Certain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.
But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?
With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.
Food
# Beer
Unopened: 4 months.
# Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof 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 (PowerBars)
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
Household Products
# Air freshener, aerosol
2 years
# Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years
# Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite
# Batteries, alkaline
7 years
# Batteries, lithium
10 years
# Bleach
3 to 6 months
# Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year
# Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years
# Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable
12 years
# Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months
# Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years
# Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years
# Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite
# Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months
# Mr. Clean
2 years
# Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years
# Spray paint
2 to 3 years
# Windex
2 years
# Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years
FOR BEAUTY PRODUCTS SEE THIS THREAD.
Written by Maya Kukes and Lisa Smith
March 2004
www.realsimple.com
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