Home canned goods do not have a set expiry date, whatever you may hear. You’ll often hear “one year”, but according to the top researchers, that is a “best before” date, the same as you have for store canned goods.
- 1 How long can you store home canned goods?
- 2 What the National Center for Home Food Preservation says about the shelf-life of home canned goods
- 3 What Ball says about the shelf-life of home canned goods
- 4 Shelf-life in general
- 5 Opened goods
- 6 Good storage temperatures
- 7 How long can I keep home-canned salsa?
- 8 Exception – Lemon Curd has a shorter shelf life
- 9 Storage life of dehydrated foods
- 10 Further reading
How long can you store home canned goods?
We are advised to date home canned goods, and to regard one year from that as the “best before” date.
That is not intended as a date for safety purposes, but rather as an inventory management date to help ensure that your pantry stock remains high quality.
The long and short of it is, in theory the seal on your home canned goods should be good forever, and as long as your seal is good the contents are safe. Quality and nutritive value may start to deteriorate after about the one year mark on some items (later on others), so the experts say in general to try to use stuff up before a year, and anything that has just gone over the year mark, prioritize using them up. Don’t panic, don’t throw it out, it’s still good, just make sure it migrates to the front of the shelf to be used before new stuff — the same as any sensible person would do with packaged goods from a store.
What the National Center for Home Food Preservation says about the shelf-life of home canned goods
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) both say to try to use up your home canned goods within a year of making them. The reason is not so much for food safety, but rather for optimum food quality.
Elizabeth Andress of the NCHFP elaborates:
We do say we recommend using within a year for best quality; that also is not intended to indicate you should throw anything out that is over a year old. It says, use within a year for best quality. Beyond that, just like with commercially canned foods, you might start to see some quality deterioration.” [1] Andress, Elizabeth. “History, Science and Current Practice in Home Food Preservation.” Webinar. 27 February 2013. 1:15:45. Accessed January 2015.
Andress says further,
We cannot give you an exact date for expiration. Theoretically, if the food was processed safely, for example for canning, and stored properly and shows no sign of spoilage, until that vacuum seal is broken, there should be no way that it becomes further contaminated or becomes unsafe. The one issue with keeping foods too long is you will get quality deterioration, you can get real darkening of colours of many foods, you might get some cloudiness that occurs as starches settle out of the foods, all these extended quality changes over time can start to interfere with our ability to detect spoilage even though it may not be actual spoilage, it may just be deterioration of the food quality, so it’s not a good idea to me to try use things really old or try to look at 25 year old food and assume that it’s safe…We just don’t have absolute expiration dates to give people and neither does the commercial industry, quite frankly. But if it was safe at the time it was originally canned, until that seal is broken there should be nothing else happening to make it unsafe.” [2] Ibid. At 1:26:50.
What Ball says about the shelf-life of home canned goods
Ball Canning’s rep Jessica Piper says,
That’s simply a USDA guideline and has been for a long time: the shelf life of your canned food is one year….. We always adhere to current USDA guidelines, and that is, once you preserve your food you have one year to eat that to get the best nutrient value out of that.” [3] Jessica Piper. Video: Canning Lids 101. 8:25. Accessed March 2015.
She explains again that the one year recommendation is not a new one and has been around forever; she too explains that it’s related to quality, not safety:
Now you may have food that’s many, many years old, still safely stored in your root cellar or pantry, and it’s still sealed, the food inside will still be safe as long as it has maintained that seal all that time, however, again, quality can start to diminish, colour can start to diminish, and the most important is the nutrient value….Some folks may think that this is a new recommendation, but you can go back to older Blue Books, you can look at our Complete Guide to Home Canning, there’s actually a page in there that states the same thing, that the shelf life is a year, but don’t — if you have anything older, it’s not unsafe, it’s definitely just a personal preference…” [4] Ibid. At 5:33.
Piper underlines that storage life has nothing to do with the metal mason jar lids:
Another misconception is that because we switched to a BPA free lid, that you only have a shelf life of one year when you process your food. This isn’t anything new, this has actually been a guideline for many, many years, decades actually, that when you preserve your food following a USDA tested recipe that the shelf life is one year for the best quality, flavour and most importantly nutrient value….. The lids themselves, the shelf-life for when to use them, that has nothing to do with the year’s shelf life of how long they’re good once you’ve actually preserved with them.” [5] Ibid. At 5:07 and 9:15.
On its web site, Ball has said that storage life can be longer under good conditions:
Storing home canned foods between 50°F and 70°F (10 to 21 C) is ideal and may help preserve the food for a longer period of time. Light hastens oxidation and destroys certain vitamins. Light will also cause certain foods to fade in color. To protect home canned foods from the deteriorating effects of light, store jars in a place that does not receive direct sunlight. It is best to keep home canned foods in a cool, dry, dark place.” [6] Ball. How Long does Canned Food Last. Accessed June 2016 at https://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/faqs/how-long-does-canned-food-last
Shelf-life in general
That one year after canning date is your “best before” date. It does not mean, and is not intended to mean, you should throw it out.
“[Best before] dates originated as an inventory management tool…. they are really all about the quality, freshness, taste, colour of the product.” [ Getty Stewart, Home Economist, Winnipeg. ] [7]Abraham, Lois. Best-before dates guide food quality, not safety, experts say. Canadian Press. 14 March 2016.
Dr Keith Roach (of the Weill Cornell Medical College and the New York Presbyterian Hospital) says,
“The expiration date on a shelf-stable food like canned tomatoes refers to quality, not safety. In other words, although it is still safe to consume, it may not have the same quality after its expiration date.” [8]Roach, Keith. Your Good Health: Drug not the cause of bone-marrow disorder. Victoria, BC: Times Colonialist. 19 February 2016.
Here below is a photo of some corn 18 months old, canned May 2015 and photographed Nov. 2016. It had been stored in a warm apartment cupboard. The seal’s integrity is intact. Notice that the corn above the water line has started to darken somewhat, while the corn below the water still looks perfect. The jar is still good; it can be tipped into a pot of soup where the unappealing darkening won’t be noticeable, or those few kernels at the top can be scooped away. But, these jars need to come to the front of the shelf, and be used!
Corn stored in less than ideal storage, after 18 months.
Pickled cauliflower products that are starting to hit the 3 and 4 year mark, even when stored in a cool dark basement, will start to darken, and have the pong of old boiled cabbage when you open the jars.
Opened goods
Once you’ve opened a jar, of course, the rules change. Low-acid pressure canned foods — such as carrots or green beans — should have any leftovers stored in the fridge and used up in 2 to 3 days. High-acid foods such as pickles, relishes, chutneys, can be stored in the fridge for at least up to a year. Opened sugar-free jams and jellies made with a preservative-free pectin such as Pomona should be stored in the fridge and used up within 4 weeks, or they will go mouldy even in the fridge. Sugar-free jams and jellies made with pectins containing preservatives, such as Ball and Bernardin, will last longer: store in fridge and use up within about 3 months.
“Once a jar … is opened, the best-before date is irrelevant because its internal atmosphere has been disturbed. Food safety and longevity are then up to how the item is handled by the consumer.” [9]Abraham, Lois. Best-before dates guide food quality, not safety, experts say. Canadian Press. 14 March 2016.
Good storage temperatures
The storage temperature will affect the shelf life of your canned goods.
The USDA Complete Guide says good storage temperatures will help you retain the quality:
“Storing jars at 50° to 70°F (10 to 20 C) enhances retention of quality.” [10] United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Complete guide to home canning. Agriculture information bulletin No. 539. 2015. Page 1-6.
Elizabeth Andress of the NCHFP says,
50 to 70 F (10 to 20 C) is ideal storage conditions, just note that the higher you get the more spoilage and deterioration of quality issues you might get.” [11] Andress, Elizabeth. “History, Science and Current Practice in Home Food Preservation.” Webinar. 27 February 2013. 1:15:30. Accessed January 2015.
She explains why:
Even a good pressure process for low acid foods will not completely inactivate every bacteria that might be in there; it is intended to inactivate anything that could hurt a person, but there are some very heat resistant spores of other bacteria that could spoil food quality but not make you sick that are going to survive and that is the reason we recommend that you store foods below 95 F (35 C.) Above that you might start to have some spoilage issues even though not food safety issues.” [12] Ibid. At 1:15:00.
[Dr Gerald] Kuhn, Andress’s predecessor in charge of the USDA Complete Guide, talks more about those spoilage bacteria:
Kuhn also had advice about storing canned foods. He said not to store them above 95 F (35 C) degrees. Some heat resistant bacterial spores that are present may germinate and spoil the food, although no toxin is produced.” [13]Jenkins, Kathryn. New guidebook available this fall giving up-to-date home canning tips. Frederick, Maryland: The Frederick News-Post. 19 June 1986. Page F-1.
Keith Warriner, professor, Food Science Department, University of Guelph, says that “abusing” how you store a food product will impact the mileage you get in storage time:
“The best-before date is only a guide. If you’ve abused [the product], it’s going to spoil much quicker.” [14]Abraham, Lois. Best-before dates guide food quality, not safety, experts say. Canadian Press. 14 March 2016.
How long can I keep home-canned salsa?
Angela Fraser of North Carolina State recommends a year, to a year and a half, for home canned salsa:
If canned and stored properly, its shelf life is about 12 to 18 months. Salsa older than this is safe to eat if the jar is in good condition and the seal is intact. Its quality, however, may be poor.” [15] Fraser, Angela. Celebrate with Safe Salsa. North Carolina State University Extension Server. PCSW-516. Page 2. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/FCS516WAccessibleApril09.pdf.
Exception – Lemon Curd has a shorter shelf life
An exception to the one year rule of thumb is the home canned Lemon (or Lime) Curd developed around 2005 by the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They say the best quality shelf life for it is only 3 to 4 months:
“For best quality, store in a cool, dark place, away from light. Use canned lemon curd within 3 -4 months. Browning and/or separation may occur with longer storage; discard any time these changes are observed.” [16] E. M. D’Sa, E. L. Andress, J. A. Harrison and M. A. Harrison. Thermal Process Development to Ensure the Safety of a Home-Canned Lemon Curd Product. Department of Foods & Nutrition Extension, (2) Department of Food Science & Technology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-4356. Paper 020D-06. Presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, June 26, 2006. Accessed August 2016.
Storage life of dehydrated foods
See: Storage life of dried foods
Further reading
Penn State Extension. Inventory and Discard Canned Goods. 17 May 2012.
Wash your jars of home canned goods before storage
Stacking canning jars in storage
Store your home canned goods without the canning rings on
References
Kelly S
When my grandmother passed away several decades ago, we found jars of canned cherries (or possibly cherry pie filling) in her basement pantry. The jars were well over 20 years old at that time, probably closer to 30 years. These were the old style wire bail and glass lid jars with rubber gaskets (what was standard at the time it was canned).
Jars were still sealed but the food inside was definitely NOT something you’d want to eat lol. It was more like reddish brown blobs floating in a mysterious syrup. Unfortunately my mother insisted on throwing the jars out unopened. I wish that she would have at least emptied the jars and held onto them for decoration or for dry storage. I was only a teen then and wasn’t into canning, but how cool would it have been to have a collection of my grandmother’s canning jars?
RP
So, my question has to do with after opening. What I haven’t found is any actual scientific data on how long a properly water bath canned vinegar pickle is good for after opening. I’ve read recommendations for everything from one week to one year, though, if it’s out there, I haven’t found any scientific measurement for this. For store-bought pickles, the recommended amount of time varies by company, and the difference between them can be significant. Do you have any data on how long a homemade vinegar pickle lasts after opening? I’m tired of opening a jar of pickled peppers but then feeling the need to throw them away at the slightest sign of stomach upset that might not even be the pickles, just to be safe. For someone like me with occasional though not irregular intestinal inflammation problems, scientifically measured studies on the safety of opened pickles are necessary, but lacking.
Carole
When I had my garage converted to my bedroom, I had the contractors frame an area next to the fire wall for storage. I would like to use it for storage. It never gets over 70 degrees in the summer, nor lower than or lower than 55 in the winter, but it does fluctuates between those temperatures. It is dark in there since I did not have any lights placed in there. Can I use this space to store my canned foods?
Healthy Canning
That sounds good both in terms of temperature and light.
Darran
We can every harvest/ fall season , so most of what we can last a year ,
Tn
I’m wondering at what percent humidity is ideal. I plan to store in my basement but it does get a little damp but I run a humidifier often just want to know what to keep it at.
Sharon
Can you stack your home canned jars or should they be single layered
Healthy Canning
See stacking: https://www.healthycanning.com/stacking-jars-in-storage
Jim
Salmon properly canned 20 years ago. Is it safe? What are some of changes that occur? Taste? Texture?
Lisa
I have several jars of pickles, peaches etc.. that I canned in 2015, they have been kept in dark basement and seal is still intact but I see a little rust on or around the lids. Should I toss them?
Healthy Canning
I can’t give you any answer other than what is above, sorry.
Arlene
I just opened up 1/2 pint jar of canned bread & butter pickles. 8 yrs old. I was a little ‘hesitant’. Tasted and they are fine. Stored in dark room around 10C and seals are good.
jamie gerig
Thanks, great website. Everything seems really clear except for how long a successfully canned product (water bath method) will last unopened outside of the fridge. And, once opened how long last inside fridge. Thank you.
Healthy Canning
Jamie, it will depend on the product. Sugar-free jams and jellies, 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge. Ones for sugar — well, quite a bit longer! If you open a jar of pressure-canned chili and only use half and stick the other half in the fridge, you’re gonna want to use that up within 3 to 4 days, 5 days tops probably…. (btw, we can’t right now think of any you’d want to leave opened outside the fridge).
jamie
Thanks, I meant to ask you specifically about unopened cans – outside the fridge. At least a few months? Many thanks.
Healthy Canning
The information we have to pass on about storage life is in the article above. Some items will store better than others longer-term. For instance, fruit canned sugar-free will start to darken after a year or two, but storing it somewhere dark and cool may slow that darkening process down. The darkening of course doesn’t affect safety, just appeal, and if used chopped up in a cake or muffins, no one would notice anyway. It’s quite probable the one-year they give is a rounded average of all the possible factors involved: various products, various lighting conditions, various temperature conditions, etc.
Florence coutts
hi Healthy Canning,
Back , unfortunately, from Mexico due to the Corona V. Hit the canned food from two years ago. Was a bit nervous but as always, checked your info, and am going ahead to eat it. For my purposes you provide the most informative site on canning food (and also background history but that is another topic entirely) . Thanks for being you.
Florence coutts
Mary
I have jars of chicken I canned back in 2013 the chicken still looks good and I open one the smell is good would it be safe to use? and how long can you keep chicken?
Thank you,
Healthy Canning
What they say is that if you followed USDA canning instructions and in the jars have remained sealed, then the product is in theory good for a very long time; what you will experience with age of the jars is a degradation in coloration, texture, nutrition, and taste. Someone who stored the jars in an open cupboard in full light over top a hot stove is going to have a much shorter storage life for those jars than someone who was able to store them in a cool, dark place. I’ve seen Amish and Mennonites who literally have installed drapes in front of their canning shelves to help keep light off the jars.
Susan
I have a jar of peas that were canned 7/13, potatoes canned 8/14 and squash canned 6/15. the jars and lids look good. Been in the pantry. Should I throw them away?
Healthy Canning
If the jars were processed according to USDA directions and if the seals are unbroken, then what they are saying is that the contents will still be safe to consume. So the next part is over to you: eye-balling the quality. Are they still appealing enough to eat up? Can you put them together and make a stew or soup? Or have, for instance, the potatoes darkened up so much that they aren’t appealing anymore?
John Miller
I am eating canned Tuna in ball jars that had a 2020 date. I had some 2 days ago and again today. Still alive and definitely NOT sick. Just FYI
Healthy Canning
Yep. If canned according to current research-tested recipes, the contents are safe indefinitely.
Tanya
What’s the shelf life for canned meats?
Healthy Canning
As per above.
Kaitlin Vincent
My cousin found a jar a juice that her mom made possibly over a couple decades ago – ingredients included cherries, sugar, and water. Canned in jars properly kept in a cool dark basement. Seals are not broken, the liquid is clear, it looks exactly like we remember from our childhood. Is this safe to drink? Is it alcohol now?
Healthy Canning
Hi Kaitlin, I’m not sure about the quality of juice from several decades ago, even that of store bought. Ask one of these Master Food Preserver groups what they feel. Personally, I’d empty it out as all the flavour may be gone, and can something else again in them in her mother’s honour.
Roxanne Hayes
I have homegrown green tomatoes that I canned in 2012 Do you think they should be digarded?
Healthy Canning
Quality after a long time in storage can depend on factors such as was it a cool place, were the jars shielded from light, etc. Provided that food was canned safely using a modern, tested recipe, it is good as long as the seal remains intact. That is what the USDA says. That being said, quality can degrade, but that is a personal evaluation. If they still look and smell appealing enough to eat, the decision is up to you. You will see photos of fruit home-canned in jars from 100 years ago with the seal still intact but the quality has degraded so badly it’s impossible to imagine anyone sane eating it.
Cathy broome
I have 2yr old canned green beans..are they safe to eat? Thanks
Healthy Canning
Two years is nothing compared to what most people have on their shelves, if they were honest in public! If you pressure canned them according to USDA directions and the seal is unbroken, the experts tell us they are safe, the time factor is just a question of quality.
Dennis
How long does canned meat in jars last? I found some at my mom’s house that was from 2015.
Healthy Canning
If it was pressure canned according to USDA standards, and the seal is intact, then it will still be safe. If the jars were stored in a cool, dark place then the quality might still be acceptable.
Vanessa Dickinson
how long can you safely keep canned vegetables and canned jams?
Healthy Canning
See above for shelf-life storage information.
Vicki Prather
I was recently cleaning my basement out and came across several jars of canned green beans that are 10 yrs old. I was opening the jars to discard and noticed they smelled and looked good. Are these safe to eat? The seals are still intact. Some also have bacon in them.
Healthy Canning
Hi Vicki, I was going to say they might still be technically fine until the last line about bacon. The green bean pressure canning process does not cover added meat. Ask one of these Master Food Preserver groups what they feel.
Janet E Hill
My parents have many jars of home canned goods dating back to 2011. The newest ones are from 2014. Many have darkened noticeably. I have opened several jars of pickle from 2014 and they are all mushy. Even if they are safe, I can’t imagine them being very tasty. Am I off base to encourage them to ditch them? They are very frugal.
Healthy Canning
If the goods were prepared using modern recipes from reputable sources, the contents will be safe. However, there will be, as you’ve noticed, a loss of quality. Mushy pickles (whether they started life that way or went that way through age) could be chopped finely and used in sandwich spreads or bound salads such as potato, macaroni, but other than that, you’re right, most people would not find them appealing.
Oleg
There are applications for the calculation of the expiration date, I use it https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.shelflife.shelflife
Donna
How long for tomatoe based products or ketchup in which is used for BBQ sauce. What’s the shelf life for those items
Healthy Canning
Hi Donna, no special information is given about any type of product, so we can take for granted one year minimum for sure for all. How long longer you can go, as in would you be happy with it two or three years later in terms of look (it may darken), would likely be personal preference. I’ve seen ketchup darken after 2 years, but it didn’t affect taste or quality otherwise. As long as the proper processing was followed and the seal is safe, and it passes the look and sniff test, they say it is fine.