Food | Pantry (Room Temperature) | Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F) | Freezer (0°F) |
Bread and Cereal Products |
Baked quick breads | 4-5 days | 1-2 weeks | 2-3 months |
Bread | 5-7 days | 1-2 weeks | 3 months |
Bread crumbs and croutons | 6 months | | |
Bread rolls, unbaked | | 2-3 weeks | 1 month |
Cereals, ready-to-eat | 1 year
2-3 months* | | |
Cereals, ready-to-cook | 6 months | | |
Corn meal | 1 year | 18 months | 2 years |
Doughnuts | 4-5 days | | 3 months |
Flour, all-purpose, white | 6-8 months | 1 year | 1-2 years |
Flour, whole wheat | | 6-8 months | 1-2 years |
Pasta | 2 years | | |
Pies and pastries | | 3 days | 4-6 months |
Pies and pastries, baked | | | 1-2 months |
Pies and pastries, cream filled | | 2-3 days | 3 months |
Pizza | | 3-4 days | 1-2 months |
Rice, brown | 6 months | | |
Rice, white | 1 year | 6-7 days+ | 6 months+ |
Tacos, enchiladas, and burritos (frozen) | | 2 weeks | 1 year |
Waffles | | 4-5 days | 1 month |
Packaged Foods and Mixes |
Biscuit, brownie, and muffin mixes | 9 months | | |
Cakes, prepared | 2-4 days | | 2-3 months |
Cake mixes | 6-9 months | | |
Casserole mix | 9-12 months | | |
Chili powder | 6 months | | |
Cookies, packaged | 2 months | | 8-12 months |
Crackers, pretzels | 3 months | | |
Frosting, canned | 3 months | | |
Frosting, mix | 8 months | | |
Fruit cake | | 2-3 months | 1 year |
Hot roll mix | 18 months | | |
Instant breakfast products | 6 months | | |
Pancake and piecrust mix | 6 months | | |
Pancake waffle batter | | 1-2 days | 3 months |
Toaster pastries | 3 months | | |
Sauce and gravy mixes | 6 months | | |
Soup mixes | 1 year | | |
Spices, Herbs, Condiments, Extracts |
Catsup, chili, and cocktail sauce | 1 year
1 month* |
6 months | |
Herbs | 6 months | | 1-2 years |
Herb/spice blends | 2 years
1 year * | | 1-2 years |
Mustard | 2 years | 6-8 months* | 8-12 months |
Spices, ground | 6 months | | 1-2 years |
Spices, whole | 1-2 years | | 2-3 years |
Vanilla extract | 2 years
1 year* | | |
Other extracts | 1 year | | |
Other Food Staples |
Bacon bits | 4 months | | |
Baking powder | 18 months | | |
Baking soda | 2 years | | |
Bouillon products | 1 year | | |
Carbonated soft drinks (12 oz. cans) | 6-9 months | | |
Carbonated soft drinks, diet (12 oz. cans) | 3-4 months | | |
Chocolate, premelted | 1 year | | |
Chocolate syrup | 2 years | 6 months* | |
Chocolate, semisweet | 2 years | | |
Chocolate, unsweetened | 18 months | | |
Cocoa mixes | 8 months | | |
Coconut, shredded | 1 year
6 months* | 8 months | 1 year |
| |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
Cornstarch | 18 months | | 2 years |
Gelatin | 18 months | | |
Honey, jams, jellies, and syrup | 1 year | 6-8 months* | |
Marshmallows | 2-3 months | | |
Marshmallow cream | 3-4 months | | |
Mayonnaise | 2-3 months | 12 months
2 months* | |
Molasses | 2 years | | |
Nuts, shelled | 4 months | 6 months | |
Nuts, unshelled | 6 months | | |
Nuts, salted | | | 6-8 months |
Nuts, unsalted | | | 9-12 months |
Oil, salad | 3 months^
2 months* | | |
Parmesan grated cheese | 10 months
2 months* | | |
Pasteurized process cheese spread | 3 months | 3-4 weeks* | 4 months |
Peanut butter | 6-9 months
2-3 months* | 4-6 months | |
Popcorn | 1-2 years | 2 years | 2-3 years |
Pectin | 1 year | | |
Salad dressings, bottled | 1 year^ | 3 months* | |
Soft drinks | 3 months | | |
Artificial sweetener | 2 years | | |
Sugar, brown | 4 months | | |
Sugar, confectioners | 18 months | | |
Sugar, granulated | 2 years | | |
| | | |
|
| | |
Vegetable oils | 6 months
1-3 months* | | |
Vegetable shortening | 3 months | 6-9 months | |
Vinegar | 2 years
1 year* | | |
Water, bottled | 1-2 years | | |
Whipped topping (dry) | 1 year | | |
Yeast, dry | Pkg. exp. date | | |
Vegetables |
Asparagus | | 2-3 days | 8 months |
Beets | | 2 weeks | |
Broccoli | | 3-5 days | |
Brussels sprouts | | 3-5 days | |
Cabbage | | 1 week | |
Carrots | | 2 weeks | |
Cauliflower | | 1 week | |
Celery | | 1 week | |
Corn (husks) | | 1-2 days | 8 months |
Cucumbers | | 1 week | |
Eggplant | | 1 week | |
Green beans | | 1-2 days | 8 months |
Green peas | | 3-5 days | 8 months |
Lettuce | | 1 week | |
Lima beans | | 3-5 days | 8 months |
Mushrooms | | 2 days | |
Onions | 1 week | 3-5 days | |
Onion rings (precooked, frozen) | | | 1 year# |
Peppers | | 1 week | |
Pickles, canned | 1 year | 1 month* | |
Frozen potatoes | | | 8 month |
Sweet potatoes | 2-3 weeks | | |
White potatoes | 2-3 months | | |
Potato chips | 1 month | | |
Radishes | | 2 weeks | |
Rhubarb | | 3-5 days | |
Rutabagas | 1 week | | |
Snap beans | | 1 week | |
Spinach | | 5-7 days | 8 months |
Squash, Summer | | 3-5 days | |
Squash, Winter | 1 week | | |
Tomatoes | | 1 week | |
Turnips | | 2 weeks | |
Commercial baby food, jars | 1-2 years^ | 2-3 days | |
Canned vegetables | 1 year^ | 3-5 days* | |
Canned vegetables, pickled | 1 year^ | 1-2 months* | |
Dried vegetables | 6 months | | |
Frozen vegetables | | | 8 months |
Vegetable soup | | 3-4 days | 3 months |
Fruits |
Apples | Until ripe | 1 month | |
Apricots | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Avocados | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Bananas | Until ripe | 5 days (fully ripe) | |
Berries | Until ripe | 3 days | 1 year |
Canned fruit | 1 year | 2-4 days* | |
Canned fruit juices | 1 year | 3-4 days* | |
Cherries | Until ripe | 3 days | |
Citrus fruit | Until ripe | 2 weeks | |
Dried fruit | 6 months | 2-4 days+ | |
Frozen fruit | | | 1 year |
Fruit juice concentrate | | 6 days | 1 year |
Fruit pies, baked | | 2-3 days | 8 months |
Grapes | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Melons | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Nectarines | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Peaches | Until ripe | 5 days | 1 year |
Pears | Until ripe | 5 days | 1 year |
Pineapple | Until ripe | 5-7 days | 1 year |
Plums | Until ripe | 5 days | |
Dairy Products |
Butter | | 1-2 months | 9 months |
Buttermilk | | 2 weeks | |
Cottage cheese | | 1 week | 3 months |
Cream cheese | | 2 weeks | |
Cream-light, heavy, half- and-half | | 3-4 days | 1-4 months |
Eggnog commercial | | 3-5 days | 6 months |
Margarine | | 4-5 months | 12 months |
Condensed, evaporated and dry milk | 12-23 months^ | 8-20 days* | |
Milk | | 8-20 days | |
Ice cream and sherbet | | | 2 months |
Hard natural cheese (e.g. cheddar, swiss) | | 3-6 months
3-4 weeks* | 6 months |
Processed cheese | | 3-4 weeks | 6-8 months |
Soft cheese (e.g. brie) | | 1 week | 6 months |
Pudding | | 1-2 days* | |
Snack dips | | 1 week* | |
Sour cream | | 2 weeks | |
Non-dairy whipped cream, canned | | 3 months | |
Real whipped cream, canned | | 3-4 weeks | |
Yogurt | | 2 weeks | 1-2 months |
Meats, Poultry, Eggs and Fish |
Meats |
Fresh beef and bison steaks | | 3-5 days | 6-9 months |
Fresh beef and bison roasts | | 3-5 days | 9-12 months |
Fresh pork chops | | 2-3 days | 4-6 months |
Fresh lamb chops | | 3-5 days | 6-8 months |
Fresh veal | | 1-2 days | 4-6 months |
Fresh ground meat (e.g. beef, bison, veal, lamb) | | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
Cooked meat | | 2-3 days | 2-3 months |
Canned meat | 1 year | 3-4 days* | 3-4 months |
Ham, whole | | 1 week | 1-2 months |
Ham, canned | 2 years | 1 week* | 3-4 months |
Ham, canned "keep refrigerated" | | 6-9 months
3-5 days* |
3-4 months |
Shelf-stable unopened canned meat (e.g. chili, deviled ham, corn beef) | 1 year | 1week* | |
Ham, cook before eating | | 1 week | |
Ham, fully cooked | | 2 weeks
1 week* | |
Ham, dry-cured | 1 year | 1 month | |
Ham salad, store prepared or homemade | | 3-5 days | |
Bacon | | 2 weeks
1 week* | 1 month |
Corned beef, uncooked | | 5-7 days | 1-2 months |
Restructured (flaked) meat products | | | 9-12 months |
Sausage, fresh | | 1-2 days | 1-2 months |
Smoked breakfast sausage links, patties | | 1 week | 2 months |
Sausage, smoked (e.g. Mettwurst) | | 1 week | 1-2 months |
Sausage, semi-dry (e.g. Summer sausage) | | 2-3 weeks* | 6 months |
Sausage, dry smoked (e.g. Pepperoni, jerky, dry Salami) | 1 year | 1 month* | 6 months |
Frankfurters, bologna | | 2 weeks
3-7 days* | 1-2 months |
Luncheon meat | | 2 weeks
3-5 days* | 1 month |
Meat gravies | | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
TV beef and pork dinners | | | 18 months# |
Meat based casseroles | | 3-4 days | 4 months |
Variety meats (giblets, tongue, liver, heart, etc.) | | 1-2 days | 3-4 months |
Vinegar pickled meats (e.g. pickled pigs feet) | 1 year^ | 2 weeks* | |
Fish |
Breaded fish | | | 4-6 months |
Canned fish | 1 year | 1-2 days* | |
Cooked fish or seafood | | 3-4 days | 3 months |
Lean fish (e.g. cod, flounder, haddock) | | 1-2 days | 6 months |
Fatty fish (e.g. bluefish, salmon, mackeral) | | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
Dry pickled fish | | 3-4 weeks | |
Smoked fish | | 2 weeks | 4-5 weeks |
Seafood-clams, crab, lobster in shell | | 2 days | 3 months |
Seafood-oysters and scallops | | 4-5 days | 3-4 months |
Seafood-shrimp | | 4-5 days | 1 year |
Seafood-shucked clams | | 4-5 days | 3-6 months |
Tuna salad, store prepared or homemade | | 3-5 days | |
Poultry |
Chicken nuggets or patties | | 1-2 days | |
Chicken livers | | 1-2 days | 3 months |
Chicken and poultry TV dinners | | | 6 months |
Canned poultry^ | 2-5 years | 3-4 days* | 4-6 weeks |
Cooked poultry | | 2-3 days | 4-6 months |
Fresh poultry | | 1-2 days | 1 year |
Frozen poultry parts | | 1-2 days | 6-9 months |
Canned poultry | | 1 day | 3 months |
Poultry pies, stews, and gravies | | 1-2 days | 6 months |
Poultry salads, store prepared or homemade | | 3-5 days | |
Poultry stuffing, cooked | | 3-4 days | 1 month |
Eggs |
Eggs, in shell | | 3-5 weeks | |
Eggs, hard-boiled | | 1 week | |
Eggs, pasteurized | | 10 days
3 days* | 1 year |
Egg substitute | | 10 days
3 days* | 1 year |
Egg yolks (covered in water) | | 2-4 days | 1 year |
Egg whites (For each cup of egg yolk add 1 Tbs. of sugar or salt) | | 2-4 days | 1 year |
Wild Game |
Frog legs | | 1 day | 6-9 months |
Game birds | | 2 days | 9 months |
Small game (rabbit, squirrel, etc.) | | 2 days | 9-12 months |
Venison ground meat | | 1-2 days | 2-3 months |
Venison steaks and roasts | | 3-5 days | 9-12 months |
* Opened
+ Cooked
^ Refrigerate after opening
# After manufacture date |