Part I - Shelf-Stable Foods

The most popular (most often visited) Q/As on Shelf Life Advice are ones that ask, "How long can I keep it?" The product section of Shelf Life Advice provides answers to these questions about specific foods. This article will give you some general guidelines--provided by scientists on the Shelf Life Advice Advisory Board--on various categories of shelf-stable foods.  (Perishables will be discussed next month.) Along with info about how long foods can last (beyond the "use-by" date) are tips on how to extend shelf life beyond the usual expectations. Some foods, if treated right, will essentially last indefinitely. 

Cooking for a crowd?  Then chances are, you’re planning to prepare some hot dishes a day or two in advance.  Then, you may ask yourself, can my casserole go right from the oven into the fridge, or is that a bad idea?  This quandary actually poses 3 questions: 

1) Will hot food damage my refrigerator?

2) Will adding hot food harm my already refrigerated food? 

3) Will immediate refrigeration be bad for the hot food?  We asked two members of our Advisory Board, Dr. Timothy Bowser, a food process engineer, and Dr. Karin Allen, a food scientist, to provide the answers.