Does Crisco Go Bad? Shelf Life Across the Whole Product Line

By Better Living | Created at 2026-09-27 18:37:47 | Updated at 2026-09-27 19:45:57 1 hour ago

Crisco isn’t one product. It’s a brand that currently spans solid shortening, vegetable and canola oil, individually wrapped baking sticks, and nonstick cooking spray, and each of those formats ages a little differently even though they’re all built around the same basic idea: shelf-stable fat that doesn’t need a refrigerator.

Does Crisco go bad?

The short answer: Yes, eventually, but through rancidity, not mold or bacterial spoilage. Across the current Crisco lineup, an unopened container is generally good for about 2 years from the date on the package. Once opened, shortening in a can holds up well for roughly a year, sticks are best used within about 6 months since they’re more exposed at the surface, oil holds up for about a year with the cap kept clean, and cooking spray, per Crisco’s own shelf-life chart, holds its full 2-year rating whether or not the can’s been opened. Crisco recommends storing everything in a cool, dry pantry rather than the fridge, though its own guidance doesn’t rule out refrigerating shortening or oil if you’re in a warm climate and prefer to; just expect the shortening to firm up and the oil to thicken and turn cloudy until it’s back at room temperature. The real signal that something’s actually gone bad is a sharp, rancid, or otherwise off smell, not the date on the package.

For a deep dive on solid shortening specifically, including the preservatives that give it such a long shelf life, see our companion post: does shortening go bad. For the broader category, our guides to does cooking oil go bad and does cooking oil need to be refrigerated cover similar ground, and our Food Storage Guide rounds up shelf life for the rest of your pantry.

Does Crisco Go Bad: At a Glance

Unopened (any format)	~2 years
Opened shortening (can)	~1 year
Opened shortening (sticks)	~6 months
Opened oil	~1 year
Opened cooking spray	~2 years
Refrigeration	Not required

Key Takeaways

Crisco is currently owned and manufactured by B&G Foods, which acquired the brand from The J.M. Smucker Company in a deal that closed in December 2020. Crisco itself dates back to 1911, when it launched as the first shortening made entirely from plant oil.
This article focuses on four main product formats: canned shortening, baking sticks, bottled cooking oils, and cooking spray, though Crisco’s current lineup also includes variations like corn oil and flavored sprays.
Crisco recommends storing its products in a cool, dry pantry rather than refrigerating them. Refrigeration isn’t necessary, but if you do refrigerate shortening or oil, expect the shortening to become firmer and the oil to become thicker and somewhat cloudy until it returns to room temperature.
Rancidity and other quality changes are the main concerns with these shelf-stable fats and oils. Crisco specifically points to a change in color or appearance, or an off odor or taste, as the signs that a product is past its shelf life.
Crisco’s own freshness tip is a simple one: write the date you opened the container somewhere on it, so you’re not guessing later.

A Brand, Not a Single Product

Crisco launched in 1911 as the first shortening made from hydrogenated vegetable oil rather than animal fat, at a time when lard was the default baking fat in most American kitchens. That plant-based angle was the whole pitch, and it’s part of why the name became shorthand for shortening in general for a lot of home bakers.

Ownership has changed more recently than the product’s history might suggest. The J.M. Smucker Company owned Crisco for years before selling it to B&G Foods in a deal that closed in December 2020, for roughly $550 million. B&G Foods, in its own public filings, describes Crisco as holding the number one position in vegetable shortening, the number one position in vegetable oil, and a leadership position in other cooking oils and cooking sprays, which is a useful reminder that “Crisco” now refers to a lineup, not a single can.

Why Format Changes the Storage MathCrisco’s solid shortening is made from a blend of soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and palm oil, which gives it a solid texture at room temperature. Pure Vegetable Oil and Canola Oil from Crisco are single-ingredient liquid oils, so they don’t have that same structure, and they behave differently in the cold: rather than staying liquid, a refrigerated bottle of oil will thicken and turn cloudy, which reverses once it’s back at room temperature. Crisco cooking sprays are built on a similar oil base, with a small amount of soy lecithin added as an anti-foaming agent and a propellant to aerosolize it. For exactly how long each format actually holds up, the numbers come straight from Crisco’s own current storage guidance below, rather than from the ingredients alone.

How Long Does Each Crisco Format Last?

Shortening (Cans)

An unopened can of Crisco shortening is generally good for about 2 years from the date on the package. Once opened, plan to use it within about a year, keeping the lid on tightly between uses. It’s the format most bakers reach for in recipes where a sturdy, non-spreading dough matters, like cutout cookies that need to hold a crisp shape through baking. For the full breakdown of what’s actually in solid shortening and why it lasts so long, our companion post on does shortening go bad covers the preservatives, including TBHQ and citric acid, in more depth rather than repeating that here.

Baking Sticks

The individually wrapped sticks share the same roughly 2-year unopened window as the canned version. Once you start using a box, plan on working through it within about 6 months. Sticks age a little faster once opened than a shared can does, mainly because each stick has proportionally more surface area exposed to air once its wrapper is off, compared to scooping from a single sealed can. They’re built for pre-measured baking, which is handy in recipes like chocolate chip cookies that call for a specific amount of shortening or a shortening-butter blend.

Vegetable and Canola Oil

Crisco’s bottled oils carry the same roughly 2-year unopened shelf life as the rest of the line. Once opened, plan to use the bottle within about a year, with the cap sealed tightly between uses. Refrigeration isn’t necessary and isn’t what Crisco recommends; a cool pantry away from the stove is the intended spot. If a bottle does go into the fridge, expect it to thicken and turn cloudy, which is a normal, reversible change rather than a sign of spoilage. This is the format that shows up most in quick breads and muffin batters, like banana bread or pumpkin spice bread, where a neutral-tasting oil is what the recipe actually calls for rather than a solid fat.

Cooking Spray

Crisco’s shelf-life chart gives the cooking spray a roughly 2-year shelf life whether the can is unopened or opened, unlike every other format on this list, which shortens once you break the seal. Retailer-published product data for a current Crisco cooking spray lists a 720-day shelf life, which lines up with that figure. It’s also a format with a long-standing stovetop use: shortening and neutral oils like these have long been recommended for popping corn on the stove because of their high smoke point and neutral flavor, the same logic behind a lot of gourmet popcorn recipes today.

How to Tell If Crisco Has Actually Gone Bad

Signs Something Is Actually Wrong

A sharp, rancid, or otherwise off smell or taste. This is rancidity, the main way any Crisco product actually goes bad, and it’s one of the two signs Crisco’s own guidance points to directly.
A noticeable change in color or appearance. This is the other sign Crisco’s own guidance flags as a reason to stop using a product.
Visible mold. Less common in these low-moisture fats and oils than in many other foods, but it can happen with contamination from a wet or dirty utensil. Don’t taste a product to confirm any of these signs; if you notice one, it’s time to toss it.

Normal Changes That Don’t Mean It’s Bad

Shortening firming up further in a cold pantry. It softens back to normal at room temperature.
Oil turning thicker or cloudy if it’s been refrigerated. Crisco’s own FAQ notes this is expected and reverses at room temperature.
A milder smell or flavor over time. That’s a gradual quality change, distinct from the sharper, more obvious smell of true rancidity.

How to Store Crisco Products

Keep all formats in a cool, dry pantry, away from the stove, oven, or dishwasher, where heat and steam can reach them.
Keep containers, bottles, and boxes sealed tightly between uses.
Write the date you opened a container on it. It’s the tip Crisco itself suggests, and it beats trying to remember later.
Crisco recommends a cool, dry pantry over the fridge, but doesn’t rule out refrigerating shortening or oil if you’re in a warm climate and prefer to. Expect shortening to firm up and oil to thicken and turn cloudy as a result, both reversible at room temperature.

Crisco Shelf Life: Practical Guidance

Format Unopened Opened

Shortening (can)	~2 years	~1 year
Shortening (sticks)	~2 years	~6 months
Vegetable or canola oil	~2 years	~1 year
Cooking spray	~2 years	~2 years

Figures reflect Crisco’s current storage guidance and retailer-published product data; always check the specific date printed on your package, since it can vary by product and production run.

Does Crisco Go Bad FAQ

Who makes Crisco now?

B&G Foods currently owns and manufactures Crisco, having acquired the brand from The J.M. Smucker Company in a deal that closed in December 2020. Crisco itself dates back to 1911, when it launched as the first shortening made entirely from plant oil.

Does Crisco oil need to be refrigerated?

No. Crisco recommends a cool pantry over the fridge for its oils, though it doesn’t rule out refrigerating a bottle if you’d rather, especially in a warm climate. If you do, expect it to thicken and turn cloudy; that’s a normal, reversible reaction to cold, not a sign of spoilage.

Does Crisco cooking spray expire?

Yes, but it holds up longer than you might expect once opened. An unopened can is generally good for about 2 years, which lines up with the 720-day shelf life listed in retailer-published product data for a current Crisco cooking spray, and Crisco’s own shelf-life chart lists that same roughly 2-year window whether the can has been opened or not.

Does Crisco contain trans fat?

Current Crisco shortening is formulated to list 0 grams of trans fat per serving. It gets its solid texture from a blend of soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and palm oil, rather than from the partially hydrogenated oils that were the actual source of trans fat in the shortening’s older formulations.

How do you know if Crisco has gone bad?

Crisco’s own guidance points to two signs: an off odor or taste, which is rancidity setting in, and a noticeable change in color or appearance. Visible mold is uncommon in these low-moisture products, but it can happen from a contaminated utensil. Don’t taste a product to check; if you notice any of these signs, discard it.

Is it safe to use Crisco past the date on the package?

A package date isn’t the only thing to consider. If a Crisco product has been stored properly and still looks and smells normal, the date alone doesn’t necessarily mean it has suddenly spoiled. But if you notice an off odor or taste, or a change in color or appearance, Crisco recommends not using it, and that guidance matters more than the printed date either way.

Do you need to refrigerate Crisco shortening or baking sticks?

No. Crisco recommends a cool, dry pantry over the fridge for shortening in either can or stick form, though it doesn’t rule out refrigerating it if you prefer, particularly in a warm climate. Refrigerating it isn’t harmful, but it will make the shortening noticeably firmer, which can make it harder to cream or measure straight out of the fridge.