What should I keep in
my pantry and for how long?
With plenty of ingredients on hand, you are always prepared, whether
you’re cooking for a dinner party or whipping up snacks for unexpected
guests. The items you stock will depend on your culinary habits and the
size of your household, but here are some guidelines.
Pantry item
Storage tips
Oils
extra-virgin olive, canola and walnut oil
Store vegetable oils in the original bottles, in a cool, dark place
up to 6 months. Refrigerate nut oils, and use within 3 months.
Vinegars
aged balsamic, white-wine and red-wine vinegar
Keep vinegars in their original bottles. For the longest shelf-life,
store them in a cool spot up to 1 year.
Grains, dried beans
quick-cooking polenta; stone-ground cornmeal;
oats; le puy or green lentils; black-eyed and
split peas; black, pinto and cannellini beans; flageolets
Dried items, with the exception of cornmeal, can be stored in
the pantry up to 1 year. To discourage pests, keep cornmeal in
the freezer, up to 1 year.
Dried pasta and rice
spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, lasagna and orzo;
couscous; arborio, long-grain white, medium- to
long-grain brown and basmati rice
Baking needs
pure vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder,
semisweet dark chocolate, dutch-process cocoa
powder, unflavored gelatin, instant yeast, cornstarch
Sugars
granulated white, superfine, light and dark brown,
and confectioners’ sugar; light corn syrup; molasses;
pure maple syrup and honey
Flours
all-purpose white, whole-wheat, cake (not self-rising),
and almond flour
Dried pasta and rice can be stored in their original packaging
until opened, then transferred to airtight containers. They are
best used within 1 year.
Store ingredients in airtight containers, away from heat and
light sources. Extracts will last several years; leaveners lose
their potency after about 1 year, and should be discarded on
expiration dates.
Humidity can make solid sugars lumpy, so be sure to keep
them in well-sealed containers in a cool, dry spot. Double-wrap brown sugars to keep them moist. Store syrups at room
temperature in their original containers up to 1 year.
Store wheat flours in airtight containers at room temperature up
to 1 year. Choose containers with wide mouths for easy scooping and measuring. Freeze almond flour up to 6 months.
Vegetables and fruits
onions, garlic, dried wild mushrooms and lemons
Nuts and dried fruit
pecan and walnut halves, almonds, hazelnuts, raisins,
golden raisins, currants, dried apricots and figs,
sun-dried tomatoes, dried chiles
Canned and bottled
Italian plum tomatoes, green and black olives, olive
paste, anchovies, capers, white truffle oil, anchovy
paste, chickpeas, black beans, hot sauce, mustards,
Italian oil-pack tuna, low-sodium chicken stock, fruit jam
Spices
kosher and sea salt, black peppercorns, ground cinnamon
and sticks, ground and crystallized ginger, madras curry
powder, dried thyme, rosemary and oregano, ground and
whole-seed cumin, whole fennel seed
Refrigerate lemons in a plastic bag up to 2 weeks. Keep onions
and garlic in the pantry up to 1 month; dried mushrooms can
be kept for several months.
Nuts can turn rancid easily. To discourage this, store them in
the freezer for up to 6 months. Dried fruits can be stored at
room temperature 6 months to a year; keep them well-sealed
to preserve freshness and prevent stickiness.
Heed expiration dates; otherwise, most canned and bottled
goods can be kept, unopened, for up to 1 year. Once opened,
refrigerate glass bottles; transfer unused canned goods to airtight containers and refrigerate.
Most spices will lose their potency after about 1 year, but their
flavor will deteriorate faster if they’re stored improperly. Keep
them in airtight containers, away from heat and light. Choose an
accessible drawer or cabinet or a wall-mounted rack.
