Should I be rotating food?

[crosses]

You know how at the store they always put the food that is going to expire first at the front and the food that is going to expire last in the back? When I bring home food, should I stock my shelves the same way? I have never done this before since I do not keep a lot of extra food in the cabinets, but I just found some food that expired on me because I forgot about it. What is the best way to keep this from happening?

[Momtwo]

I always rotate my food; otherwise I would end up throwing away expired food and that would not be very thrifty. I also date my frozen food when I put it in freezer bags so that I can use the oldest first! I keep all my beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. sorted into big plastic bags so that I always know where it is in the freezer!

[akaivyleaf]

Do you know that average time that frozen uncooked meat can last? Like how long is frozen chicken good?

[miclason]

We rotate our food...it takes a while longer to put away when we come in from shopping, but it's worth it...

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by crosses

You know how at the store they always put the food that is going to expire first at the front and the food that is going to expire last in the back? When I bring home food, should I stock my shelves the same way? I have never done this before since I do not keep a lot of extra food in the cabinets, but I just found some food that expired on me because I forgot about it. What is the best way to keep this from happening?

I think you answered your own question. (emphasis mine)

[Tree0164]

When I buy a lot of canned good I will put labels on them wiht the date so I know when I bought them using the oldest stuff first. Sometime the canned and boxed stuff expiration date is hard to read-so this makes it easier for me.

[Momtwo]

I keep uncooked chicken frozen for up to a year. Here this chart should help you:

http://www.co.st-louis.mo.us/doh/Foo...d_storage.html

[LuxLiving]

Yes.

and other things as well. I too date my stuff upon entering the house w/groceries all canned goods are marked with month & year 09/06 and how much I paid which w/coupons is different than the price sticker.

On the other stuff, I just opened a bottle of conditioner I got free with coupons back in 10/95!! Needless to say I have a good supply on hand and haven't had to buy any in awhile!

Some things do go bad, others not!

[Ima saver]

Well, that is a good idea. I have had to throw things away because they are out of date.

[mom-from-missouri]

I rotate my canned goods, and I write the date on the flats of foods I can myself.
Meat I buy is dated and I keep an eye on that, and meat we process our self (which we have currently run out of--but we are due to butcher in a month) is also dated.
My canned goods are easy--I have a pantry corner in my basement with shelves we made from cement blocks and boards. The majority of our food stays there. Upstairs, in the kitchen pantry, I keep just a few cans of each item, and restock from the basement. When we are out of say, corn, I go to the basement, and bring up about 3-4 cans of corn, which should be on the shelf with the things to expire first in the front and top. My shelves are deep, so when I go to aldi's, I can buy and store a case of each veggie/fruit on the shelves at a time. I have my shelves labled, so at a glance I can see where to put things away at, and what I need to get more of. I do have one spot on one shelf for "items to use quick" ie, those going out of date.