Your Guide to Fresh Food

Why Do We Care about Fresh Food?

Understanding the “shelf life” of food will help you accomplish three things:

Save money Eat well Eat safely

Key Terms

Shelf Life – the length of time for which an item remains useable, fit for consumption, or saleable.

Expiration Date – the date after which a product (ex: food) should not be sold because of an expected decline in quality or effectiveness.

Ripe – developed to the point of readiness for harvesting and eating.

Shelf Life: Long or Short?

The shelf life of a product varies greatly depending on the item and how it has been stored. Ex: Meat/Poultry

Homemade Beef Stew = 3-4 days Commercially Canned Beef Strew = 2-5 years

Ex: Herbs/Spices Dried Basil OPENED/UNOPENED = 1-3 years Fresh Basil 7-10 days

Ex: Dairy/Eggs Cheddar Cheese UNOPENED = 6 months Cheddar Cheese OPENED = 3-4 weeks

Fruits are Fickle…

Keeping fruit fresh is a tricky thing! The freshness of fruit is entirely dependent on

its ripening process. The following are the two ways fruits ripen:

1. They continue to ripen or soften after they have been picked.

2. They won’t ripen any further after being picked.

Storing Fruits

You store fruits according to how they ripen. For fruits that ripen after they have been

picked premature refrigeration will cause them to lose flavor and develop a mealy texture. Store these fruits at room temp until they ripen then refrigerate!

Ex: apricots, avocados, bananas, melons, kiwi, mangos, peaches, pears, plums and pineapple.

Storing Fruits

You store fruits according to how they ripen. For fruits that won’t ripen after they have

been picked, leaving them at room temp will only speed up their decay. Store them in the refrigerator immediately after purchase.

Ex: most berries, figs, grapes, rhubarb

Storing Fruits

You store fruits according to how they ripen. Some fruits don’t ripen after they are

picked but will last longer in the refrigerator. They do not need to be stored in a cool environment.

Ex: apples, clementines, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, watermelon.

Storing Meat/Poultry

Fresh meat has an extremely short shelf life. The guidelines should be strictly observed to avoid contracting a food borne illness! Uncooked Refrigerated Chicken = 1 to 2

days Cooked Refrigerated Chicken = 3 to 4 days Uncooked Refrigerated Ground Beef = 1 to

2 days Cooked Refrigerated Ground Beef = 3 to 4

days

Cradle to the Grave

Any guesses on some of the longest lasting foods?

Honey = indefinitely Rice = indefinitely

Sugar = indefinitely Maple Syrup = indefinitely

Salt = indefinitely

Expiration Dates: Yay or Nay?

Expiration dates can be very confusing. There are four key terms to know:

1. Use By/Best if Used By/Best By/Best Before

2. Sell By

3. Expires On

4. Packing Codes

Use By/Best if Used By/Best By/Best

BeforeThis term is generally found in shelf

stable products. Ex: mustard, mayo, peanut butter, etc.

The date is provided by the manufacturer to tell you for how long the product will remain at its highest level of quality when unopened.

“Use by” has nothing to do with safety! If it doubt, do a smell test and taste a small quantity.

Sell By

The term is generally found on perishables like meat, seafood, poultry and dairy products.

The date is a guide for stores to know how long they can sell a product for. If you have stored a product safely at

home you can typically use it beyond the listed date.

Expires On

This term is only found on products that are government regulated with respect to dating, such as infant formula!

Always use the product before this date!

Packing Codes

These codes are found on a variety food types. Usually they look like a meaningless jumble of letters and numbers.

These are used to help stock shelves and locate products in the event of a recall!

Help?