I’ve been thinking about discussing with my readers what you may not know about food storage. You may know the many factors that go into an adequate food storage plan, or maybe you’re not up to speed. Either way, someone may be able to use this information to help them in their journey. You may think the items I’m discussing today have a long-term shelf-life. It’s just the opposite; these foods have a very short shelf-life.
It’s frustrating to me when people think that adding flour to a Mylar bag with some oxygen absorbers will extend the shelf life to 30 years. Here’s the deal: Please don’t make food storage harder than it is. Even Thrive Life, a reputable commercial food storage company, states the shelf life of their #10 cans of white flour is five years unopened and one year if opened.
Please be aware of the short-term food storage items I have listed below. I don’t want you to purchase a large inventory and then see the stored items spoil or go to waste. There are many more I could write about, but let’s start with these. Keep in mind that these are suggested time frames. If you smell an unfamiliar, strange, or unique odor you don’t recognize as you open or use the product, please discard it. When in doubt, throw it out. Let’s stay well and follow smart food safety steps to avoid the chance of food poisoning.
About Food Storage
Oils
Oils actually have a very short shelf life. I want you to think about where you buy your oil, the bright lights in the store, and how long it has been sitting there on the shelf. Remember, we need to store our oils and most other food storage items in a dark, cool location whenever possible in an effort to extend the products’ shelf life.
I follow oil expiration dates very closely. Have you ever tasted olive oil, or any other human consumable oil, that is rancid? I have. We had dinner at someone’s house, and they made a vinegar and oil salad dressing. Well, it was rancid; I can’t even describe the flavor. Let’s say, I had to push the vegetables around on the plate; I couldn’t eat the salad.
It tastes stale and old—that’s the best way I can describe it. When in doubt, throw it out. If you just bought the bottle, take it back to the store and ask for a refund. Here are my thoughts on the shelf-life of oils:
Olive Oil: most are 18-24 months
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 12-18 months
Canola Oil: 12 months
Coconut Oil: up to two years
I quote MasterClass, “Virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil, also called unrefined coconut oil, is made from fresh coconut meat, or copra. It has a shelf life of up to five years.”
Avocado Oil: lasts about eight months after being opened and stored in your refrigerator. Yes, it will solidify, but the flavor and quality remain the same. Just bring it to room temperature before you use it, and then return it to the refrigerator.
Shortening: Unopened packages will be good for eight months. Then, once opened, three months.
Canned Tuna
Mark and I don’t stock a lot of tuna because the canned tuna goes mushy after about a year. By mushy, I mean you can no longer distinguish the water from the tuna meat. That’s the only way I can describe it. You’re better off buying canned chicken, roast beef, corn beef, or Spam. So, one year is my suggested target for using your canned tuna products.
Breakfast Cereals
If you see a lady in Walmart pushing a shopping cart overflowing with cold breakfast cereal, it may be me. Yes, people stare at me; they probably think I have 12 kids. No, it’s for Mark and the grandkids if they stop by. I go twice a year and stock up on large bags of cereal—lots of bags. Then, when we open a bag, we transfer it into my Rubbermaid 8-quart commercial containers. The rest is stored on a shelf in the pantry.
Cereal has a short shelf life. Cold breakfast cereal has a shelf-life of one year unopened. Once the bag or box is opened, it changes to four to six months. These containers are Rubbermaid Commercial 8-Quart Containers that have lasted me at least ten or more years, or whenever I first started buying them. I love them!
Mark has a system for using breakfast cereal. He rotates what he eats every day, although he eats a banana with each variety of cereal. We don’t store seven different kinds of cereal, but he tracks that rotation. He seems pretty healthy, so maybe there’s something worthwhile to his approach.
Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip
Mayonnaise: An open jar of mayo stored in the refrigerator should be used within two months. Unopened, it lasts 6-8 months.
Miracle Whip: If stored properly in the refrigerator, an open jar will last 1-2 months past the expiration date. Unopened in the pantry, it is good for only one week past the expiration date/best-by date.
Ketchup: Because of its acidic nature, ketchup will keep unopened on your pantry shelf for about one year. If it’s open and stored properly in your refrigerator, it will be best if used within 3-6 months.
Mustard: 2-3 years unopened. If stored properly in the refrigerator when opened, plan on one year.
Baking Mixes
Cake Mixes: unopened for 6-12 months. You can use them for up to 2 years after the best-by date, but they may not have the quality or leavening you would want or expect.
Brownie Mixes: last 12-18 months on the pantry shelf. To extend their shelf life, store them in the freezer.
Pancake Mixes: last 6-12 months on your pantry shelf unopened. If opened, they last one month. They’re best stored in your freezer in an airtight container.
Nuts
Nuts contain a lot of oil, so they go rancid very quickly. Please place all nuts in airtight containers in your freezer. If nuts have gone bad, you will smell a distinct paint smell. They may smell rancid even before they get to the paint smell phase.
Crackers/Graham Crackers
Saltines: last nine months unopened and two weeks if opened. I worry when I see people putting them in mason jars, using their FoodSaver, and then opening them five years later.
Graham Crackers: 1-2 months once the packages are opened. If unopened, the shelf-life is 6-9 months, or the best if used by date.
Flour
White bread or all-purpose flour is suitable for 12-18 months. Be sure to check the best-by date on the packages you purchase. I always make bread, cinnamon rolls, bagels, and dinner rolls, so I MUST have fresh flour, or the result after baking will not be what I like.
Brown Sugar
This is one thing I never buy from a store anymore, I make my brown sugar. In case you missed this post, How to Make Brown Sugar
But purchased brown sugar lasts indefinitely, although it may go hard as a rock. Please try these jars; my brown sugar never goes hard. Airtight Glass Jars
Peanut Butter
Oh my gosh, have you ever opened a jar of peanut butter and smelled how rancid it was? The nuts and the oil make it go rancid so quickly. I had to start buying smaller jars of peanut butter. I barely learned we could freeze peanut butter; who would have known?
Peanut Butter: I’m talking today about products like JIF or Skippy-type peanut butter. It will last 6-24 months, depending on the brand. Please check for the best-by dates on the container. If the jars are opened, they will last 2-3 months. If you want to extend the shelf life after opening it, place the jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 months.
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed my post today. Here is what you may not know about food storage. I intended to show you some things we can’t stock safely for five years or whatever extended period you are shooting for. If you have ketchup that is five years old, that’s your choice. I’m showing you the SAFE timelines for these short-term foods. Please stay out of the ER. It’s not worth the price of a jar of mayo. May God Bless this world, Linda