Time to dust off the canned goods and other packaged foods and check expiration dates. 

The new year can inspire folks to tackle one of those back-of-the-mind tasks that have lingered for a while. And with this ongoing blast of cold weather, all the better if that task can be accomplished within the warm, cozy confines of your kitchen.

Angela Treadaway, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System food safety and quality regional agent, said now’s a great time to inventory canned food items and other packaged goods and spices that may be hiding deep in your pantry.

“Canned foods are safe alternatives to fresh and frozen foods and help meet dietary needs and avoid preservatives,” Treadaway said. “Proper storage can greatly increase the shelf life and quality of canned foods.”

Home-canned and commercially canned foods are both good options for consumers to keep produce on the shelf at home. While there are some good frozen-food options, Treadaway said they will likely not last nearly as long as canned foods will.

As for home-canned foods, they have a shelf life that is typically less than commercially canned items.

“Home-canned foods – such as vegetables, meats, jams and jellies – are good for one to two years,” Treadaway said.

She said commercially canned foods are much better for storing for longer periods of time. “A can of commercially canned vegetables – such as green beans, peas or corn – will last more than five years,” she said.

The exception is commercially canned, high-acid foods, such as fruits and tomatoes. They won’t last much longer than 18 months because of the acid content.

Taking inventory and simple storage tips

Treadaway said it is best to store canned goods in the house or in a room where the temperature is somewhat controlled and unlikely to freeze or get extremely hot. She recommends a cabinet or pantry that stays cool, dry, and dark.

Home-canned items typically won’t stay good as long as commercially canned food. (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)

Always store canned foods off the floor and on shelves because moisture – especially from concrete floors – can seep up the side of jars or cans and cause rust, Treadaway said. Storing off the floor can also help ward off contamination from any crawling pests that may be lurking down below, she said.

When putting up those cans and home-canned items, make sure they are labeled. Also check to ensure that the commercially produced cans and other packaged foods on the shelf aren’t out of date.

Cans that are bulging or home-canned items where there’s an indication that the seal has been compromised are better off tossed into the trash. “It’s best to throw away canned foods – home or commercial – that spew or have bulging cans or lids, just to be on the safe side,” she said.

Storing spices and flavorings

In general, Treadaway said dried seasonings, herbs, and spices in jars will last one to two years. The following are the shelf lives for some common pantry spices and flavorings:

• Vanilla extract and salt have indefinite shelf lives. Other extracts, in contrast, will fade in two to three years.
• Whole spices – including unground peppercorns, whole allspice, caraway seeds, and others – have a shelf life of three to four years.
• Cumin, ginger, garlic, mustard, paprika, and chili powder have shelf lives of two to four years.
• Whole leafy herbs – including basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, and most seasoning blends – have a one- to three-year shelf life.

“All of us have a few jars that have been sitting in the pantry for over a decade,” Treadaway said. “It is OK to let those spices go. Label or put a date on the new ones, with a month and year, so you know how long you have had them.”

For more information about food safety and preservation visit the Food Safety section of the Alabama Extension website at aces.edu.

A version of this story originally appeared on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System website.