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Bake Up Something Special
Nothing warms a room quite like a warm oven. Make something special for birthdays, anniversaries, or an after-dinner snack with baking recipes sent right to your inbox.
You know your way around a kitchen, but do you know the facts about food storage? Knowing which foods to store where, how, and for how long reduces food waste and can save you money.
Betty Crocker and General Mills know food waste is a major social, environmental, and economic challenge and we’re invested in change. We work to eliminate food waste at our factories and partner with Feeding America to ensure surplus food is kept out of the garbage cans at grocery stores and restaurants and is put into the hands of people facing hunger. We started the Taste Not Waste project to tackle the 40% of food waste that happens at home. Now we’re all part of the challenge to waste less and save more. When we all do our part, we can make a difference in the amount of food that gets thrown out. Join us! Learn more about the impacts of food waste here.
Nearly every food item we buy has a shelf life that’s dependent on how it’s stored. Even if you’ve planned out your meals and stuck to the shopping list, if you don’t follow proper food storage when you get it home, it can go bad faster than you planned and end up in the trash.
We’re breaking it all down for you so your produce stays crisp, your meats stay fresh and your staples last as long as possible.
Food Item | Where to Store | How to Store | How Long to Store |
Apple | refrigerator drawer | unwrapped | 3 weeks |
Avocado | countertop to ripen, refrigerator shelf when ripe | unwrapped | 1 day |
Avocado (halved) | refrigerator shelf | squeeze lemon or lime juice on the surface and wrap tightly in plastic wrap | 1 day |
Banana | countertop | unwrapped | 3 days once ripe |
Berries | refrigerator drawer | uncovered, vented container | 3-5 days |
Citrus | refrigerator shelf | unwrapped | 2 weeks |
Grapes | refrigerator drawer | perforated plastic bag | 1-2 weeks |
Melon (whole) | countertop | unwrapped | 5 days once ripe |
Melon (cut) | refrigerator shelf | airtight container | 3-5 days |
Stone Fruit | countertop to ripen, refrigerator shelf when ripe | unwrapped | 5 days once ripe |
Pear | countertop, refrigerate once ripe | unwrapped | 4 days once ripe |
Tomatoes | countertop | unwrapped, vented container | 5 days |
Food Item | Where to Store | How to Store | How Long to Store |
Asparagus | refrigerator shelf | stems in water, tops lightly covered with plastic | 4 days |
Bell pepper | refrigerator shelf | plastic bag | 1 week |
Broccoli | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in plastic | 5 days |
Carrots | refrigerator drawer | plastic bag | 3 weeks |
Cauliflower | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in plastic | 5 days |
Celery | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in foil | 2 weeks |
Cucumber | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in plastic | 1 week |
Dark leafy greens | refrigerator drawer | plastic bag with dry paper towel | 1 week |
Garlic | dark pantry | unwrapped, whole | 2 months |
Green Beans | refrigerator drawer | plastic bag with dry paper towel | 1 week |
Head of lettuce | refrigerator drawer | plastic bag with dry paper towel | 5 days |
Mushrooms | refrigerator shelf | paper bag | 3 days |
Onion | dark pantry | unwrapped | 1-2 months |
Onion (halved) | refrigerator drawer | sealed plastic bag | 3-5 days |
Potatoes | dark pantry | paper bag | 1-2 months |
Salad greens | refrigerator drawer | large plastic container, layered with dry paper towels | 10 days |
Summer squash | refrigerator shelf | plastic bag | 5 days |
Sweet potatoes | dark pantry | paper bag | 2 weeks |
Winter squash | dark pantry | unwrapped | 1 month |
Basil | countertop | stems in water, tops lightly covered with plastic | 1 week |
Cilantro | refrigerator shelf | stems in water, tops lightly covered with plastic | 1 week |
Rosemary/thyme | refrigerator shelf | wrapped in plastic | 2 weeks |
Chives | refrigerator shelf | wrapped in damp paper towel, wrap in plastic wrap | 5 days |
Parsley | refrigerator shelf | stems in water, tops lightly covered with plastic | 1 week |
Food Item | Where to Store | How to Store | How Long to Store |
Bacon | refrigerator meat drawer | sealed bag with no air | 2 weeks unopened, 1 week opened |
Bacon (freezer) | freezer | sealed bag with no air | 1 month |
Cold cuts from deli | refrigerator shelf | sealed bag with no air | 2 weeks unopened, 1 week opened |
Cold cuts pre-packaged | refrigerator shelf | packaging it came in | 2 weeks unopened, 5 days opened |
Raw meat | refrigerator meat drawer | packaging it came in | 2 days |
Raw meat (freezer) | freezer | sealed bag with no air | 3-6 months |
Raw poultry | refrigerator meat drawer | packaging it came in | 2 days |
Raw poultry (freezer) | freezer | sealed bag with no air | 3-6 months |
Cheese (fresh) | refrigerator drawer | in water, change every 2 days | 1 week |
Cheese (hard/aged) | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in parchment, then wrapped lightly in plastic | 1 month |
Cheese (semi-hard) | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in parchment, then wrapped lightly in plastic | 2 weeks |
Cheese (soft) | refrigerator drawer | wrapped in parchment, then in sealed bag | 1-2 weeks |
Eggs | refrigerator shelf | egg carton | 2 weeks or until expiration date |
Food Item | Where to Store | How to Store | How Long to Store |
Baking powder | pantry | original container | 6 months unopened; until use-by-date opened |
Baking soda | pantry | original container | 1 ½ years unopened; until use-by-date opened |
Flour, white | pantry | sealed container | 1 year |
Flour, whole-wheat | pantry | sealed container | 1 month |
Flour, whole-wheat (fridge) | refrigerator | sealed container | 6 months |
Flour, whole-wheat (freezer) | freezer | sealed container | 2 years |
Herbs, dried | pantry | sealed containers | 2 years |
Oats | pantry | original container | 6 months |
Dried pasta | pantry | original container | 2 years |
Rice, white | pantry | sealed container | 2 years unopened, 1 year opened |
Rice, brown | pantry | sealed container | 1 year unopened, 6 months opened |
Spices | pantry | sealed containers | 3 years in whole form, 2 years ground form |
Sugar, brown | pantry | sealed container, tightly wrapped | 4 months |
Sugar, granulated | pantry | sealed container | indefinitely |
Nuts | pantry | sealed container | 2 weeks |
Nuts (fridge) | refrigerator | sealed container | 9 months |
Nuts (freezer) | freezer | sealed container | 2 years |
Olive oil | pantry, away from heat and light | darker bottle with well-fitting cap | 3 months opened |
Vegetable oil | pantry, away from heat and light | original container | 4-6 months opened |
Storing your food so it lasts as long as possible is just one of many small ways that you can make a big difference when it comes to food waste at home. What other tips and tricks do you use to taste not waste your food? Tell us in the comments below or join the #pantryraid challenge on Instagram.
