Using Commodities and Canned Foods in Group Homes
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Storage Guidelines for Commonly-Used Commodities. The category is “Fruit, Fruit Juices, Vegetables and Vegetable Juices”. For unopened
packages of dried fruits, such as raisins or cherries, the shelf life is 6-12 months. If opened, the fruit should be refrigerated and its shelf life is 6 months. For unopened canned low-acid fruits and vegetables, such as applesauce, apricots, asparagus, etc., the shelf life is 12-18 months. Unopened cans should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, the fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated and the shelf life is 2-7 days. For unopened high acid fruits and vegetables, such as grapefruit, tomato juice, pineapple, etc., the shelf life is 12-18 months. For cranberry juice, the shelf life is 9 months. Unopened cans should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, the fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated in a non-metallic container and the shelf life is 5-7 days. The shelf life for fresh fruits and vegetables varies and most should be refrigerated. The category is “Meats, Poultry, Fish”. For unopened meats, poultry and fish the shelf life is 36 months. Unopened cans should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, meats, poultry and fish should be refrigerated and the shelf life is 3 days. Check the package date for the use-by date of frozen meats, poultry and fish. Refrigerate after thawing and use within 2-3 days. The category is “Nuts and nut butters”, such as peanut butter and trail mix. For unopened jars and packages, the shelf life is 12 months. Unopened jars and packages should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, nuts and nut butters should be refrigerated and the shelf life is 4-6 months. The category is “Cereal (cold, ready-to-eat)”. Unopened packages have a shelf life of 6 months and should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, the shelf life is 4-6 weeks. The category is “Soup and Sauces”. For unopened high acid soups and sauces, such as tomato soup and spaghetti sauce, the shelf life is 12-18 months. Unopened cans should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, the fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated in a non-metallic container and the shelf life is 5-7 days. For unopened canned low-acid soups and sauces, such as vegetable soup, etc., the shelf life is 2-5 years. Unopened cans should be stored off the floor in a cool, dry place. When opened, low-acid soups and sauces should be refrigerated and the shelf life is 3-4 days. The category is “Other”, which includes corn syrup, egg mix, and dried milk. Use-by dates vary for these products. See USDA fact sheets.