11 of 5
Date everything
Write the month and year of purchase in large figures on each can, jar and box. Printed dates are small and easy to miss.
Pantry and preserving
First in, first out food storage
A labelled shelf where the oldest food sits in front and gets eaten before its date.
Time45 min
LevelEasy
Steps5
Official sources2
A pantry that is never eaten slowly turns into a shelf of expired cans. Rotation keeps it fresh and means nothing is wasted.
What you need
Gather these before you start.
- Shelf labels or masking tape: 1 roll
- Marker
Step by step
22 of 5
Group like with like
Give each kind of food its own row: beans, tomatoes, fish, rice. You can then see at a glance what is running low.
33 of 5
New at the back
When you shop, push the older items forward and put the new ones behind them. Always take from the front.
44 of 5
Know rough shelf lives
High-acid cans such as tomatoes and fruit keep best quality for about 12 to 18 months. Low-acid cans such as meat and vegetables keep for about 2 to 5 years, and home-canned jars are best used within a year.
55 of 5
Check once a month
Spend five minutes looking along the front row for anything near its date, and plan it into the next week's meals. Throw out swollen, leaking or rusted cans.
The numbers
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| High-acid cans (tomatoes, fruit) | 12 to 18 months |
| Low-acid cans (meat, vegetables) | 2 to 5 years |
| Home-canned jars | within 1 year |
| Front-row check | 5 min, 1 a month |
USDA FSIS, Shelf-stable food safety
Stay safe
- Never taste food from a bulging or leaking can.
- Wrap and throw out damaged cans so children and pets cannot get at them.
When you're done
| Result | A labelled shelf where the oldest food is always in front and nothing goes out of date. |
|---|---|
| Keep it ready | One monthly check. Restock whatever you used during an outage within a few weeks. |
Questions people ask
What is first in first out food storage?
You eat the oldest food first. Write the purchase month and year on each item, put new shopping behind the older stock and always take from the front.
How long do canned goods last unopened?
High-acid cans such as tomatoes and fruit keep best quality for about 12 to 18 months. Low-acid cans such as meat and vegetables keep about 2 to 5 years, and home-canned jars are best used within a year.
Do canned goods go bad?
Throw out any can that is swollen, leaking or rusted, and never taste food from one. Wrap damaged cans before you bin them so children and pets cannot get at them.
Sources
Related guides
Next step
Keep this guide on your phone, offline
The Fallback72 app holds all 120 guides, one step per screen, with no signal needed.