Storing Food in the Cupboard
Staples
Baking powder
- Keep dry and covered
18 months or expiration date on can
Baking soda
- Keep dry and covered
2 years
Bouillon cubes or granules
- Keep dry and covered
2 years
Bread crumbs
- Dried
6 months
Cereals
- Refold package liner tightly after opening
- Ready-to-eat, unopened
6 to 12 months - Ready-to-eat, opened
2 to 3 months - Hot cereal, dry
6 months
Chocolate
- Keep cool
- Premelted
12 months - Semi-sweet
18 months - Unsweetened
18 months
Chocolate syrup
- Cover tightly
- Refrigerate after opening.
- Unopened
2 years - Opened
6 months
Cocoa mixes
- Cover tightly
8 months
Coffee
- Refrigerate after opening: keep tightly closed
- Use dry measuring spoon.
- Can be frozen to extend shelf life.
- Cans, unopened
2 years - Cans, opened
2 weeks
Coffee, instant
- Unopened
1 to 2 years - Opened
2 months
Coffee lighteners
- Keep tightly covered
- Unopened, dry
9 months - Opened, dry
6 months
Cornmeal
- Keep tightly covered
- Can be frozen for indefinite storage
12 months
Cornstarch
- Keep tightly covered
18 months
Flour, white
- Can be frozen for indefinite storage
- Keep in airtight container
6 to 8 months
Flour, wheat
- Keep refrigerated
- Store in airtight container
6 to 8 months
Gelatin, all types
- Keep in original container
18 months
Grits
- Store in airtight container
12 months
Honey
- Cover tightly
- If crystallizes, warm opened jar in pan of hot water
12 months
Jellies, jams
- Cover tightly
- Refrigerate after opening
- If slightly moldy, spoon off the top 1/2 inch of the product before using
12 months
Molasses
- Keep tightly covered
- Refrigerate to extend storage life
- Unopened
12 months - Opened
6 months
Marshmallow cream
- Cover tightly
- Refrigerate after opening to extend storage life
- Serve at room temperature
- Unopened
3 to 4 months
Marshmallows
- Keep in airtight container
2 to 3 months
Mayonnaise
- Refrigerate after opening
- Unopened
2 to 3 months
Milk, condensed or evaporated
- Unopened
- Invert cans every 2 months
12 months
Milk, nonfat dry
- Store in airtight container
- Unopened
6 months - Opened
3 months
Pasta. spaghetti, macaroni, etc
- Once opened, store in airtight container
2 years
Pectin
- Liquid or dry
1 year or expiration date
Rice
- Keep tightly covered
- White, brown, flavored or herb
2 years, plus 6 months
Salad dressings
- Bottled, unopened
10 to 12 months - Bottled, opened
Refrigerate after opening
3 months - Made from mix
Refrigerate prepared dressing
2 weeks
Shortenings
- Refrigeration not needed
- Store in a cool, dark place in tightly closed container
- Solid
8 months
Sugar, brown
- Put in airtight container
4 months
Sugar, confectioners'
- Put in airtight container
18 months
Sugar, granulated
- Cover tightly
2 years
Syrups
- Keep tightly covered
- Refrigerate to extend storage life
- Remove any light surface mold
- Heat to 180 degrees Fahrenheit before use
12 months
Sweeteners, artificial
- Cover tightly
2 years
Tea, bags
- Put in airtight container
18 months
Tea, instant
- Cover tightly
3 years
Tea, loose
- Put in airtight container
2 years
Vegetable oils
- Refrigeration not needed
- Store in a cool, dark place in tightly closed container
- Unopened
6 months - Opened
1 to 3 months
Vinegar
- Keep tightly covered
- Slightly cloudy appearance doesn't affect quality.
- Distilled vinegar keeps longer than cider vinegar
- Unopened
2 years - Opened
12 months
Bread
- Bread keeps fresh if stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place. Refrigeration speeds staling. In hot, humid weather, however, bread kept for more than two or three days should be refrigerated to retard mold growth. Some whole wheat products have no preservatives added. Because of the fat content of whole wheat flour, these products can become stale quickly. Be sure to check for freshness at time of purchase. Store properly at home for maximum quality.
- Store brown-and-serve breads, English muffins and other high-moisture breads in the refrigerator.
- Keep hard-crust breads, such as French bread, at room temperature and use within one to two days of purchase. These breads are made with water rather than milk and dry out quickly.
- Most breads are packaged in moisture- and vapor-proof wraps (polyethylene bags) which are good for storage. Other containers used to store bread should be cleaned with a solution of baking soda and water rather than soap. The odor of soap can transfer to the bread. Do not reuse bread wrappers for food storage.
- For longer storage, freeze fresh bread. Freezing will not freshen bread. It just preserves freshness present at the time of freezing.
Flour
- Store flour in an airtight container to prevent absorption or loss of moisture. Place large bags in a big covered container. In hot, humid weather, buy flour in small amounts and keep in the refrigerator or freezer. Flour stored in a warm place, is likely to become infested with insects.
- Keep whole wheat flour in the refrigerator or freezer the year around. Natural oils cause this flour to turn rancid quickly at room temperature.
- Flour absorbs odors. Do not store near soap powders, medicines or other items with strong odors.
Brown sugar
If brown sugar is so hard that a hammer is needed to break it, soften it by one of the following methods.
- Spread it as much as possible on a cookie sheet and heat in a slow oven at 250 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. When softened, remove sugar from oven and measure it while still warm; it will harden again when cooled.
- Place a fresh slice of bread or apple in the container of sugar, close tightly and allow to stand for several days. Check to see if the slice is dried out and the sugar softened. If necessary, place a new slice of fresh bread or apple in the container to complete the softening process.
- To keep brown sugar soft, put it in a plastic bag or, better yet, in a jar with a tight lid. Slipping an apple slice or a slice of fresh bread in with the brown sugar will also do the trick. Check the slice occasionally to ensure it is not dry or moldy.