Pantry Expiration Dates and Your Stockpile: How Long Can I Store That? (2024)

Posted: May 30, 2017 · Updated: Jan 13, 2023 · By Chrysa

These Pantry Expiration Dates guidelines will help you know how long you can actually store the staples in your kitchen and how to make them last longer.

Have you ever gone into your pantry only to pull a can of whatever out, look at it and wonder if it is still good because you’ve had it for so long?

If so, don’t feel bad since this is actually a fairly common occurrence in most households.

Pantry goods have such a wide array of expiration dates that it can be hard to tell when something should be tossed or when it is still good to use and it is that wide array that can lead to confusion.

Learning how long you can safely store pantry items as well as how expiration dates affect your pantry can help end that confusion while allowing you to build a fully stocked pantry stockpile.

First, the skinny on expiration dates. For refrigerated items and items in your medicine cabinet, you need to pay attention to them since using them past their “use by” date can be dangerous, but for pantry stockpile items, you have a bit more leeway.

Manufacturers are required to date their products and as such, most of them do so with a date that they can guarantee the product will still taste good and hold onto its nutritional value.

This is why most canned or boxed foods actually say “best by” and not “use by.”

That best buy date is, simply put, a guide so that you are aware that after that date the product may taste a bit differently than you might expect.

Because of the difference in wording, this means that the majority of the products in your pantry can be stored a lot longer than the six months or so that they actually say by date.

How long though? We can help you out with info on a few common pantry stockpile products and how long they are actually good for.

Rubbermaid Modular CanistersRoyal Air-Tight Food Storage Container Set

Before we get to the date information,one thing is key: How you store your pantry items makes a difference!

By transferring items from their cardboard boxes or bags into tight-sealing containers, you can greatly extend the life of your staples.

I’m a fan of Rubbermaid containers because they’re easy to use and have a tight seal.

Another option that looks great if you have glass front cabinets or open shelving is Mason jars. They even make them in a big half gallon size!

They also have a super long life and you can be using the same jars for decades.

1 Ball 64oz Wide Mouth Half Gallon Mason Jar

The big thing you’ll notice on the list below is that for foods that have the oxygen removed the storage time is waaaaaay longer!

To remove oxygen before storing you’ll need a vacuum sealer. There are multiple types available, but the biggest name (and the one I have used personally) is the Food Saver.

You can put your food in bags and seal them or they even have a jar sealer so you can put your foods in regular mason-type jars and seal them.

If you do transfer your foods into other containers, you’ll want to mark the container with the date it was stored.

One way to do this is by using freezer tape. You can just tear off a piece, write the date on it, and attach to the jar or container.

These pre-printed labels let you just fill in the date and the contents, which is especially helpful if you have multiple types of flour or other items that look similar out of the packaging.

If you want to get fancy, you can also use a label maker.

Printed Food Storage Labels

Pantry Expiration Dates

• Canned Tuna – 2 to 5 years from the date of manufacture
• Canned green beans – 2 to 5 years
• All-purpose flour – 6 months to 1 year if stored in the freezer or an air tight container
• Granulated sugar – 6 months to 1 year if stored in the freezer or an air tight container
• Brown and powdered sugar – 6 months if stored correctly
• Canned pastas – 2 years – 4 years
• Canned soups – 2 to 5 years
• Spam – 2 to 5 years
• Canned broth – 2 to 3 years
• Other canned meats – 2 years
• White rice – up to 20 years if stored in an air-tight container
• Salt – indefinitely if stored in a dry area – moisture is salt’s worst enemy
• Canned whole kernel corn – 2 to 5 years
• Honey – Indefinitely – If it crystallizes, heat the honey and shake to reconstitute.
• Baking soda – Indefinitely if kept dry
• Pasta – 2-5 years if kept in their own packages, 20+ years if stored in air-tight containers with oxygen removed
• Oats – Indefinitely if stored with oxygen removed, 2-5 years in an air-tight container.
• Dried beans – 5 years if stored in normal air-tight containers, 20+ years if stored with oxygen removed.

Crazy, right? So what does this mean for you? Feel free to stock up the next time you see a great sale!

You’ll have time to use them before they spoil and you’ll be able to save big by building your pantry stockpile!

More Information on Storing Food:

• Baking Ingredients Shelf Life Guide
• 10 Foods that Freeze Well
• How to Freeze Milk