food shelf life
Food Shelf Life
It is important to know the shelf life of food so that the nutrition of food is preserved. In this article we are going to discuss the shelf life of different foods.
Food Item | Pantry (70°F) | Refrigerator (37-40°F) | Freezer (0°F) |
Pantry Items | |||
Flour | 2-3 months | 6-8 months | 1 year |
Baking Powder | 18 months - unopened 6 months - opened | - | - |
Bread Crumbs | 4 months | 6-8 months | 1 year |
Ready-to-eat Cereals | 6-12 months | - | - |
Cake Mix | 9-12 months | - | - |
Cocoa | 24 months | - | - |
Coffee instant | 12-24 months, unopened 2 months, opened | - | - |
Coffee, whole beans | 1-2 weeks | - | - |
Pasta, dry | 24 months | - | - |
Pudding mixes | 6 months | - | - |
Rice, white | 24 months | - | - |
Olive oil | 24 months | - | - |
Tea, bags | 18 months | - | - |
Tea, loose | 24 months | - | - |
Vinegar | 24 months | - | - |
Sugar, granulated | 24 months | - | - |
Brown sugar | 4 months | - | - |
Powdered sugar | 18 months | - | - |
Vegetables | |||
Asparagus | - | 3-5 days | 8-12 months |
Celery | - | 1 week | 8-12 months |
Lettuce | - | 1 week | should not be frozen |
Carrots | - | 1 week | 8-12 months |
Bell Peppers | - | 1-2 weeks | 3-4 months |
Tomatoes | - | 3-5 days | 3-4 months |
Green onions | - | 3-5 days | should not be frozen |
Cabbage | - | 1 week | should not be frozen |
Radish | - | 2 weeks | - |
Mushrooms | - | 1-2 days | 8-12 months |
Cauliflower | - | 1 week | 8-12 months |
Squash | 3-6 months | - | - |
Fruits | |||
Apples | - | 3-5 months | - |
Bananas | 2-3 days | - | - |
Apricots | - | 3-5 days | 6 months |
Grapes | - | 1-2 weeks | - |
Melon | - | 1 week | 8-12 months |
Guava | - | 1-2 days | - |
Limes | 1 week | 1-2 weeks | - |
Cranberries | - | 3-4 weeks | 8-12 months |
Plums | - | 3 -2 days | 6 months |
Peaches | - | 3 -5 days | 6 months |
Oranges | 3-4 days | 5-6 weeks | - |
Watermelon | 3-4 days, uncut | 6-8 days | - |
Dairy Products | |||
Butter | - | 1-3 months | 6-9 months |
Parmesan cheese | - | - | 1-2 months |
Cheddar cheese | - | 6 months, unopened 3 to 4 weeks, opened | 6 months |
Cottage cheese | - | 1 week | - |
Cream cheese | - | 2 weeks | - |
Buttermilk | - | 1 week | 6-9 months |
Canned milk | - | 3-5 days | - |
Ice cream | - | - | 1-2 months |
Fresh milk | - | 7 days | 1 month |
Cream | - | 3-4 days | 4 months |
Yogurt | - | 7-12 days | 1-2 months |
Sour cream | - | 7-21 days | - |
Sorbet | - | - | 1-2 months |
Bread | |||
Fresh bread | 3-5 days | - | 3 months |
Unbaked dough | - | 1-2 days | 1 month |
Pancakes | - | 2 days | 1-2 months |
Dounuts | - | 1-2 days | 3 months |
Muffins | - | 3 days | 1-2 month |
Meats, Fish and Poultry | |||
Bacon | - | 7 days | 1 month |
Sausage | - | 1-2 days | 1 month |
Hotdogs | - | 7 days | 1-2 months |
Whole ham, cooked | - | 7 days | 1-2 months |
Corned beef | - | 4-7 days | 1 month |
Ground Beef | - | 1-2 days | 3-4 month |
Lamb chop, veal chops | - | 3-5 days | 3-4 months |
Steak | - | 7 days | 6-12 months |
Chicken or turkey, whole | - | 1-2 days | 12 months |
Turkey giblets | - | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
Fried chicken | - | 3-4 days | 4 months |
Chicken in broth or gravy | - | 1-2 days | 6 months |
Fatty fish | - | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
Lean fish | - | 1-2 days | 6 months |
Crab, cooked | - | 1-2 days | 2 months |
Lobster, shrimp, raw | - | 1-2 days | 6 months |
Fish sticks | - | - | 18 months |
Shellfish cooked | - | 3-4 days | 3 months |