Do Canned Tomatoes Go Bad or Expire? Shelf Life Opened and Unopened

Yes, canned tomatoes can spoil, especially if the can is damaged or the tomatoes are mishandled after opening. For unopened cans, the storage figures describe best quality, and USDA’s table gives a year or more in a cool pantry. An opened can needs the fridge and a clock. Below: how long each lasts, what the date means, and how to tell when a can is a problem.

Do canned tomatoes go bad?

For a complete pantry storage reference, see our Food Storage Guide. For fresh tomatoes, see our guide on whether fresh tomatoes go bad.

How Long Do Canned Tomatoes Last?

Sources give different windows, so here is each one. These are agency and maker figures, not guarantees.

How Long Do Unopened Canned Tomatoes Last?

USDA’s shelf-stable food page puts high-acid canned goods, including tomatoes, at 12 to 18 months in the pantry. NDSU Extension’s Food Storage Guide gives unopened canned foods the same 12 to 18 months.

Oregon State University Extension’s Food Hero tomato guide says to use unopened canned tomatoes within 8 to 12 months for best quality. Cento’s spec sheet for its All Purpose Crushed Tomatoes lists a 36-month shelf life for its All Purpose Crushed Tomatoes. That figure is for that product, and other makers set their own.

These are quality windows, not cutoffs. Use the printed date as a guide to quality, and follow safe storage practices.

Can You Eat Canned Tomatoes Past the Date?

USDA’s food product dating page says that, except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of a product’s safety. USDA’s shelf-stable page adds that a shelf-stable product can be safely used after its sell-by date.

USDA also says the packing codes on cans exist for tracking, and they aren’t meant for the consumer to read as use-by dates. Utah State University Extension’s Storing Canned Goods page says commercially canned food should keep its best quality until the code date on the can.

We found no official source that says how many months past the date canned tomatoes stay good. A sealed, undamaged can that was stored well can be used past its date. Appearance alone doesn’t prove safety, though, because FDA’s “Are You Storing Food Safely?” page says food can make you sick even when it doesn’t look, smell or taste spoiled.

Red Gold’s post on expired canned tomato products says to discard a can that is swollen or leaking regardless of the date.

How Long Do Opened Canned Tomatoes Last?

Refrigerate opened canned tomatoes promptly at 40°F or below, and use them within 5 to 7 days. That is USDA’s window for high-acid canned goods, and NDSU gives the same 5 to 7 days for opened tomato sauce. FDA says to keep the refrigerator at or below 40°F.

USDA also says bacteria can enter once the container is open, and that unused portions must be refrigerated in clean containers.

If your label gives a shorter window, follow it. Red Gold says to store opened canned tomato products in a sealed plastic or glass container for no more than 7 days. It adds that its products contain no preservatives. Oregon State Extension is stricter and says to use opened canned tomatoes within 2 days.

The sources differ, so treat 2 days as the most cautious figure and not a shared safety cutoff. If you can’t use the tomatoes in time, freeze them. Planning dinners for the week? Our easy shrimp fajitas and ham and egg chilaquiles are two easy places to start.

Can You Store Opened Canned Tomatoes in the Can?

USDA says unused portions of canned food may be refrigerated in the can. It also says that to preserve optimum quality and flavor, you should place the unused portion in a glass or plastic storage container. NDSU Extension’s canned and packaged food Q&A says the same for best quality, before refrigerating or freezing.

Red Gold and Cento both say to refrigerate opened tomatoes in a sealed container. We’d move leftovers into a clean jar with a lid.

Can You Freeze Canned Tomatoes?

Yes, you can freeze leftovers from an opened can, and the container matters. NDSU says to remove the food from the can and put it into another covered container before refrigerating or freezing. Don’t freeze the can itself. Frozen portions are handy for soup, and our guide on how to thicken soup without cream helps if it comes out thin.

University of Illinois Extension’s guide to processing tomatoes gives a method for freezing tomatoes. Cool them, use freezer-safe plastic or glass containers, and leave headspace. It says regular glass jars break easily at freezer temperatures.

It also says that for best quality, frozen tomatoes should be used within 10 to 12 months, and that they will remain safe after that. That holds only if the food was safe going in and stays frozen. FDA says to keep the freezer at 0°F, and that freezing stops bacteria from growing but does not kill most of them.

Oregon State Extension says to freeze tomatoes in a tightly closed container and label the date. It says they’re best in cooked dishes within 8 months. Neither this figure nor Illinois’s is specific to a commercial canned product, so label your container with the date. For other foods that don’t freeze well, see foods you should never freeze.

Can Canned Tomatoes Sit Out?

An unopened can can sit at room temperature, because that is how it’s stored. An opened can is different. FDA says not to let foods that require refrigeration sit at room temperature for more than two hours. It drops that to one hour if the air temperature is above 90°F.

Makers and USDA say opened canned tomatoes belong in the fridge. We’d discard an opened can or a bowl of tomatoes that sat out past those limits. For leftovers in general, see our guide on how long leftovers last. Cooking for a crowd? Our Mardi Gras recipes have plenty of big-pot ideas.

How Should You Store Canned Tomatoes?

Store cans in a cool, dry place. USDA says never to put them above or beside the stove, under the sink, or in a damp garage or basement. It says temperatures below 85°F are best and that over 100°F is harmful to canned goods.

Red Gold suggests 50 to 75°F and warns that damp conditions can cause rust. Utah State says to keep cans off the floor, especially bare concrete, and not to let sealed cans freeze. Red Gold says freezing makes cans swell and can break the seal.

We’d write the purchase month on the lid and use the oldest cans first. Utah State recommends labeling the purchase date, and Red Gold recommends rotating the oldest first. Stocking up for a party? See our Cinco de Mayo recipes.

How Can You Tell if Canned Tomatoes Have Gone Bad?

Check the can before you open it. USDA says to discard bulging, leaking or deeply dented cans, and any can with a deep dent on a seam. It says to discard heavily rusted cans, and that surface rust you can rub off isn’t serious.

Then check the tomatoes. Utah State says to discard any can that spurts when opened, and to discard contents if there is a strange odor or appearance. USDA says not to eat the food if there is rust inside the can. Red Gold says to throw tomatoes away if they smell off or have an altered color.

Discard tomatoes with mold. FDA identifies mold as a spoilage sign and says the safest practice is to discard moldy food.

These signs are reasons to discard the food, but their absence doesn’t guarantee safety. We don’t suggest tasting questionable tomatoes to test them.

Is a Dented Can of Tomatoes Safe?

Dents matter most near the seams. USDA says to discard deeply dented cans and any can with a deep dent on a seam. Red Gold says shallow dents in the side of the can are generally safe, while dents in the seam or rim may break the seal and aren’t safe.

If you can’t tell how deep a dent is, we’d play it safe and not use the can. That is our own conservative call, not a USDA rule.

Can Old Canned Tomatoes Make You Sick?

USDA says never to use food from containers showing possible botulism warnings, meaning leaking, bulging or badly dented cans. It also says bacteria can enter an opened container and begin growing.

We found no source tying a particular symptom to old canned tomatoes, so we won’t list any. If a can shows any sign above, discard it without opening it where you can.

Do Canned Tomatoes Lose Quality Over Time?

Properly processed canned tomatoes can gradually lose flavor, texture and nutritional quality in storage. USDA says that in all canned foods, but especially high-acid foods like canned tomatoes, natural chemicals in the food react with the container. Over several years, it says this can cause taste and texture changes and lower the nutritional value.

Quality changes and safety hazards are not the same thing, and a normal look or smell doesn’t prove mishandled food is safe. That’s one reason to rotate cans and use the oldest first.

How Long Do Home-Canned Tomatoes Last?

For best quality, plan to use properly home-canned tomatoes within one year. the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s guide to storing home-canned foods advises canning no more food than you will use within a year, for best quality. Utah State Extension says unopened home-canned foods have a shelf life of one year and should be used before two years. It also says high-acid foods usually have a shorter shelf life than low-acid foods.

Treat these as quality guidelines, not a safety expiry. Safe storage starts with a tested recipe and the right processing method, not just the jar’s age or a sealed lid. Use a tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation or a university Cooperative Extension program.

Discard any home-canned jar with a broken seal, bulging lid or leak. NCHFP says not to taste food from a jar with an unsealed lid or signs of spoilage.

What Can You Make With Canned Tomatoes?

Cooking with a can of tomatoes? Try our homemade Italian pasta sauce, tortilla soup or red lentil soup. For a skillet dinner, see roasted Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and for a Southern classic, see New Orleans seafood gumbo.

For a family dinner, try our classic meatloaf recipe. For more ideas, see our classic Italian dishes guide. If a soup comes out thin or flat, see common soup mistakes.

What Else Should You Check in Your Pantry?

For other tomato products, see whether tomato sauce goes bad, whether tomato paste goes bad and whether sun-dried tomatoes go bad. For fresh tomatoes, see whether fresh tomatoes go bad and whether tomatoes need to be refrigerated. For salsa, see whether salsa goes bad, and for a swap, see what to use instead of tomato paste.

If tomato sauce lands on your shirt, see how to get tomato sauce out of clothes. If it stains your storage container, see how to remove tomato stains from plastic containers. For pasta night, see whether pasta goes bad.

Signs Something Is Wrong

See also

Food Storage

Does Gravy Go Bad? Jar, Packet and Homemade Shelf Life

• A bulging, swollen or leaking can, a deep dent on a seam, or heavy rust. USDA says to discard these.
• A can that spurts when opened, a strange odor or appearance, or rust inside the can. Utah State and USDA say not to use these.
• Mold on the tomatoes. FDA identifies mold as a spoilage sign and says to discard moldy food.
• Our added caution: a slimy texture.

The first three items follow USDA, Utah State and FDA. The last is our own caution, not an agency list. These signs are reasons to discard, but their absence doesn’t guarantee safety. We don’t suggest tasting to test.

Do Canned Tomatoes Go Bad FAQ

Further Reading

• Does Tomato Sauce Go Bad?
• Food Storage Guide