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Food Storage Guide
General guidelines for the shelf life of common foods. Read the label and check ‘best before’ dates if applicable. Most foods are safe to eat if stored longer, but flavour and nutritional value will deteriorate. Discard if there is evidence of spoilage.
Cupboard (room temperature) Unless otherwise specified, times apply to unopened packages.
Cereal Grains
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Canned Foods
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Dry Foods
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Miscellaneous
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Vegetables |
Bread crumbs (dry) 3 mo.
Cereals (ready-to-eat) 8 mo.
Cornmeal 6-8 mo.
Crackers 6 mo.
Pasta several yr.
Rice several yr.
Rolled oats
White flour 1 yr.
Whole wheat flour |
Evaporated milk 9-12 mo.Other canned foods 1 yr. |
Baking powder, baking soda 1 yr.
Beans, peas, lentils
Chocolate (baking)
Cocoa 10-12 mo.
Coffee (ground) 1 mo.
Coffee (instant) 1 yr.
Coffee whitener
Fruit (dried) 1 yr.
Gelatin 1 yr.
Jelly powder 2 yr.
Mixes (cake, pancake, and biscuit) 1 yr.
Mixes (pie filling and pudding) 18 mo.
Mixes (main dish accompaniments)
Potatoes (flakes) 1 yr.
Skim milk powder
Sugar (all types) several yr.
Tea bags 1 yr. |
Honey 18 mo.
Jam, jellies (once opened, covered in fridge) 1 yr.
Mayonnaise, salad dressings
Molasses 2 yr.
Nuts 1 mo.
Peanut butter
Pectin
Sandwich spread
Syrups – corn, maple, table 1 yr.
Vegetable oils
Vinegar several yr.
Yeast (dry) 1 yr. |
Potatoes, rutabaga, squash 1 wk.
Tomatoes
Onions
Potatoes (mature)
Rutabaga (waxed)
Squash (winter) several mo. |
Refrigerator (4°C, 40°F) Unless otherwise specified, cover all foods.
Dairy Products & Eggs(check ’best before’ dates) |
Fish & Shellfish |
Fresh Fruit (Ripe) |
Fresh Vegetables |
Meat & Poultry |
Miscellaneous Foods |
Butter
Cheese
Eggs 3 wk.
Margarine
Milk, cream, yogurt (opened) 3 days |
Clams, crab, lobster and mussels (live) 12-24 hr.Fish (cleaned)
Oysters (live) 24 hr.
Scallops, shrimp (raw) 1-2 days
Shellfish (cooked) 1-2 days |
Apples 2 mo.
Apricots (store uncovered) 1 wk.
Blueberries (store uncovered) 1 wk.
Cherries 3 days
Cranberries (store uncovered) 1 wk.
Grapes 5 days
Peaches (store uncovered) 1 wk.
Pears (store uncovered 1 wk.
Plums 5 days
Raspberries (store uncovered) 2 days
Rhubarb 1 wk.
Strawberries (store uncovered) 2 days |
Asparagus 5 days
Beans (green, wax) 5 days
Beets 3-4 wk.
Broccoli 3 days
Brussels sprouts 1 wk.
Cabbage 2 wk.
Carrots several wk.
Cauliflower 10 days
Celery 2 wk.
Corn use same day
Cucumbers 1 wk.
Lettuce 1 wk.
Mushrooms 5 days
Onions (green) 1 wk.
Parsnips several wks.
Peas use same day
Peppers (green, red, etc.) 1 wk.
Potatoes (new) 1 wk.
Spinach 2 days
Sprouts 2 days
Squash (summer) 1 wk. |
Uncooked
Chops, steaks 2-3 days
Cured or smoked meat 6-7 days
Ground meat 1-2 days
Poultry 2-3 days
Roasts 3-4 days
Variety meats, giblets 1-2 days
Cooked
All meats and poultry 3-4 days
Casseroles, meat pies
Soups 2-3 days |
Coffee (ground) 2 mo.
Nuts 4 mo.
Shortening 12 mo.
Whole wheat flour 3 mo. |
Freezer (-18°C, 0°F) Use freezer wrapping or airtight containers. Freeze fresh food at its peak condition.
Dairy Products & Fats |
Fish & Shellfish |
Fruits & Vegetables |
Meat, Poultry & Eggs |
Miscellaneous Foods |
Butter
Cheese – firm, processed 3 mo.
Cream – table, whipping
Ice cream 1 mo.
Margarine 6 mo.
Milk 6 wk. |
Fish (fat species: lake trout, mackerel, salmon) 2 mo.Fish (lean species: cod, haddock, pike, smelt) 6 mo.Shellfish 2-4 mo. |
1 yr. |
Uncooked
Beef (roasts, steaks) 10-12 mo.
Chicken, turkey
Cured or smoked meat 1-2 mo.
Duck, goose 3 mo.
Eggs (whites, yolks) 4 mo.
Ground meat 2-3 mo.
Lamb (chops, roasts) 8-12 mo.
Pork (chops, roasts) 8-12 mo.
Sausages, wieners 2-3 mo.
Variety meats, giblets 3-4 mo.
Veal (chops, roasts) 8-12 mo.
Cooked
All meat 2-3 mo.
All poultry 1-3 mo.
Casseroles, meat pies 3 mo. |
Bean, lentil, pea, casseroles 3-6 mo.
Breads (baked or unbaked, yeast) 1 mo.
Cakes, cookies (baked) 4 mo.
Herbs 1 yr.
Pastries, quick bread (baked) 1 mo.
Pastry crust (unbaked) 2 mo.
Pie (fruit, unbaked) 6 mo.
Sandwiches 6 wk.
Soups (stocks, cream) 4 mo. |