Most of you know I like to 'stock up' on foods when I can, and since you've asked me how long you can keep certain foods I thought I'd share with you what (little) I do know about the shelf life of some of them. Keep in mind that there are websites devoted to this sorta stuff and those folks are probably a lot smarter than I am! (besides the fact that the government seems to keep changing the rules!) *lol*
Before I get started I'd like to tell you about a really neat website I found that's actually a search engine that tells you the storage life of just about any food. It's called "Still Tasty", and it really is the Ultimate Shelf life guide! You'll find it at: http://www.stilltasty.com
The shelf life of your food actually depends on a few factors: The food, its packaging, the temperature, and the humidity level where it's stored. Also, if the food isn't sterilized, it can grow cooties (also known as microorganisms) which will spoil your food.
Dairy products, meat, poultry, eggs, fresh fruits and veggies will spoil real fast if they're not stored at the right temperature! Dairy products need to be stored in the fridge between 34-38°F, Eggs need to be kept between 33-37°F. Your meats need to be stored between 33-36°F, and Fresh fruits and Veggies need to be between 35-40°F. Just remember the general rule: Keep all your refrigerated foods under 40°F to be safe! Everything in your freezer needs to be kept below 0°F, and in plastic wrap or freezer wrap that won't allow any moisture into it. You can eat your frozen goodies past the storage time but the quality might not be as good. You can also freeze your leftovers (do it within 48 hours for the best quality!), but make sure you label them well with the date in full view, and try to keep them up on the top where they're easier to get at and harder to forget! Always make sure the containers you use to store them in are clean and sanitized, too. The leftover food in your fridge should be eaten within 3 days to be safe, if you're not going to freeze it. If the leftovers from supper have been sitting on the counter or the stove more than 2 hours at room temperature, throw it out! The general rule: If in doubt, Throw it out!! (It's just not worth the risk.)
Dry stuff like flour, sugar, cake mixes, canned foods, crackers and seasonings should be stored in their original packages or airtight containers (I use 5-gallon buckets with tight-fitting lids for stuff like flour and sugar, my seasonings are kept in gallon jars), and the temperature should be between 50-70°F. Keep the humidity level below 60% so they don't absorb moisture. Wheat flour is treated a little differently than white flour. Wheat flour can go rancid because of the natural oils in it, so if you're stocking up on that, try to store it in a fridge or freezer to be safe.
Always Always Always keep your food and anything you eat with separate from any cleaning products, paper products, bug killer, etc. You'd be surprised how easily you can contaminate that stuff and poison yourself or someone you love!
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and flour...
In its original package, bread should be stored at room temperature and used within 5-7 days. If you store it in the fridge it will last a LOT longer because at fridge temperatures, it takes longer for mold to grow. Your bread will probably be a little firmer, too. If you store your bread it the freezer it's suppose to last 2-3 months. I have a little personal problem with that one, however. I seem to get ice and freezer burn in the bread bag when I try to freeze it. I've tried several things to prevent it, but always the same results...Freezer Burn!
If you buy any bakery goodies that contain eggs, cream cheese, custard or whipped cream be sure to keep them in the fridge and use them up within 3 days, tops.
Keep your cereals in a sealed-tight container at room temperature to keep the bugs out and avoid moisture. White rice also needs to be in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, and you're suppose to use it within one year, altho I've had it 2 years with no problem. We've kinda gotten away from the white rice over the past couple of years and tend to eat more of the brown rice or wild rice. Brown and Wild rices have a shorter shelf life if they're kept at room temperature (about 6 months), because of the natural oils getting rancid, but the general rule for all these rices is to keep them in the fridge or freezer, which keeps them a LOT longer. If you cook the rice first, you can keep it in the fridge for 6-7 days, or the freezer for 6 months. I like to make a big ole batch of wild rice and then keep it in the freezer. Comes in real handy when we get a craving for wild rice soup....no waiting to cook that rice first! (and I'm all for saving time!)
Fresh Veggies...
To really extend the life of your fresh veggies store them in the fridge wrapped as well as you can to remove as much oxygen as you can from the package. (I personally like to use ziplock storage bags for this so I can squeeze out all the air easier). The humidity should be about 95-100%. Since there's no nutritional value in iceberg lettuce, we switched to Romaine a couple years ago. Romaine lettuce has a LOT more vitamins in it, PLUS it lasts a LOT longer in the fridge than iceberg does. Romaine prefers to be dry to last longer...It always keeps about 3 weeks in my fridge if I store it in a baggie. If the romaine is a little wet when I bring it home from the store, I put several folded paper towels in the baggie with it, and when the papertowels look a little moist, I remove them and replace with new ones. It really does last longer if you keep it dry!
Potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Onions, Eggplant, and Rutabagas should be stored in a cool, well-ventilated area with the temp between 50-60°F. Keep your tomatoes at room temperature. They'll last a lot longer on your counter than in your fridge!
Remove the tops off your carrots, beets, and radishes to lessen the amount of moisture-loss and they'll last a lot longer, too.
Corn and peas need to be stored in a well-ventilated container in the fridge because they're high in starches, and even then they only last a couple days before they taste funny.
Processed Veggies...
Canned Vegetables need to be stored in a cool, dry area between 50-70°F, for up to one year. After that they can still be eaten, but the overall quality and the nutritional value won't be as great. And of course, if your cans have deep dents in them or they're rusty or swollen anywhere, throw those suckers out...they're not safe anymore!
Frozen Veggies are good for 8 months. Dehydrated Veggies need to be stored in a cool, dry place to last 6 months. They tend to lose a lot of flavor and color after that.
Fresh Fruits...
Keep your fresh fruits in the fridge so they'll last longer, and keep them in a covered container to help avoid losing moisture. Also try to keep them in a separate drawer in the fridge so they don't contaminate and absorb odors from the other foods in your fridge. ICK.
Apples should be stored separately from other food and eaten within a month. If you keep your apples at room temperature they'll soften within a few days.
Pears and Apricots will last about 5 days in the fridge. If they're not fully ripe when you buy them, ripen them at room temperature first. They don't seem to ripen well when they're in the fridge.
Make sure your Peaches are ripe before you put those in the fridge, too. Eat them within 2 days.
Your Grapes and Plums should be in the fridge and will last up to 5 days, depending on their quality when you buy them. Also store these separately.
Strawberries are also stored in the fridge, and separately. They'll last up to 3 days....again depending on the quality when you buy them.
Melons like Honeydew, Cantaloupe, and Watermelon should be ripened at room temperature within 2-7 days. Once they're ripe, store them in the fridge, too.
Lemons, Limes, Oranges, and Grapefruit can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
Bananas and Avacados need to be ripened at room temperature for about 3-5 days. Don't try storing the unripened bananas in your fridge...the cold will make them turn black a lot faster.
Processed Fruits...
Canned fruit and Fruit juices will last a year if they're stored in a cool, dry place between 50-70°F. And if the can looks funny, throw it out!!
Dried fruits have had all the moisture sucked outta them, so they'll last up to 6 months if they're stored at room temperature.
Dairy...
Milk is a little "iffy", in my opinion. We all know to keep it in the fridge, but it can last between 8-20 days. It all depends on the manufacture date, the storage conditions from the time it travels to the store, sits in the store, and then reaches your fridge. If you live out in the boonies like I do, it might take a half-hour to get from the grocery store to your fridge!...and that's not counting how long it sat in the store before the guy actually put it in the fridge there! I like to take a cooler along to store it in my car when I can. It should NEVER get to room temperature and ALWAYS make sure that lid is on tight! They say you're not suppose to freeze milk, but the grocery shopper where I work has done just that for years, and we haven't noticed anything different about it. It's suppose to separate and then taste 'funny' if you freeze it, so they don't reccomend it. Dry milk can be stored between 50-60°F in an air-tight container for up to a year, altho I've kept mine in the freezer for several years. We don't drink it tho, so I can't tell you what it tastes like after that long. I just use it in a few recipes. Sweetened Condensed and Evaporated milk can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 years. If it's opened, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 8-20 days. Processed or Natural Cheeses should be kept in an air-tight container or wrapping that resists moisture with the temperature below 40°F. You can use a knife to cut off the mold from the outsides of the hard cheeses. Don't eat the moldy part...just throw it away. Ü Try to prevent as much moisture loss as possible, but don't encourage more moisture. Ice cream is kept in the freezer, of course, and after 2 months the quality goes down. Don't keep the ice cream out of the freezer too long when you're getting a bowl, either. The longer that ice cream is out of the freezer, the more it encourages ice crystals!
Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Eggs...
These spoil really easily and can be dangerous to eat if they spoil. If your meat has any slime on it, throw it out. That means the spoiling process is starting and it's just not worth getting sick over! Fresh cuts of meat are usually good up to 3 days if kept in the fridge and not allowed to get at room temperature. I personally like to use my fresh meat the same day...otherwise I freeze it. Ground meats are even more risky because they've got a higher amount of surface area for bacteria to grow, because more of the meat surface has been handled with the equipment at the butcher's. Keep it on the lower shelf in your fridge and use it within 24 hours. The best fridge temperature for any meat is between 33-36°F. I tend to freeze all my fresh cuts and ground meat. They can be kept in the freezer up to a year, easily. They do suggest only up to 3-4 months for ground meat, but I know when we've bought part of a cow that meat will sit in the freezer over a year, sometimes 2 years, and it's been just fine. Just make sure it's wrapped tight so you don't get freezer burn. Bacon and other 'cured' meats should be kept in the fridge and sealed tight so the air doesn't get to them. Oxygen makes them go rancid faster. Only keep those in the fridge for a week. If they're still in their vacuum packaging (like lunch meats) they'll last up to 2 weeks. Poultry needs to be cooked within 24 hours or put it in the freezer. It can stay there up to a year, sometimes more in my freezer. Ü Always Always Always thaw your poultry in the fridge or under COLD RUNNING water. Cook it so it's between 170-180°F on the inside. You don't want to under-cook this stuff! Not a good thing!! You can store the leftovers in the fridge and eat it within 3 days. They say not to save your leftover gravies or broths, but if you do you're suppose to re-heat them to a temperature of 212°F before you eat it. (that's boiling!) If I save mine, I just heat it in the microwave (usually over potatoes!) so I'm not sure what temperature that actually gets to. I'm still alive, tho! *lol* Your poultry broth or gravy shouldn't be kept more than 2 days in the fridge. Fresh fish, crab, and shrimp should be kept in the fridge just slightly above 32°F and eaten within 1 or 2 days. I only buy the fake crab in the vacuum-packaging, and it'll last a few weeks un-opened, and over a week after it's opened as long as I re-seal it right. You can also freeze the fish and seafood for up to 6 months. Some of the fish in my freezer is a little older than that and it's still good. Ü Frozen shrimp is good for a year. Eggs are almost as "iffy" as milk, in my opinion. I prefer raising my own. Ü They should be refrigerator-cold the entire time, and keep them in their carton. Some people like to put them in their fridge door, which is a definate No-No. Opening and closing that door makes the temperature fluctuate too much. Also the eggs tend to take on the flavors of the other stuff in the fridge if they're not kept in that carton. ICK. You can use those eggs within 3-5 weeks from the packaging date. You can store egg whites and yolks in a covered container in the fridge and use them up to 4 days. The yolks should be covered with water so they don't dry out and harden. Another ICK. Hard-boil those eggs and you can keep 'em in the fridge for a week! Those liquid eggs you buy can be stored in the fridge up to 10 days. You can also freeze those liquid eggs and your egg whites and they'll keep for a whole year. The dried eggs you can buy can be stored in a tightly sealed container in your fridge for a year, too. Don't ever freeze your shell eggs.
Bottled Water...
The bottled water you buy in the store can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 2 years. I don't waste my money on that stuff unless I'm out and about and really thirsty. I don't trust where it comes from, no matter what the bottle claims....but that's another story. Ü I do buy the gallon jugs of distilled water, tho. I use that for my cleaning product recipes and my little water-fall thingies I have in the house. My well-water tends to clog up the tubes on those things. I also keep the gallon distilled jugs for storage, in case of emergencies. That water lasts a lot longer than your tap water does, because it goes thru a process that gets rid of the stuff that makes cooties grow. That's why I don't just bottle my own tap-water and store that. Tap water is only good for a few days because of the possibility for those cooties to breed.
Well...That's the extent of my own knowledge/opinion on the subject! Like I said earlier...Chek out that website called "Still Tasty" for more and even better food shelf life information!!
http://www.stilltasty.com
Until Next time!...
AuntyB
