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Margie Cross
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Food Storage Chart
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Below is a chart I thought was very useful. For the home cook we sometimes like to stock up on ingredients for our pantry, Or for the once in a while cook who likes to have a well stocked pantry just in case they are in the mood to bake or cook something. If you are out of and ingredient to complete a recipe there is no bigger disappointment when you don't have that certain item.
Time passes and I know we all forget how long certain things have been in our pantry. I know a lot of times I stock up for the holidays and then do not use a product or I don't use all of a product. The next time you clean your cupboards you could use the rule of thumb below. If you are really efficient you could also have a permanent marker when you are unloading your groceries and mark the date purchased so that you will remember. This is a really good trick for baking powder, baking soda or cornstarch, because if like me for some reason that cake you made last month rose so much higher than this time, or that lemon pie you are making just is not thickening like it should "Bingo" it was probably the activeness of your baking soda, baking powder or your cornstarch.
You might want to make a copy of this and tape it into the inside of your cupboard for future reference.
Yeast, active dry
Check package date
Refrigerate during warm weather
Vegetable oil
1 year
1 year
Syrups-corn, maple-flavored, maple
Refrigerate maple syrup after opening
Food
Storage Time
Special Handling
Sugar, granulated
2 years
Keep in air tight container after opening
Baking powder or soda
18 months
Keep in air tight container after opening
Bouillon cubes, granules
1 year
Cake mixes
1 year
Canned foods, commercial
1 year
Cereals
Check Package Date
Keep in airtight containers
Chocolate, baking
1 year
Keep in cool, dark place
Coconut
1 year
Refrigerate after opening
Coffee fresh ground
2 to 3 weeks
Refrigerate open packages
Flour, all purpose
15 months
Flour, whole wheat
6 months
Refrigerate in warm weather
Fruit, dried
6 months
Refrigerate after opening
Gelatin
18 months
Keep in a dry place
Herbs, dried
6 months
Keep in cool dry place
Honey
1 year
Jams, Jellies
1 year
Refrigerate after opening
Macaroni,spaghetti, dried pasta
1 year
Keep in airtight container
Molasses
2 years
Nonfat dry milk powder
6 months
Keep in airtight container
Olive Oil
1 year
Peanut Butter
6 months
Puddding mixes
1 year
Rice, white
Indefinite
Keep in airtight container
Salad dressing, commercial
6 months
Refrigerate after opening
Shortening
8 months
Store in cool dry place
Sugar, brown
4 months
Keep in airtight container
Easy amounts Converter
Enter a number into a box and click go.
