#3 Avoid! Opened Tomato Sauce
You may have stocked up on tomato sauce the last time you were out doing a party re-stock, but just because you got it for a bargain, it doesn’t mean you should be eager to throw out a lot of the product. If you haven’t opened the cans or packages yet, they will live happily on your pantry shelf, but if you have opened them, you should definitely avoid leaving them out in the open.
Back in the day, it was okay to leave the tomato sauce out and about, as it generally contained a lot more preservatives than it does today. Since brands are striving to make their products healthier and attract more customers this way, the sauce has less salt and additives, and thus it is no longer safe to keep at room temperature.
After you’ve opened that can of tomato sauce, if you have any leftovers, you should definitely put it in the fridge, or if you’re not sure when you will use it again, freeze it for later!
#4 Bananas
Yes, you read that right! And while it may come as a surprise to you, you should really avoid keeping bananas out in the pantry unless they’re definitely unripe and you want them to be edible faster. The more you keep them out at room temperature, the faster they ripen, and that fresh, perfect dozen you bought last weekend? If you haven’t stored it in the fridge, then it’s good for banana bread by now.
Don’t be intimidated if the peel turns brown. They aren’t bad to eat, but they will be mushy. So unless the texture doesn’t bother you, you can easily add them to oatmeal or bake something with the ones that are too ripe.
1 thought on “Avoid Keeping These 5 Foods in Your Pantry”
Wish I could post a picture of my pantry! While I still have a few bought cans, my pantry is full of home canned goodies. Vegetables, meat, fruit, even milk (for cooking only). I mostly follow USDA guidelines, but I have the older guides.
Right now I have 40# of chicken in the fridge waiting to be de-boned and canned. While the Amish choose to water bath everything (THREE HOURS for chicken), I will be pressure canning my chicken for 90 minutes.
If you only use part of a can of anything, please store it in a covered bowl in the fridge. Don’t leave it in the can. Just put a bit of freezer tape around the container and label it. Then plan to cook with it within a day or two. Be safe.