Expiration dates--how long to keep stuff
A friend sent me this and I thought it was interesting.
Hints & Tips:
"Expiration Dates"
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 (for those who do)
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
Mayonnaise (vegan or other)
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.
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
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
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
Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.
Bar soap
18 months to 3 years
Bath gel, body wash
3 years
Bath oil
1 year
Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months
Body lotion
3 years
Conditioner
2 to 3 years
Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date
Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year
Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years
Foundation, oil-based
2 years
Foundation, water-based
3 years
Hair gel
2 to 3 years
Hair spray
2 to 3 years
Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years
Lipstick
2 years
Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months
Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date
Nail polish
1 year
Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely
Perfume
1 to 2 years. Natural product perfumes can spoil if exposed to prolonged high temperatures (like our summers here in Spain!)
Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years
Shampoo
2 to 3 years
Shaving cream
2 years or more
Tooth-whitening strips
13 months
Wash'n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out
Hair gel
2 to 3 years
Hair spray
2 to 3 years
Thanks! I was wondering how long I could keep this stuff for! :D
Thanks for the info.
I don't know why but I find the term "generaly safe" kinda funny :)
;D Thanks!
good read. thank you for posting
tofu:
2 weeks past " expiry date" if never opened.
I've never used it past that time just because I was too nervous.
At 2 weeks though, I didn't notice any difference in taste or smell.
:)
Thanks! as for ketchup and mustard, I always keep them refrigerated about opening, is this needed?
Mustard should be alright unrefrigerated, tho some of the vinegar may separate out. Ketchup would depend on ambient temp. I don't know what is worse, our extreme summer heat or the constant "room temp" of folks with central heating. It depends how long the ketchup is hanging around tho, I guess. Me I like the contrast of the cold ketchup on the hot fries!
maple syrup should also be refrigerated after opening. (I think it usually says so on the bottle.) Otherwise it goes bad really easily.
I have learned to refrigerate just about anything with natural ingredients in it in our summer heat...I once lost a bottle of v. expensive perfume because I didn't put it in the fridge...when the heat is up above 100F for weeks on end, the essential oils spoil. Ugh! Maple syrup being tree sap, it would spoil so easy. Ketchup tho is sometimes so full of preservatives it has only a passing resemblance to a food product... ;D