Can You Eat Expired Oatmeal

If you have the question "Can you eat expired oatmeal", let me answer this for you. Whether you purchased more than you could eat before the expiration date, or maybe it got tucked in the back of the shelf in your pantry. Sometimes you hit that expiration date more quickly than you had planned.

In this post, I will discuss both expired oatmeal and expired oats. This should clarify any questions you might have.

If you are confused with the "best used by date" and other labels, you are not alone. In fact, according to the FDA, labeling isn't an exact science.  This is exactly why over the years I have worked out my own system, and only take the expiry date into consideration, not a hard and fast date.

Oats are a healthy food, read more about this Mayo Clinic article. It is nutritious, healthy, and a great way to start the day.

Can you eat expired oatmeal?

The good news is, yes! This will depend on storage conditions, humidity, etc. Let me run through these. When I am referencing oatmeal, I am talking about the oatmeal packets, oatmeal cups, etc. These are flavored and are made for quick cooking. I will say, they have a shorter shelf life than raw oats, but you can still use them past the expiration date. 

If your oatmeal has been stored at room temperature, considering your house is kept around 70 degrees or cooler, you should not run into any problems. The same goes for keeping them in a dry place.

Store the dry oatmeal in an airtight container also increases the chances you can use your oatmeal beyond the expiration date.

I generally feel safe consuming oatmeal that is up to 2 months expired. For raw oats, it is even longer. Remember to check for off odor, mold growth, and pantry pests. All will indicate spoilage of some sort. 

As a word of caution, there are a few things to look for to ensure the oatmeal is still okay for consumption. Signs of spoilage would be discolored oats (including dark spots), an "off smell", and bugs in the oatmeal would be a concern as well. If humidity has gotten into the oatmeal it can easily mold. To avoid food poisoning, pay attention to how your oatmeal is looking, smelling, and tasting.

How to properly store oats

Dry oats have a long shelf life and will hold even longer than packaged, flavored oatmeal.

The best way to ensure it is properly stored is with these steps- store oatmeal in an air-tight container in a dark place with very little humidity (nothing will ruin your oats quicker than excess moisture).

I tuck mine in the back of a pantry shelf for safekeeping, this dark area ensures longer shelf life of oatmeal. It is also best to avoid direct sunlight. 

For instant oatmeal packets, I like to store them in a container where I have removed the oxygen. This could be in a bucket or a vacuum-sealed bag. Add an oxygen absorber and make sure you have a tight seal. 

How to store oats for long-term storage

There are a few ways I have used to help with the long-term storage of oats. It is a great pantry staple that can be held for a very long time. 

The first thing to note, is you want to remove as much air as possible. This will keep the uncooked oats fresh for a very long time. 

You can do this with large 3 or 5-gallon buckets. Add in an oxygen absorber, or 2, seal it up, and set it somewhere at a moderate temperature. 

Vacuum sealing is a great option for long-term storage. I used to use my vacuum sealer all the time to increase my oats' shelf life. Vacuum sealers are so easy to use. 

Another, slightly more complicated way to store oats long-term is to actually seal them in #10 cans, or purchase the oats sealed in the cans. The sealer itself is expensive, but if you are looking to store foods, not just oats, long-term, it is a great investment. 

If you have space, you can also store the oatmeal and oats in the fridge or freezer. This is never an option in our house. I am feeding 3 teenagers plus friends every day, which means our fridge is always FULL!

Should you store oatmeal in the fridge?

Well, as noted above, if you have the space you can. It will certainly help with a longer storage life, but not necessary. 

The only reason to consider this is if your house is pretty warm, generally above 75 degrees F. Or if you live in a humid area with a lot of bugs. When we lived in Texas, no matter how much I cleaned, it always seemed like there were bugs I was contending with. 

Keep these 2 things in mind. Heat and pests. If you struggle with one or both, the fridge or even freezer might be a good option. 

How do you store 25 pounds of oats?

Have you recently purchased a big bag of oats when they were on sale, or maybe you just want to stock up a bit?

I listed several options above but will make note of other storage options as well. 

Unless you plan on eating oatmeal every single day for the next year, you are going to need to store those 25 pounds of oatmeal in another way other than the bag it came in. 

A simple way, if you go through the oatmeal pretty quickly, is either in a mason jar, yes it will take a lot, or in gallon-size ziplock bags. Remember, this will only work if you are planning on going through the oats pretty quickly. 

If you don't plan on eating oats every single day, you are going to need better storage choices. 

I like to buy 3 or 5-gallon buckets for my storage. In fact, in my pantry right now I have 6- 5 gallon buckets and 8- 3 gallon buckets. I especially like using gamma lids with buckets. They are so much easier to open. It is important to make sure they are food-grade buckets, so check on that. I buy mine at my local Winco and they are very reasonably priced. 

Another way to store the oats is in vacuum-sealed bags. Vacuum sealers are very simple to use and not nearly as expensive as they used to be. 

Different types of oats

The type of oats you use will determine the texture and how long it will take to cook. All of these types of oats can be stored long-term as described above. 

Oat groats- These are the whole oat kernel. The hard, outer shell has been removed, but everything else is intact. I love using these for healthy whole-grain breakfast cereal. Oat groats will actually hold for a very long time in storage. Especially if you are sealing them in 5-gallon buckets. 

Steel-cut oats- These are the oat groats cut into smaller pieces with steel blades. Because they are in smaller pieces, they will cook faster than the whole oat groat. I love this recipe for Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats. 

Rolled oats- These can be old-fashioned oats (or regular oats) or even instant oats (or quick oats). These are the oat groat that has been rolled and flattened. Instant oats are rolled oats that have been cut up to decrease cooking time. I used regular oats for this recipe for overnight oats with protein. 

Other oatmeal recipes

If you are a fan of oatmeal like I am, I have so many recipes to share with you. Click on any of the photos below.