How long can different foods be kept before they go bad?

Answer 1

It depends on the food. Potentially hazardous food (eggs, milk, meat, chicken, fish, etc.) should not be unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, but less time is better. Butter and margarine and many condiments will be OK for a longer period of time. When in doubt, throw it out.

Answer 2

Milk

1. How long after the "sell by" date is an opened container of milk good?

2. How long after the "sell by" date is an UNOPENED container of milk good?

Sell date indicates the final date the product should be sold. It allows for storage time at home. Examples of products that display sell dates are refrigerated dough products, luncheon meats and milk. This is the last day that the product can be sold in the grocery store.

Recommend storing milk between 34° F and 38° F: Milk stays fresh and tastes best longest at these temperatures, and will often be of good quality beyond the sell-date if maintained cold. Much depends on how a product was handled before you bought it. Milk past its sell-date may still be fine if it's been kept very cold. At warmer temperatures, spoilage bacteria are more likely to grow, shortening the practical shelf-life of the product. Always return unused containers or portions of milk promptly to the refrigerator.

Buy milk fresh, keep it cold and protect It from light. Though properly held milk should still be acceptable beyond the code date, milk does not improve with age and will not be as fresh tasting. Unopened containers of food can be kept longer than opened containers. Opened containers of milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week after they have been opened. Be sure to check the date on the carton.

Beer

Unopened: Starts to lose flavor after 110 days.

It's best to store bottles in boxes, and then in dark place.

Stronger alcohol and higher levels of hops might extend the shelf life of a beer.

One example is Michelob Craft Specialty beers, which are often at their peak with 180 days.

(Source: Budweiser support)

Brown sugar

Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moisture proof container in a cool, dry place.

Chocolate (Hershey bar)

1 year from production date.

Coffee, canned ground

Unopened: 2 years

Opened: 1 month refrigerated

Coffee, gourmet

Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant

Unopened: Up to 2 years

Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet Soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)

Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.

Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta

12 months

Frozen dinners

Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables

Unopened: 18 to 24 months

Opened: 1 month

Honey

Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)

Unopened: 8 months from production date

Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup

Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Maple syrup, real or imitation

1 year

Maraschino cherries

Unopened: 3 to 4 years

Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows

Unopened: 40 weeks

Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise

Unopened: Indefinitely

Opened: 2 to 3 months from "purchase by" date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Mustard

2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento)

Unopened: 3 years

Opened: 3 months

Olive oil

2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Peanuts

Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated

Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural

9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif)

Unopened: 2 years

Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles

Unopened: 18 months

Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.

Protein bars (Power Bars)

Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

Rice, white

2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled

Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date

Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular

Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date

Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce

33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Tabasco

5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton)

Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned

Unopened: 1 year from purchase date

Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled

Unopened: 2 years

Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Vinegar

42 months

Wine (red, white)

Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines

Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

Worcestershire sauce

Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Opened: 2 years

Answer 3

Until it's expiration date on the package. With fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables it can vary depending on the environment it is stored in.

Answer 4

5 years