Cleaning out the pantry is a great idea. Not only will it improve your home by removing clutter, but chances are good that your kitchen is harboring food that has long since reached its natural shelf life. This is especially true for spices, seasonings and staples. Using old spices is the equivalent of tossing dirt on your food. On the other hand, there are some foods that can last almost indefinitely.
Although I cook a lot, there are still items that I just don’t get to on a regular basis. When we moved last year, I took the opportunity to go through all of my staples and take a good look at what I needed to toss. For example, I found ground mustard and white pepper that were several years old. I had been using them occasionally, and wondering why the recipes weren’t as good as they should have been.
Here is a guide to the shelf life of your food.
Granulated (white) ugar or sugar substitutes: keep sugar for two years. If it becomes hard and lumpy, put it in an air tight container with a slice of bread.
Brown sugar or confectioners sugar: Generally you can keep this for about 4 months.
Honey: honey doesn’t spoil and can be kept until it is all used up. If it starts to crystalize, immerse the jar into a bath of hot water.
Flour: Flour will last up to a year in an air-tight container. Freeze your flour for 24 hours when you first bring it home to prevent bugs in the flour.
Vegetable oil: Open vegetable oil will stay good for about three month. Unopened vegetable oil should last six months.
Herb: Dried herbs may last one to three years, depending on the herb. Rub the herb between your fingers. If the aroma has decreased, then so has the herb.
Spices: Just as herbs, spices don’t really spoil, but they will lose their flavor. Whole spices last longer than round spices. In general, ground spices may last up to two years, while whole spices will last up to four years.
Extracts: Almond extract, peppermint extract and others will last about four years. Real (not imitation) vanilla should last indefinitely. Just be sure to shake the containers every time you use it to evenly distribute the flavor.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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