How Long Does Your Food Actually Keep?

We throw away a lot of food because we’re afraid; experts say $165 billion worth doing so annually. However, the majority of expiration dates are fictitious. The “sell by” dates only warn you when food will lose its “optimal quality,” not whether or not it is safe to eat, according to the National Resource Defense Council.

Data are gathered by the useful website StillTasty from organizations including the USDA, FDA, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as food producers themselves. The website offers useful advice on when to get rid of a wide variety of household items.

Advice regarding the terms “sell by,” “best by,” and “used by”

The “best if used by (or before)” date indicates when the food will have the best taste and quality, and the USDA urges you to buy it before the “sell-by” date. Dates with “use by” just denote the final day the food will be at its finest.

The USDA warns that eating certain goods after the expiration dates on the box is safe, but that does not imply we are immune to illness. The USDA states on its website that “food borne germs can develop, and if pathogens are present, cause foodborne illness – before or after the date on the package” if goods are handled improperly. The USDA encourages parents not to purchase or even use newborn formula after the “use by” date has passed. Infant formula is the only exemption.

What about fungus?

In general, it’s best to pay attention to when you bought or opened the food rather than what it says on the container.

Uncooked chicken

For one to two days after purchase, poultry can be kept in the refrigerator, according to the USDA. If it is cooked and the packaging is not opened, it will usually last three to four days. The chicken will keep for three to four days after being opened. Chicken can be frozen for nine months.

Uncooked veal, hog, beef, and lamb

You don’t need to pay attention to the “sell by” date, even if the USDA recommends consumers to pay attention to the “use by” date. After purchasing, the item will remain in good condition for three to five days. Beef will stay in great condition for six to twelve months when stored in the freezer.

Eggs

Eggs are a contentious food. The good news is that you can keep eggs for three to five weeks after purchase if they simply have a “sell by” date. They can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Bacon

Everyone like bacon, but how long should you keep it in the refrigerator before throwing it away? Although the USDA urges you to abide by “use by” dates, “sell by” dates, again, are not very important. Bacon can be stored for two weeks in a refrigerator (40 degrees Fahrenheit) if it is unopened. You have seven days after opening it to consume the bacon.

Dinner meat

The USDA advises keeping lunch meat with a “sell by” date rather than a “use by” date for two weeks if you don’t open it. However, you only have three to five days remaining after you open the gift. Commercially packaged lunch meat (ham), can be stored for one to two months in the freezer.

Nuts

Commercially packaged nuts can be stored for 10 to 12 months in the pantry.

A peanut butter jar with the lid open

Three to four months can pass after you’ve opened a jar of peanut butter. Storing peanut butter in the pantry will extend its shelf life by three months. If you refrigerate your opened jar of peanut butter, you can (slightly) extend its shelf life (which will be three to four months).

Spaghetti noodles

No need to constantly empty your noodle cabinets. Lasagna noodles can last three years, whether they are opened or not.

Chocolate

If stored properly, boxed chocolates can survive longer than you might think. To extend the life of your chocolate by six to nine months, we suggests storing it at room temperature. Even if they have already been unlocked,

Additionally, you can lengthen the life of chocolate by lowering the temperature. Generally speaking, freezing chocolate can increase its shelf life by at least 50% and refrigerating it can increase it by at least 25%. For maximum quality, place the original box in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag, close it up, and then store in the fridge for up to a year or the freezer for up to 18 months.

This is not the case with high-end, artisanal, handmade chocolates, since they will remain fresh for two to three weeks at room temperature.

Milk

Milk will often stay drinkable for about a week after the “sell by” date on the package if refrigerated. By freezing milk, you can increase its shelf life by around three months.

A common rule of thumb for milk is that it should be thrown away if it has a sour smell, an off-white or yellowish tint to the color, or a thick or clumpy texture.

Lettuce

In the refrigerator, romaine lettuce keeps for about a week. However, it struggles when frozen. The website suggests waiting to wash lettuce until right before eating it for maximum freshness.

Yogurt

Yogurt that has been purchased in commercial packaging and has previously been chilled can be kept for seven to ten days after the “sell by” date. You can store yogurt in the freezer for one to two months. Yogurt will continue to taste best five to seven days after it is opened.

How can you tell if it’s spoiled? Use common sense and double-check. A extremely runny watery consistency, a clumpy texture, and a rotten scent. If mold is visible, discard the entire package.

Raw, fresh salmon

Salmon that hasn’t been opened will keep for one to two days after purchase. However, you can extend its shelf life by two to three months for the best flavor by freezing it (before the one to two days already specified, that is).

Ketchup

Unopened ketchup will keep for about a year in the pantry. It has a shelf life of around one month in the pantry and six months in the refrigerator after opening.

Wine

Several variables affect how the laws on wine change. Although it’s generally not a good idea to serve red wine cold, keeping it in the fridge after it’s been opened will help it stay fresh (it’ll keep for an additional three to five days after you pop the cork). Red wine can be kept in the freezer for an additional four to six months after it has been opened. White wine keeps just as well after opening.

Buying a full-bodied wine is wise if you don’t drink much. Merlot or syrah are better choices than pinot noir. These wine varieties keep better.

Depending on how fine it is, unopened red and white wine can last up to three years. Up to 100 years can pass between good wines!

Honey

The good news is that honey stored in the pantry will never expire!