Awareness of the shelf life of food is a twofold concern, balancing food safety and concerns of not being wasteful of money and resources. Americans throw away nearly 40% of the food grown in the country. This amounts to 1,400 calories per person per day, around $400 per person, per year. Shockingly, 31 million tons of food are added to landfills each year! To help balance good health, thriftiness and being a conscientious citizen of the planet, we’ve put together a list of the shelf life of many common foods and best ways to store them to preserve freshness!
Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables
Apples – Refrigerator: 3-5 months
Oranges – Room Temp: 3-4 days Refrigerator: 5-6 weeks
Lemons & Limes – Room Temp: 1 week Refrigerator: 2-5 weeks
Grapefruit – Room Temp: 1 weeks Refrigerator: 2 weeks
Stone fruits (apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums) – Refrigerator: 3-5 days
Avocados (ripe) – Room Temp: 2-3 days Refrigerator: 5-10 days
Berries and Cherries – Refrigerator: 2-3 days
Grapes – Refrigerator: 1-2 weeks
Commercially frozen fruits – 1 year
Canned Fruits – Refrigerator, unopened: 1-2 years.
Opened (stored in airtight container): 2-3 days
Asparagus – Refrigerator: 3-5 days
Carrots – Refrigerator: 2-4 weeks
Green Beans – Refrigerator: 1 week
Bell Peppers – Refrigerator: 1-2 weeks
Tomatoes – Room Temperature: 2-5 days depending on size and ripeness.
Mushrooms – Refrigerator: 1-2 days
Commercially frozen vegetables – 8-12 months
Canned vegetables – Room Temperature: 1 year
Refrigerator (opened, stored in airtight container): 3-5 days
Shelf Life of Meat, Poultry, Fish and Eggs
Bacon – Refrigerator: 7 days Freezer: 1 month
Raw Sausage – Refrigerator: 1-2 days Freezer: 1-2 months
Hard Sausage – Refrigerator: 2-3 weeks Freezer: 1-2 months
Ground Beef, Turkey, Chicken, Lamb, Pork – Refrigerator: 1-2 days Freezer: 3-4 months
Steaks/Chops/Roasts (Beef, Pork, Lamb) – Refrigerator: 3-5 days
Freezer varies: Steaks – 6-12 months, Chops – 4-6 months, Roasts – 4-12 months
Fresh Poultry (whole) – Refrigerator: 1-2 days Freezer: 1 year
Fresh Poultry (pieces) – Refrigerator: 1-2 days Freezer: 9 months
Fish – Refrigerator: 1-2 days Freezer: Lean fish (cod, haddock, flounder) – 6 months
Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) – 2-3 months
Eggs – Refrigerator: Will maintain their best quality for around 3 weeks after the “sell by” or expiration date on the carton. To determine if an egg is still good, you can do a “float test” by putting it in a bowl of waters. If it sinks, it is safe to use. If it floats, it means that gases have built up in it’s shell and it’s not safe for consumption.
Pantry Staples ( kept in airtight storage)
Flour: 6-8 months
Milk (Evaporated, Powdered, Sweetened/Condensed): 1 year
Nuts: Shelled 4 months, Unshelled 6 months
Peanut Butter: 6-9 months unopened
Baking Soda: 2 years
Baking Powder: 18 months
Rice: White, Jasmine and Basmati – 2 years Brown and Wild – 6 months
Pasta: 2 years
Oil: Olive – 6 months, Canola – 1 year
Most vinegars are at their best within 2 years but is safe indefinitely. The following pantry staples will keep forever. . .
Salt
Sugar
Honey
Real Vanilla Extract
