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Shelf Life Home Baking

If you bake or cook often you probably don’t need to concern yourself with the shelf life of ingredients. Once and awhile though you find items that have been sitting in your pantry for a long time. Here are some tips from a group of experts including the U.S. Department of Agriculture on storing ingredients and determining shelf life.

Butter - Stored in its original container in a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag, butter will keep for as long as four months. For optimum flavor use within two weeks. Store butter in coldest part of the fridge. Keeping the sticks in the original container or sealed bag keeps butter from absorbing food odors.

Flour - White flour, packed in an airtight contatiner, it will keep for a year, or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer. Whole wheat flour will last about three months at room temperature, six months in the refrigerator or 12 months in the freezer. Allow flour stored in the refrigerator or freezer to come to room temperature or leavening could be affected.

Yeast - Packs of unopened granular yeast should be stored in a cool, dry area but still should be used in three to four months. After opening, store yeast in an airtight container in the back of the refrigerator. To check if yeast still active - Mix an envelope of yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a measuring cup. Let sit for 10 minutes. If the yeast foams to the 1/2 cup mark, it is still good.

Baking powder and baking soda - If they are kept dry and in covered containers, baking powder and baking soda will keep for 24 months. Cream of tarter will last forever. There is no test for baking soda, which must interact with acidic ingredients in a recipe to work. To check baking powder - stir 1/2 teaspoon baking powder into 1 cup of warm water, if it bubbles, it’s good.

Sugar - Granulated sugar will keep indefinitely, confectioners’ sugar about 24 months, and brown sugar about 18 months. Brown sugar turns hard when its moisture evaporates. A slice of fresh apple stored with the sugar helps to keep it soft and moist. Domino Foods suggests this microwave method to soften hardened brown sugar. Put about 1/2 pound of hardened sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with two pieces of wet paper towel. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap. Heat in microwave on High for 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes. Fluff sugar with a fork. Cool slightly use immediately.

Canned milk - Sweetened condensed milk has a shelf life of about 12 months, evaporated milk about six months. During long storage cans should be inverted every two months.

Chocolate - Unsweetened and semisweet chocolate keep their flavor for 24 months or longer if wrapped well and stored in a cool, dark place. White chocolate, which contains milk solids, will keep about a year.

Spices - Light and heat rob spices of their color and aroma. All spices, as well as dried herbs, should be stored in a cool, dark place (keep away from stove). Whole spices such as cloves, nutmeg and cardamom pods will last longer - up to four years - than ground spices, which are good for three years. Vanilla extract has an indefinite shelf life.

Honey and Corn Syrup - both will keep forever but honey may crystallize and harden. If honey has crystallized, put open jar in a pan of hot water and heat gently until dissolved. Or microwave the opened jar on High for 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the size of the jar and amount of honey.

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