Stockpile Shelf Life - The 101 on Storing Your Stock!

If you are like me you have plenty of things you have stockpiled only to realize... "I sooo should have used that or given it away... 6 months ago!" But somethings are not DANGEROUS, just ... lose their potency, like herbs. So before you throw out your cash... check to see if you really need to or not. And if you NEED to, DO!



Taken from the USDA website:

Types of Dates

• A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
• A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
• “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.

Pasta
3 years

Brown Rice
6 months in the fridge or 1 year in the freezer.  The bran oil quickly becomes rancid at room temperature.

White Rice
Indefinitely stored in a dry location and kept free from contaminants

Cornstarch
Indefinitely

Corn Syrup
Indefinitely

Sugar  
Indefinitely

Brown Sugar
Indefinitely

Honey  
Indefinitely

Spices
Spices dried commercially do not expire but do lose their potency over time.  Dates given are for quality purposes only.

Salt
Indefinitely

Soy Sauce
Indefinitely if kept sealed and in a cool, dry place.

Hard Liquor
Indefinitely, the flavor may change a little over time.

Mayonaise/Unopened
3-4 months AFTER date on bottle  (I was SO excited to learn this!)

Mustard
2 years

Vinegar (all kinds)
2 Years – Safe Indefinitely

Commercial Peanut Butter / Unopened
2 Years

Natural Peanut Butter
6 Months (refrigerated)

All Purpose Flour
10-15 months or freeze for longer.  You can read about how to properly store flour here.

Whole Wheat Flour
1-2 months or 6 months in the freezer.  The bran oil will become rancid quickly at room temperature.

Whole Grains
2-3 months or 1 year in the freezer.  The bran layer quickly becomes rancid at room temperature.

Shortening/Unopened
2 Years

Shortening/Opened
1 Year

Molasses
2 Years +

Vanilla Extract (Immitation)
1 Year

Vanilla Extract (Pure)
Indefinitely

Vanilla Beans
3-4 Years

Baking Powder/Unopened
18 months

Baking Powder/Opened
6 months – will not spoil but starts to lose it’s performance ability

Baking Soda/Unopened
2 Years

Baking Soda/Opened
6 months – will not spoil but looses it’s potency over time.

Bouillon
2 Years  - will lost potency over time.

Tabasco
5 years

Ramen Noodles
10+ Years

Oatmeal/Uncooked
1 Year

Beans Dry
1 Year for best although they will keep for many years after if stored in a tight container in a dry and cool setting.  Beans may be tougher to soften over time.

Canned Beans
2-5 Years

Canned Soups
2-5 Years

Spam
2-5 Years

Dry Cereal / Unopened
1 Year

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