitchen cabinets or on the lower shelves of racks,. Be sure there is airspace between the cans and the floor. Use 2 x 4" boards to elevate cans above a basement or slab floor.
Never use any can that has rust, dents on the seam or end seals, or is bulging or leaking in any way. Give everything the sniff test and discard if there are any hints of rancidity, or "off" odors as these are signs of spoilage that may make the food unsafe to eat.
Home canned goods
Home canning is an excellent way to preserve fresh produce from your garden and bulk purchases of meat, and it is an excellent way to preserve a supply of ready to eat meals for your family, such as chicken ala king, baked beans, and chili. Glass canning jars come in cardboard cases and can be stored in a cool, dark location, on wooden shelves or metal racks. You can stack cases one on top of the other, as long as all of the jars are the same height. Do not stack more than 4 cases deep. Be sure the shelves you use for your glass jars are secure and sturdy, and will not topple over during an earthquake or if anyone leans on them. Check lids periodically for signs of leakage or rust. Rotate your canned goods, using the oldest first. If you seal fully dehydrated items in canning jars with oxygen eaters, they will last indefinitely. Wet items have a shelf life of around three years but pleaseconsult The Frugal Kitchen's Food Storage Guidelines for proper packaging and storage of food items kept in the home.
Glass Jars
Glass is the safest and most environmentally friendly packaging material. Unfortunately due to the rough handling of our foods in the supermarket, more fragile glass is being replaced with difficult to break soft plastics. Unfortunately there are no shortage of websites and headlined warning us of the danger of metal and plastic containers, which can react with their contents and leach chemicals into our food.
Fermented, brined and pickled foods are usually packed in glass. Sauerkraut, kimchi, sweet and dill cucumber pickles, relishes, chutneys, and olives can be kept for one year unopened. Once opened recap tightly, store in the refrigerator, and consume within one year. Use condiments and sauces within 1 year unopened and six months once opened and stored in the refrigerator.
Pasta
Store commercial brands of pasta in their original packaging or airtight container for up to one year.
Grains, rice and beans
Freeze for four days in original package to kill insects and their eggs. Bring back up to room temperature and transfer to an airtight container. Wheat and rice will last indefinitely while beans will lose moisture as they age and and take much longer to cook. Use a pressure cooker or grind beans to bean flour if they are very old.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds contain oil and can go rancid. Store in airtight containers in the freezer up to six months.
Dried fruits and vegetables
Commercially dried fruits for snacking have a high moisture content. Moisture encourages the growth of mold. Many of these products are treated with mold inhibitors to give them a longer shelf life. Dried apples, mangoes, papaya, pineapples, apricots, raisins, etc, should be kept in an airtight container in a room temperature or cool location for ten days. They will last longer if kept in the refrigerator, but check for signs of mold before use.
Commercially dehydrated or freeze dried products for storage last for 10 to 30 years if unopened. These products are extremely dry and sealed inside of cans or pails without oxygen. Once opened protect from moisture, including condensation, and use contents as soon as possible.
Home dehydrated products can vary in moisture and oil content. As a general rule if your home dried items are moist (such as dried fruit leather) or oily (such as jerky) they should be consumed within a few days. If the product is dried to a crisp state and does not contain any natural oils (such as potato slices) then they should keep many months, if not years in a sealed, airtight container stored in a cool, dark location.
Oils & Shortening
Oils and shortening are a necessary part of every pantry. Unfortunately they will spoil quickly if exposed to oxygen, light or heat. Therefore it is essential to store your oils and shortening in airtight containers, in a dark, cool location.
Nut oils, such as walnut and macadamia, have the shortest shelf life at around 6 months, unopened. Vegetable and canola oils will last for one year, and olive oil for two years. Crisco and lard will both last a year or more, unopened.
Vinegars
Vinegar will be safe to consume indefinitely, but it can turn cloudy and the taste may change slightly. White distilled vinegar will last the longest without any apparent changes, about 3 years. Count on two years for herb, wine, cider and balsamic vinegars before any noticable changes can be detected.
Spices
The best way to store spices is in their whole state, ie, unground. Peppercorns, whole nutmeg, thyme leaves, etc are better than ground pepper, ground nutmeg, and powdered thyme because the oils are not released and the spice stays fresher and stronger, longer. Spices will last the longest when stored in the freezer, but a cool, dark, airtight container usually suffices for storage if you plan to use the spice within a year.
Sugars
Granulated sugar lasts indefinitely, but will harden if exposed to moisture. The best way to store excess sugar is vacuum sealed in glass mason jars. Brown sugar should be stored in an airtight container and used as soon as possible as it will harden over time. You can also mix granulated sugar with molasses to make your own brown sugar. Powdered 10x sugar should be stored unopened in the original bag or once opened, in an airtight glass or plastic container.
