AIP Food Storage Basics

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One of the things that can become a big deal when you start AIP is food storage. Basically, prior to AIP, I really didn’t think a whole lot about this topic. I didn’t do much batch cooking, so I didn’t worry about how to store four quarts of bone broth or how long three baking sheets worth of roasted root veggies would keep in the fridge. I didn’t buy meat in bulk, so I also did not consider freezer storage. I knew, vaguely, those plastic containers weren’t great for health and environmental reasons, but that didn’t stop me from becoming the queen of collecting them (the cupboards bursting lids and containers everywhere every time they were opened). And, I’ll also confess that I was not a worrier about the dangers of old leftovers (if it isn’t stinky and moldy, I say, “Eat it!”).

Despite my “leftovers zen” attitude, I have decided that three years into my journey it is high time to up my food storage game. With that goal in mind, I’ve done a little research and put together a guide that I hope will help us all when we are standing in the kitchen, scratching our heads and wondering, “How do I store that? Will it keep?”

First, we have to consider where to keep food:

• It is very helpful, with an AIP lifestyle to invest in a stand-alone freezer. Obviously, you can live a perfectly happy healing lifestyle without one, but if you have the space and the budget, it is extremely useful. Freezers come in several types, including chest, upright, and specialty. Chest freezers are normally a bit less expensive and they will keep your food frozen for up to 48 hours (if you don’t open the lid) if the power should go out. The drawback is that they are tougher to organize well. Uprights are more expensive and food will not keep as long if there is a power outage, but they are easier to organize. Specialty freezers are mini or portable versions. These might be a good choice for single folks that only need a little extra storage or for people with limited space. In my house we actually use a hand-me-down upright and it has been perfect for us.
• Another very useful place to keep food is a pantry. Again, totally possible to do this without a pantry, but having a storage space that is cooler and dark is very handy. I have a small closet-sized pantry and I also cleared the bottom shelf of one of my lower corner cabinets to expand my space for things like winter squashes and sweet potatoes.
• Refrigerators don’t really need to be discussed, but you may be surprised to find that you don’t need as large a fridge as you may have required before. Fresh, unprocessed foods mean my fridge is a pretty temporary space, not cluttered and overflowing with the typical bottles of old condiments and individually packaged snack foods.

Second, we have to consider what to keep food in:

• As much as possible, it is a good idea to avoid plastic food storage containers. Now don’t stress out here! I’ve slowly been making this swap for years. I have mainly glass and stainless steel now, but some things I have still not completely figured out. For instance, I use (plastic) ice cube trays to freeze bone broth and then I transfer those cubes to (plastic) freezer bags. Also, most of my meat comes from the butcher (via my farmers) in vacuum-sealed (plastic) bags. Wrapping in wax coated butcher paper would be a better alternative, but I’m not there yet. I’m getting there and you will too. For more information on this topic, check out what Chris Kresser has to say here.

Finally, we need to figure out the how and when on different kinds of foods:

Meat, Poultry, and Seafood

Beef and Lamb: Fridge: 2-3 days, Freezer: 4-6 months

Pork: Fridge: 2-3 days (ham and bacon can go up to 2 weeks unopened), Freezer: 1-6 months (bacon on the shorter end)

Poultry: Fridge: 2 days, Freezer: 2-6 months

Seafood: Fridge: 1-2 days (shucked clams, mussels, and oysters on the shorter end), Freezer: 3-6 months (do not freeze live whole crab or lobster)

Produce*

Apples: Fridge: 21 days

Avocados: Fridge: 3 days, ripen quickly at room temp in a paper bag with an apple

Bananas: Countertop: 5 days

Berries: Fridge: 2-7 days (blueberries on the longer end, cranberries will go for a month), best to wash and discard any moldy berries to prevent the spread of mold

Broccoli: Fridge: 7 days

Brussels sprouts: Fridge: 7 days

Cabbage: Fridge: 7-14 days (Savoy and Napa varieties on the shorter end)

Carrots: Fridge: 14 days

Cauliflower: Fridge: 7 days

Citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange): Fridge: 14-21 days

Cucumber: Fridge: 5 days

Garlic: Pantry: 2 months

Ginger: Fridge: 3 weeks

Greens (arugula, bok choy, chard, collard, kale, lettuce, mustard, spinach): Fridge: 3-5 days (if it is bagged or in a plastic container, pay close attention to the expiration date)

Herbs (fresh): Fridge: 3-14 days (leafy herbs on the shorter end), best to wrap in damp paper towel

Onions: Pantry: 2 months, Fridge: 4 days (cut)

Parsnips: Fridge: 7 days

Pears: Fridge: 5 days

Sweet Potatoes and Yams: Pantry: 14 days

Turnips: Fridge: 14 days, separate the leaves

Winter Squash (acorn, butternut, delicata, and spaghetti): Pantry: 3 months

Zucchini and Summer Squash: Fridge: 5 days

*For AIP, this list could be have been exhaustive, I decided to focus on some of the really common basics for simplicity.

Dry Goods

Baking Soda: Pantry: 1.5 years

Dried Fruits: Pantry: 6 months, unopened or 1 month, opened

*Flour, Arrowroot: Pantry: 3-6 months (in a sealed container)

Flour, Coconut: Pantry: 1 year (in a sealed container)

Flour, Tapioca: Pantry: 3-6 months (in a sealed container)

Herbs (dry): Pantry: 2 years

Spices: Pantry: 3 years, whole or 2 years, ground

*I saw a lot of conflicting guidance on storage of gluten-free starch flours, like arrowroot and tapioca; I boiled it down to the “average” answer for this guide.

Oils, Vinegars, and Sweeteners

Honey: Pantry: 1 year, unopened or open

Maple Syrup: Pantry: 1 year, unopened, Fridge: 1 year, opened

Oil, Avocado: Pantry: 9-12 months

Oil, Coconut: Pantry: 2 years

Oil, Olive: Pantry: 1 year, unopened or 6 months, opened

Oil, Palm (and Palm Shortening): Pantry: 1 year (based on package labeling)

Vinegar: Pantry: 2 years, unopened or 1 year, opened

Special AIP Items

Bone Broth: Fridge: 3-4 days, Freezer: 3 months

Pate: Fridge: 2-3 days, unsealed or 5-7 days, with a coconut oil or butter “seal”, Freezer: 2 months

Gelatin Gummies: Fridge: 14 days

There you are, some simple food storage guidance. Now we can all stop wondering!

REFERENCES

The Ultimate Food-Storage Guide. (2012, April 1). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/food-storage

Bone Broth Frequently Asked Questions | Whole9. (2013, December 15). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from https://whole9life.com/2013/12/whole9-bone-broth-faq/

Prasertong, A. (2012, November 6). Recipe: Chicken Liver with Sage, Apple and Thyme – Recipes From The Kitchn. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-liver-pate-with-sage-apple-and-thyme-179840

FOOD STORAGE — HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP… (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17905

Dessinger, H. (2012, August 22). Sour Gummy Candy Recipe. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from https://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-gummy-stars/