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Cupboard Cleanup

Have your bread crumbs gone bad? Is the vegetable oil on the verge? When to toss (or keep) your staples



Dry Goods



flour
Philip Friedman

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place
How Long: 10 to 15 months
Comments: Heat and moisture accelerate staleness. When weather is hot or humid, keep flour in the freezer



wheat flour
Philip Friedman

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place; fridge/freezer
How Long: Cool, dry place or fridge: 1 to 2 months; freezer: 6 months
Comments: The oil in the bran quickly becomes rancid at room temperature



Whole Grains
Philip Friedman

WHOLE GRAINS

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place; fridge/freezer
How Long: Cool, dry place: 2 to 3 months; fridge: 6 months; freezer: 1 year
Comments: The oil in the bran layer quickly becomes rancid at room temperature



White Rice
Philip Friedman

WHITE RICE

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place; fridge/freezer
How Long: Indefinitely



Brown Rice
Philip Friedman

BROWN RICE

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place; fridge/freezer
How Long: Cool, dry place or fridge: up to 6 months; freezer: 1 year
Comments: The oil in the bran layer quickly becomes rancid at room temperature



pasta
Philip Friedman

PASTA (DRY)

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in cool, dry place
How Long: 1 year
Comments: After opening, transfer to an airtight container



bread crumbs
Philip Friedman

BREAD CRUMBS

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: cool, dry place or refrigerator
How Long: Cool, dry place: 3 to 6 months; refrigerator: 2 years
Comments: To keep flavor fresh, refrigerate after opening



coffee
Philip Friedman

COFFEE

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight glass or ceramic containers in cool, dark place
How Long: 1 to 2 weeks
Comments: Whole beans can be frozen in small amounts for up to a month; do not refreeze--the flavor will be affected



brown sugar
Philip Friedman

SUGAR (BROWN)

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in a cool place
How Long: 4 to 6 months
COMMENTS: Brown sugar hardens when it dries out.



sugar
Philip Friedman

SUGAR (GRANULATED)

How to Store/Where: Unopened/opened: airtight container in a cool, dry place
How Long: Indefinitely




Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 20
20 comments

McLn13187 12:36:00 PM Jan 02 2008

I ruined an entire batch of 7-layer bars by using old chopped walnuts -- what a waste!

DaMommmy 10:25:26 AM Jan 02 2008

Just a small tip for the people who use brown sugar. After you open it, you may put it in the air tight container. If it gets hard, put a whole piece of white bread in the container. The brown sugar will pull the moisture in off the bread and make the sugar useable again. The bread in turn will get stale.

savage1tan 10:12:43 AM Jan 02 2008

I think that anyoone who is going to say that someone else is a moron should learn how to spell and write.

Ladt Butterfly 08:15:00 AM Jan 02 2008

I live in Florida and I refridgerate my flour for 24 hours after I bring it home from the store. This keeps bugs from forming.

Ladt Butterfly 08:13:00 AM Jan 02 2008

I live in Florida and I refridgerate my flour for 24 hours after I bring it home from the store. That keeps bugs from growing.

Sam54 08:04:00 PM Jan 01 2008

You can triple or quadruple the shelf life of most of these products by vacuum packing them after opening them. There are several products out there that will remove most if not all the air which provides the catalyst for many molds, bacteria, etc.

GenevieveSimons 07:49:52 PM Jan 01 2008

I have lots of food that is outdated and would really like to know how harmful it would be to eat it. "Best by" doesn't tell the whole story. What does the FDA say?

BlushiftD3athRay 07:47:55 PM Jan 01 2008

flour can get bugs if improperly sotred though it can last way longer than mentioned. as with most other products except mayo which to me is way too long to keep 2 months so i buy smaller jar cause spoiled and tastes good are two different things. as for
DK07 you say things twice cause you got nothing relevant to say

Drc32404 07:32:51 PM Jan 01 2008

Who wants to live forever?

Durangokid07 07:16:35 PM Jan 01 2008

if we eat all the right foods will we live forever. why do i have to right this twice.

1 - 10 of 20
20 comments

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