100+ Nonperishable Food Items That Never Expire

Wondering what the best nonperishable food items are to have on hand? Having a well-stocked pantry with nonperishable foods that won't go bad means you'll be prepared for anything that comes your way. But how long do all these foods really last? Do nonperishable foods ever expire? We asked the experts.

What Do Dates on Food Labels Really Mean?

The various dates on food labels are confusing to consumers, and some argue they contribute to food waste because people toss food that may not be at peak quality—but is still perfectly safe to eat.

In fact, infant formula is the only product with a federally mandated “use by” date, and it should never be used after that date.

Aside from that, those dates on the label are determined by manufacturers as guidelines to ensure optimum quality:

• Best By: The manufacturer’s suggestion for the best quality and flavor. This has nothing to do with safety.

• Use By: The last date recommended by the manufacturer for consumption (other than infant formula, which never should be used past its use-by date).

• Sell By: Also has nothing to do with safety, but is an indication to a retailer for how long to display a product.

• Freeze By: Manufacturer’s suggestion to extend quality past a product’s shelf life.

With that in mind, many foods are perfectly safe to consume past these dates as long as they’re stored properly.

“The main question to ask yourself when determining the shelf life of a food is, how susceptible is it to bacterial growth?” says Janilyn Hutchings, CP-FS, a certified food safety expert at StateFoodSafety, a company that develops food-safety certification and training programs for regulatory, restaurant and hospitality clients.

Related: Shelf-Stable Milk Alternatives

“The commercial canning process reduces the number of bacteria to safe levels and seals the food against further bacterial growth,” says Hutchings.

If something is outdated, trust your senses to determine whether it’s safe to eat. Toss anything that just looks bad, with obvious signs of mold, a dark or oily appearance, signs of pest infestation or water damage to the packaging. Discard cans that are dented, swollen, corroded or rusted.

If it looks good, do the sniff test. “One of the biggest issues with non-canned shelf-stable ingredients is that naturally occurring oils found in the product can become rancid over time,” says chef Michele Sidorenkov, R.D., of My Millennial Kitchen.

Any off-putting odor, especially a grassy or paint-like aroma, Hutchings adds, is a sign food has spoiled.

Related: 30 Best Nonperishable Snacks

12 Nonperishable Foods That Really Never Expire

These nonperishable foods really do last indefinitely, stored unopened in a cool, dry, dark spot:

1. Baking soda: Lasts indefinitely, though it can lose its leavening power over time. To test, combine 2 tsp vinegar and ¼ tsp baking soda. If it bubbles, you’re good to go.

2. Beans and legumes (dried, in general). Note: The older the beans, the longer they’ll need to soak and cook. Including: black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans (white kidney beans), garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, split peas (dried).

3. Corn syrup.

4. Hard liquor. Exception: Cream liqueurs because of the dairy; heed the label regarding “use by” dates.

5. Honey (raw): Natural sugar, high acidity and low moisture ensures this liquid gold lasts forever (archeologists have even unearthed edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs). But it can crystallize over time. No worries–just set the jar in a pan of warm water to liquify.

6. Maple syrup (pure).

7. Salt: Non-iodized salt (like natural sea salt) lasts forever. But even iodized table salt has a pretty long shelf life—five years.

8. Spices (dried): They will lose their aroma and flavor over time but are safe to eat indefinitely.

9. Sugar: Including granulated sugar, powdered sugar and brown sugar.

10. Vinegar: Including: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, distilled vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar (unseasoned) and white wine vinegar.

11. Vanilla extract (pure).

12. White rice.

93 Nonperishable Foods That Last a Really Long Time

These foods may not last forever, but they will keep, stored unopened in a cool, dry, dark spot, for a couple of years to decades, unless noted otherwise:

1. Almonds: freeze up to two years

2. Apricot jam

3. Avocado oil

4. Barley

5. Biscuit mix

6. Beef jerky (unopened)

7. Bouillon cubes

8. Cake mix

9. Canned artichokes

10. Canned asparagus

11. Canned beans and legumes

12. Canned beets

13. Canned cheese

14. Canned chili

15. Canned chili peppers (including chipotles)

16. Canned corn

17. Canned fish (tuna, salmon, clams, sardines, herring, etc.—unopened)

18. Canned meat (chicken, corned beef, deviled ham, etc.—unopened)

19. Canned mushrooms

20. Canned peas

21. Canned pumpkin

22. Canned roasted peppers

23. Canned spaghetti

24. Canned sauerkraut

25. Canned spinach

26. Canned sweet potatoes

27. Canola oil

28. Capers

29. Cashews: freeze up to 2 years

30. Champagne: vintage stuff will keep 20 years or more. Even less-rarified sparkling wine is good for up to four years

31. Chia seeds (whole): freeze up to four years

32. Chicken broth

33. Chocolate (dark)

34. Chocolate syrup (unopened)

35. Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

36. Coconut milk (canned)

37. Coconut oil

38. Coffee (instant): lasts up to 20 years. Freeze unopened ground coffee for up to two years and whole beans for up to three

39. Cookie dough (purchased or homemade): freeze up to a year

40. Cooking spray

41. Corn (freeze-dried)

42. Cornmeal

43. Crackers

44. Dill pickles

45. Dried fruit

46. Dried chiles

47. Dried mushrooms

48. Energy bars

49. Fish sauce

50. Flour (white, wholewheat): freeze up to two years

51. Gelatin mix (like Jell-O)

52. Ghee (Indian-style clarified butter)

53. Grape jelly

54. Grits (instant)

55. Hard candy

56. Hardtack: yep, the bland cracker/biscuit that fueled soldiers, pioneers and seafarers of yore

57. Hot sauce

58. Instant beans

59. Instant dip mix (such as French onion)

60. Instant pudding mix

61. Instant soup

62. Kamut

63. Millet

64. Molasses

65. Macadamia nuts: freeze up to two years

66. Meals Ready to Eat (MREs)

67. Mustard

68. Oatmeal

69. Olive oil

70. Olives (canned)

71. Pancake/waffle mix

72. Pasta (dried)

73. Peanut butter: in a jar (unopened) up to 2 years in the refrigerator. Powdered peanut butter lasts up to 15 years

74. Pecans: freeze up to two years

75. Popcorn (unpopped)

76. Potato flakes (instant potatoes)

77. Powdered eggs

78. Powdered milk

79. Pozole (hominy, dried)

80. Quinoa

81. Ramen noodles (dried)

82. Red wine

83. Rolled oats

84. Sesame seeds (roasted)

85. Soy sauce

86. Spelt

87. Strawberry jelly

88. Tea

89. Tomato paste (in a tube)

90. Vegetable broth

91. Vegetable shortening

92. Wheat (hard red)

93. Wheat (soft white)

Unless you’re a hardcore doomsday prepper, you don’t really need food to sit around for years or even decades. And for that reason, it’s a good idea to check your pantry and freezer stash regularly to use staples approaching their use-by or best-by date (again, for best quality) and replenish with newer fare.

Related: Pro Chefs’ Pantry and Freezer Must-Haves

BONUS: Surprising Nonperishable Foods You Can Freeze

These nonperishable foods don’t last forever or even years, but popping them in the freezer can extend their shelf life up to nine months:

• Butter

• Margarine

• Cheese: hard or semi-hard cheese (such as Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, cheddar, Swiss) in a block, shredded or sliced

• Deli meat (prepackaged)

• Tofu (drain the water, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in heavy-duty freezer bag)

• Tortillas (flour, corn, homemade or store-bought)

What Are the Best Ways to Store Food?

Moisture, light, heat and air all encourage bacteria to grow, which is why you typically see directions to store food in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark spot. Yup, like your great-memaw’s old-school root cellar.

“The worst place you can keep shelf-stable food items is under a sink, in a cabinet near the stove or in the garage because these places are more susceptible to moisture and temperature changes,” Sidorenkov warns.

Freezing is another option, says Hutchings. It stops bacterial growth, and frozen food is technically safe to eat forever. “The bigger question about frozen food is not if it’s safe, but whether it still tastes good,” she notes. "The longer food is frozen, the more its quality goes downhill.”

While refrigeration certainly slows down bacterial growth to extend the shelf-life of food, it’s not an option for long-term storage.

Also, consider the moisture inherent in a product—the less it has, the longer it will last. For example, unopened canned beans can last up to five years, but dried beans are safe to eat for decades.

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