Expiration Checkup...

Certain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes - the following are expiration dates of everyday items:

Brown sugar - Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moisture proof container in a cool, dry place.

Chocolate (Hershey bar) - 1 year from production date

Coffee, canned ground - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 1 month refrigerated

Coffee, gourmet - Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant - Unopened: Up to 2 years Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles) - Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date. Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta - 12 months

Frozen dinners - Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables - Unopened: 18 to 24 months Opened: 1 month

Honey - Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry) - Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup - Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Maple syrup, real or imitation - 1 year

Maraschino cherries - Unopened: 3 to 4 years Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows - Unopened: 40 weeks Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise - Unopened: Indefinitely Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Mustard - 2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento) - Unopened: 3 years Opened: 3 months

Olive oil - 2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Peanuts - Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural - 9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif) - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles - Unopened: 18 months Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (PowerBars) - Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

Rice, white - 2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled - Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular - Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce - 33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Tabasco - 5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton) - Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned - Unopened: 1 year from purchase date Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Vinegar 42 months - Wine (red, white) Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

Worcestershire sauce - Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) Opened: 2 years