| 1 cup self-rising flour | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1 cup cake flour | 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons |
| 1 cup all-purpose flour | 1 cup cake flour plus 2 tablespoons |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder | 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon soda |
| 1 tablespoon cornstarch | 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 1 tablespoon tapioca | 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 2 large eggs | 3 small eggs |
| 1 pound fresh mushrooms | 6 ounces canned mushrooms |
| 1 cup commercial sour cream | 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus evaporated milk to equal 1 cup; or 3 tablespoons butter plus 7/8 cup sour milk |
| 1 cup yogurt | 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk |
| 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk | 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus sweet milk to equal 1 cup |
| 1 cup fresh milk | 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water; or 3 to 5 tablespoons nonfat dry milk solids in 1 cup water |
| 1 cup honey | 1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid |
| 1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate | 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine |
| 1 tablespoon fresh herbs | 1 teaspoon dried herbs or 1/4 teaspoon powdered herbs |
| 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley | 1 tablespoon dehydrated parsley |
| 1 teaspoon dry mustard | 1 tablespoon prepared mustard |
| MEATS Fresh beef, lamb, pork, and veal |
|
|---|---|
| roasts | 3 to 5 days |
| steaks, chops | 3 days |
| ribs | 2 days |
| stew meat | 2 days |
| ground meat | 1 to 2 days |
| Processed meats (after package is opened) | |
| hams, whole and half | 7 days |
| bacon | 5 to 7 days |
| frankfurters | 4 to 5 days |
| luncheon meats, sliced | 3 days |
| Fresh fish | 1 to 2 days |
| Poultry | 1 to 2 days |
| DAIRY | |
| Butter and Margarine | 1 month |
| Buttermilk | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Cheese (opened) hard cheese: Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan (grated) |
3 to 4 weeks 1 year |
| soft cheese: cream, Neufchatel cottage cheese |
2 weeks 5 to 7 days or date on pkg. |
| Eggs | 1 month |
| Half-and-half | 7 to 10 days |
| Milk, whole and skimmed | 1 week |
| Sour cream | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Whipping cream | 7 to 10 days |
| Yogurt | 10 days or date on pkg. |
| CANNED FOODS (opened) | |
| Fruit | 5 to 7 days |
| Jams and jellies | 6 months |
| Mayonnaise | 1 to 2 months |
| Meats | 1 to 2 days |
| Pickles | 2 to 3 months |
| Vegetables | 2 to 3 days |
| Most fresh fruit is best if used within 3 to 5 days. Apples maintain freshness about three weeks and citrus fruits about 10 days to 2 weeks. Try to use fresh vegetables as soon as possible after purchasing or after picking from the garden. Corn in the husk will only hold up 1 day in the refrigerator. Carrots and radishes will last 2 to 3 weeks, but most other vegetables should be eaten within 3 to 7 days. (Can or freeze vegetables the day they are bought or picked.) | |
| STAPLES | |
| Baking powder | 1 year |
| Baking soda | 1 year |
| Breakfast cereal, ready to eat uncooked |
Check date on package 1 year |
| Catsup (opened) | 1 month |
| Coffee (opened), (refrigerate after opening) | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Cornmeal, regular and self-rising | 10 months |
| Dried beans and peas | 18 months |
| Flour, all-purpose -whole wheat (refrigerated) |
10 to 15 months 3 months |
| Grits, regular -instant, flavored |
10 months 9 months |
| Milk, evaporated and sweetened condensed | 1 year |
| Pasta | 10 to 15 months |
| Peanut butter | 6 months |
| Salt and pepper | 18 months |
| Shortening | 8 months |
| Spices, ground -whole (Discard spices if aroma fades) |
6 months 1 year |
| Sugar | 18 months |
| Tea bags | 1 year |
| Vegetable oil | 3 months |
| Worcestershire sauce | 2 years |
| CANNED FOODS | |
| Fruit | 1 year |
| Vegetables | 1 year |
| Soups | 1 year |
| Meat, fish and poultry | 1 year |
| PACKAGED MIXES | |
| Cake mix | 1 year |
| Casserole mix | 18 months |
| Frosting mix | 8 months |
| Pancake mix | 6 months |
| Tips for Pantry Storage: Store food in the coolest area of your kitchen, away from the oven and range. Hot, humid air decreases the storage life of most products. Keep all dry foods in their original containers or in airtight ones. Date your purchases and always use the oldest items first. When selecting canned foods, watch for dents, bulges, or stickiness; these could be signs of contamination. | |
| Baking | Unless otherwise specified, always preheat the oven at least 20 minutes before baking |
| Browning | For best results in browning food in a skillet, dry the food first on paper towels. |
| Measuring | Always measure accurately. Level dry ingredients with top of a cup or a knife edge or a spoon handle. Measure liquids in a cup so that the fluid is level with the top of the measuring line. Measure solid shortening by packing it firmly in a graduated measuring cup. |
| Storing | Milk cartons make splendid freezing containers for stocks, soups, etc. They also serve well for freezing fish or shrimp, foods that should be frozen in water. |
| Baking Powder | Always use double-acting baking powder |
| Breads and Cakes | To test for doneness in baking a butter or margarine cake, insert a straw or a wire cake tester into the center of the cake in at least two places. The tester should come out clean if the cake is done. Cake should be lightly browned and beginning to shrink from the pan’s sides. Cake should spring back to touch. |
| Butter | When a recipe says greased pan, grease the pan with solid shortening or oil, unless butter is specified. |
| Candies | The weather is a big factor in candymaking. On a hot humid day, it is adviseable to cook candy 2 degrees higher than in cold dry weather. |
| Eggs | Unused or extra egg whites may be frozen and used as needed. Make meringues or angel pies with the whites later. Egg whites freeze well and do not need to be defrosted. When boiling eggs, add 1 tsp. salt to the water. This prevents a cracked egg from draining into the water. |
| Fruit | A whole lemon heated in hot water for 5 minutes will yield 1 or 2 tablespoons more juice than an unheated lemon. |
| Sauces | When a sauce curdles, remove pan from heat and plunge into a pan of cold water to stop the cooking process. Beat sauce vigorously or pour into a blender and beat. When making a cream or a white sauce, melt butter, add flour, and blend well. Remove from heat before adding warmed milk. |
| Seafood | For improved texture and flavor with canned shrimp, soak shrimp for 1 hour in ice water; drain. One pound of raw shrimp yields about 2 cups cooked and peeled shrimp. |