29 April 2008...5:00 am
How long can I store…
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One of the tips in today’s stories about saving money on your grocery bills was to stock up on staples when they go on sale. But how long can you let those stockpiled items sit around in your house? Here are some guidelines for commonly stockpiled items from consumer magazine ShopSmart:
- Butter: 4 months in the freezer. Wrap it airtight because butter can pick up the flavor of other foods.
- Canned goods: 18 months for acidic foods (like tomatoes) or 2 to 5 years for low-acid foods (like vegetables) in a cool, dry place. Check the expiration date for more exact times to toss.
- Cereals (ready to eat): Up to 1 year in a cool place away from heat and moisture.
- Chocolate (solid and filled): 9 months for solid chocolate and 1 to 4 weeks for filled chocolate (check package dates) in a cool, dry place. Some makers suggest freezing chocolate if it will not be eaten soon.
- Coffee (canned): Up to 2 years in a cool, dark spot.
- Frozen dinners: For 3 or 4 months in the freezer, natch.
- Jams and jellies: Up to 1 year in a cool place, even the fridge will do.
- Juice boxes/bottles: 4 to 6 months for juice boxes and 12 to 18 months for bottled juices in the pantry in a cool, dark spot. Boxes can also be frozen.
- Pasta sauce: About 1 year (check the label for dates) in the pantry in a cool, dark spot.
- Soda: 9 months for non-diet soda in cans and 3 months for all diet soda and all soda in plastic bottles in a cool spot out of direct sunlight
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