How Long Does Canned Fruit Last Once Opened?

Many people who have cans of sliced peaches or fruit cocktail sitting in their pantry might worry about what will happen after opening them. The canning process helps preserve food for a long time, but once you have some leftovers, the question of how long they last becomes murkier. Some canned fruit is going to be packaged with stabilizers or preservatives to extend the shelf life even further than canning along would, but many of the best canned fruits are just packed in their own juices with maybe something like ascorbic acid added to prevent discoloration. Once that fruit is out of the can it's not going to have a much longer shelf life than fresh fruit. So how long do you have before you should start worrying?

If you package up canned fruit and store it in the refrigerator after opening, it turns out you have five days up to a week to use it. While it could be refrigerated in the original can, it's better to seal the food up in a food safe plastic or glass container with an airtight lid to make it last as long as possible. Its flavor and texture may degrade over that time without the protection of the can, but it should remain safe to eat.

While your canned fruit should be safe in the fridge for a bit, you should still keep an eye out for signs of spoilage. The most obvious sign it has gone bad will be mold, and if you see any, your food should be tossed immediately. Normally, certain changes in texture also indicate when the food is rotting. It will start getting mushier or more slimy, but this will be less apparent with canned fruit that has been soaking in juice. Discoloration is another red flag you should be looking for, and off smells are also another big warning sign. If you are worried about spoilage in the fridge, you also have the option to freeze leftover canned fruit.

If you don't want to lose those leftovers and freezing that little food seems like a waste of space, there are plenty of surprising ways you can use canned fruit by getting creative. There are more obvious and easy uses like making smoothies or topping oatmeal and cereal, but canned fruit like orange or pear sliced are great as an addition to salads too. You might not have enough for a full sized bake, but you can make individual mini fruit cobblers or crumbles in muffin tins or ramekins. You can even use canned fruit in savory dishes. In fact, avoiding waste for things like canned fruit can often lead to some of your favorite culinary discoveries.