How long do Canned goods last?
- Low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish…3–4 days, fridge opened; 2–5 years, pantry from purchase
- High acid (such as juices, fruit, pickles…5–7 days, fridge opened; 12–18 months, pantry from purchase
Turning the range into a date
Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.
Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach)
- From purchase · in the pantryUse by2 years to 5 years after the day you bought it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by3 days to 4 days after the day you opened it
Canned goods, high acid (such as juices, fruit, pickles, sauerkraut, tomato soup, and foods in vinegar-based sauce)
- From purchase · in the pantryUse by12 months to 18 months after the day you bought it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by5 days to 7 days after the day you opened it
Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item
USDA FoodKeeper lists 2 kinds under Canned goods.
Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach)
- From purchase · in the pantry2 years to 5 years
- Once opened · in the pantrynot recommended
- Once opened · in the fridge3 days to 4 days
Canned goods, high acid (such as juices, fruit, pickles, sauerkraut, tomato soup, and foods in vinegar-based sauce)
- From purchase · in the pantry12 months to 18 months
- Once opened · in the pantrynot recommended
- Once opened · in the fridge5 days to 7 days
What the USDA adds in words
Word for word from the FoodKeeper record.
Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach), in the pantry. Canned items will be safe to eat well past the ‘use-by’ or ‘best by’ date as long as the can shows no dents, rust, or swelling.
Canned goods, high acid (such as juices, fruit, pickles, sauerkraut, tomato soup, and foods in vinegar-based sauce), in the pantry. Canned items will be safe to eat well past the ‘use-by’ or ‘best by’ date as long as the can shows no dents, rust, or swelling.
What USDA FSIS and the FDA say about this food
For: Canned goods, low acid (such as meat, poultry, fish, gravy, stew, soups, beans, carrots, corn, pasta, peas, potatoes, spinach) · Canned goods, high acid (such as juices, fruit, pickles, sauerkraut, tomato soup, and foods in vinegar-based sauce)
Tips for Non-Refrigerated Items
Check canned goods for damage. Can damage is shown by swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing or denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener. Stickiness on the outside of cans may indicate a leak. Newly purchased cans that appear to be leaking should be returned to the store for a refund or exchange. Otherwise, throw the cans away.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
Other foods on the same USDA shelf
- Polenta5–7 days in the fridge once openedshelf-stable
- Roasted nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds)4 weeks in the fridge once opened
- Pectin1 month in the pantry once opened
- Potato chips1–2 weeks in the pantry once openedup to 2 months in the pantry
- Cashew butter3 months in the pantry
- Pine nuts3 months in the fridge
Food safety rules that apply to every food
- Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
- Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
- Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
- Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
- Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.
Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.
Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.
No one of the 2 is shown first, so this page prints no single figure: the kinds are listed with their own windows and you pick yours.
USDA index terms: bean, beans, can, canned, carrot, carrots, corn, fish, food, foods, foods in vinegar based sauce, fruit, fruits, goods, gravy, high, high acid, juice, juices, low, low acid, meat, pasta, pea, peas, pickle, pickles, potato, potatoes, poultry, sauce, sauerkraut, soup, soups, spinach, stew, tomato, tomato soup, vinegar, vinegar based
KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.