Are you prepared for Wrath of the Lich King? WoW Insider has you covered!

Tip of the Day: Product Shelf Life

How many times have you come across a certain ingredient in your pantry and wondered if was still safe to eat?


Though it does vary a little depending on who you ask, there are some pretty set rules for how long you should keep your pantry items. I know that I have often found something that I couldn't remember purchasing anytime in recent memory, and I usually just end up tossing it out when in fact it may be perfectly fine.

Unopened flour can be stored for up to a year, but if the package has been opened you should use it up within six months. White sugar, unopened, should be fine for two years, and though it won't spoil after being opened, it can change flavor over time. Brown sugar should only be kept unopened for four to five months though.

Honey is safe for a year, and dried spices range from two to four - all regardless of whether they have been opened or not. Before cracking the seal on cocoa, it stays fresh almost indefintiely, but once opened you have a year to use it up. Baking soda and cornstarch are good unopened for up to two years, but once opened the soda needs to be used within six months.

One I found quite surprising was ground coffee. Unopened, it is fine for a few years, but once opened it should be used up within a few weeks, or kept in the refrigerator. Personally I break this rule all the time and haven't noticed a change in flavor, but the general consensus seems to disagree with me on that.

Finally, sesame seeds. Take it from me, you do not want to leave an open package in your pantry for very long at all. If you open them, store in the freezer, otherwise you may find your cupboards infested with something very, very unpleasant. Unfortunately, I found that one out the hard way.

Related Headlines

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New Users

Current Users

Tip of the Day

Wondering how to keep your radishes fresh and crisp? This reader-submitted tip will save the day.

Slashfood Features


What is it?
Beef (507)
Bread (13)
Candy (446)
Cheese (440)
Chocolate (759)
Comfort Food (615)
Condiments (207)
Dairy (491)
Eggs (253)
Fish (316)
Fruit (873)
Grains (594)
Meat (226)
Nuts/seeds (284)
Pork (289)
Poultry (382)
Rice (20)
Shellfish (145)
Soups/Salads (26)
Spices (283)
Sugar (394)
Vegetables (1118)
Holidays
Christmas (68)
Easter (20)
Halloween (40)
Hanukkah (9)
New Year's (11)
St. Patrick's Day (13)
Thanksgiving (49)
Valentine's Day (31)
Memorial Day (0)
Mother's Day (32)
Passover (7)
News
Artisan Foods (14)
Bakeries (119)
Books (708)
Business (1091)
Celebrities (55)
Coffee shops (171)
Farming (375)
Fast Food (206)
Food News (31)
Health & Medical (705)
How To (1180)
Lists (715)
Local Eating (43)
Magazines (450)
New Products (1346)
Newspapers (1408)
On the Blogs (2082)
Raves & Reviews (1043)
Recipes (2019)
Restaurants (1266)
Science (674)
Site Announcements (171)
Stores & Shopping (906)
Television/Film (537)
Trends (1257)
Vegetarian/Vegan (39)
Features
Guilty Pleasures (15)
Raising the Bar (6)
Tip of the Day (47)
Alt-SlashFood (42)
Back to School (14)
Brought to you by the letter D (37)
Cookbook of the Day (395)
Cooking Live with Slashfood (80)
Cooking Without a Recipe (3)
Culinary Kids (218)
Did you know? (438)
Fall Flavors (124)
Feast Your Eyes (23)
Food Gadgets (443)
Food Oddities (874)
Food Porn  (875)
Food Quest (168)
Frugal Food (62)
Garden Party (25)
Grilled Cheese Day (34)
Hacking Food (107)
Happy Hour (204)
Head to Tail (32)
in sixty seconds (347)
Ingredient Spotlight (13)
Leftovers  (40)
Light Food (181)
Liquor Cabinet (162)
Lush Life (221)
Our Bloggers (19)
Pizza Day (39)
Pop Food (142)
Pumpkin Day (10)
Real Kitchens (76)
Retro cookery (108)
Sandwich Day (31)
Slashfood Ate (80)
Slashfood Bowl 2008 (17)
Slashfood Challenge (1)
Slashfood Talks (3)
Slow cooking (50)
Spirit of Christmas (174)
Spirit of Summer (171)
Spirited Cooking Day (29)
Spring Cleaning (23)
Steak Day (19)
Super Bowl XLII (73)
Super Size Me (115)
The Best ... in All of New York (13)
The History of... (63)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (678)
Dessert (1177)
Dinner (1295)
Hors D'oeuvres (285)
Lunch (932)
Snacks (1024)
Where Is It?
America (2206)
Europe (440)
France (116)
Italy (138)
Asia (485)
Australia (147)
British Isles (828)
Caribbean (30)
Central Africa (7)
East Coast (530)
Eastern Europe (41)
Islands (51)
Mediterranean (129)
Mexico (10)
Middle East (52)
Midwest Cities (219)
Midwest Rural (67)
New Zealand (61)
North America (70)
Northern Africa (19)
Northern Europe (64)
South Africa (29)
South America (84)
South Asia (120)
Southern States (202)
West Coast (906)
What are you doing?
Baking (699)
Barbecuing (86)
Boiling (126)
Braising (18)
Broiling (33)
Frying (172)
Grilling (153)
Microwaving (31)
Roasting (84)
Slow cooking (25)
Steaming (44)
Choices
 (0)
Fairtrade (10)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (36)
High-fructose corn syrup (12)
MSG (6)
Trans Fats (56)
Libations
Hot chocolate (23)
Soda (147)
Spirits (334)
Beer (286)
Brandy (3)
Champagne (75)
Cocktails (361)
Coffee (339)
Gin (101)
Juice (110)
Liqueurs (48)
Non-alcoholic (12)
Rum (76)
Teas (149)
Tequila (8)
Vodka (144)
Water (79)
Whisky (90)
Wine (575)
Affairs
Celebrations (32)
Closings (9)
Festivals (26)
Holidays (223)
Openings (40)
Parties (193)
Tastings (132)

RESOURCES

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

Featured Galleries

I scream, you scream...
Food delivery at its finest
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Feast Your Eyes: May
Better Homes and Gardens Barbecue Book
Julep Iced Tea
Loyal Army Food Clothes
Great American Pie Festival
MOMA's funkiest kitchen accessories
Pork Pie Cake
Canstruction Designs
Taste of Vail
 

Sponsored Links

Most Commented On (60 days)

Weblogs, Inc. Network

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL