10 Pantry Foods That Don't Last as Long as You Think

When was the last time you checked the dates on the foods hiding in the back of your pantry? That half-used bag of walnuts, bottle of cooking oil, or jar of spices can hang around for months, or even years, without a second thought.

But, some pantry foods don't last nearly as long as we assume. Before you start tossing anything past its food expiration dates, remember that those dates often indicate quality rather than safety.

Here are 10 pantry staples worth checking.

1. Nuts

That enormous bag of walnuts you bought because it was such a good deal won't be a good deal forever.

Nuts contain oils that can become rancid over time, especially when they're exposed to warmer temperatures. To help them last longer, you can refrigerate or freeze them to help them maintain their quality.

Give older nuts a smell and taste before tossing them into your brownies or salad. If they have an unpleasant odor or bitter, stale flavor, it's time to let them go.

2. Brown Rice

Rice seems like the ultimate forever-food, but there's an important difference between white and brown varieties.

Brown rice retains its bran and germ, while those layers are removed during the processing of white rice. The natural oils in those layers make brown rice become rancid when it’s being stored. 

Keep your rice tightly sealed in a cool, dry place, and don't assume that half-used bag in the back of the pantry is automatically fine just because it's rice.

3. Whole-Wheat Flour

If you don't bake very often, there's a good chance you've had the same bag of flour hanging around for quite some time.

Like brown rice, whole-wheat flour deserves more attention because the natural oils it contains can eventually become rancid. 

Once wheat is ground, it becomes more susceptible to rancidity. If your flour develops an unusual or unpleasant smell, don't try to hide it beneath layers of cinnamon and vanilla to save the cookies. Start with a fresh bag.

4. Cooking Oil

That bottle of oil beside your stove may look perfectly unchanged from the day you bought it, but what's happening inside is another story.

Heat, light, air, and temperature all affect how long foods maintain their quality. Keeping cooking oil somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight can help protect its quality. 

If an older oil develops an unpleasant smell or flavor, it's time for a new bottle.

5. Dried Herbs and Spices

Your five-year-old oregano probably isn't plotting against you. It may simply have forgotten how to taste like oregano.

The oils responsible for much of the flavor in herbs and spices can oxidize over time, causing them to lose their flavor and color. Storing them in airtight containers can help protect their quality. 

If your cinnamon smells vaguely of nothing, your apple pie is will give you permission to replace it.

6. Oats

Oats are another pantry workhorse that's easy to forget about between bursts of oatmeal and granola enthusiasm.

The cardboard containers and plastic bags they're sold in aren't designed for long-term protection against moisture, insects, or rodents. 

Like your herbs and spices, you might want to transfer your oats to an airtight glass container if you plan to keep them for a while.

Then, for the best food storage, find them a cool, dry spot in your pantry, away from heat and moisture.

7. Dried Fruit

Removing much of the water from fruit certainly helps it last longer, but dried doesn't mean indestructible.

Dried foods can absorb moisture again, affecting their quality and eventually causing them to spoil. Properly dried fruit generally maintains its quality for about six to twelve months at room temperature.

So, that forgotten bag of raisins deserves the occasional check, too.

8. Nut Butter

Peanut and other nut butters have something in common with the nuts they came from: fat.

Those oils can eventually deteriorate, particularly when the product isn't stored properly. Natural nut butters can also separate, although oil rising to the top doesn't automatically mean they've spoiled.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer's storage instructions and pay close attention to any significant changes in smell, flavor, or appearance.

9. Baking Powder

Baking powder may not spoil like fresh food, but, eventually, it may stop being good at its one important job.

Open baking powder has a shelf life of about six months. You can test it by adding a teaspoon to one-third cup of warm water. 

If it bubbles, it's still active. If nothing happens, your next batch of biscuits probably isn't going anywhere, either.

10. Crackers

Crackers look remarkably sturdy sitting inside their box, but opening the package changes things.

Like other dry foods, they need protection from air and moisture to maintain their quality. Airtight containers can help protect stored dry foods from moisture and other outside factors. 

And, if your crackers have already reached the texture of tiny pieces of drywall, nobody will expect you to finish the box.

Give Your Pantry a Quick Check

As for the answer to, “How long does food last?” there's no single answer for everything in the pantry. 

The food itself, how it's packaged, and where it's stored make a difference. 

So, every once in a while, give those older pantry staples a quick check. That forgotten bottle of oil or ancient jar of oregano may finally be ready for retirement.

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