Saving Baking Supplies

Hi C. Z, I can't believe I will be 63 in 2 weeks. Young heart, mother of 5 also not much of a baker except for Ziti. I too have spices for a long time. I recently have been cleaning out my mother's house and most spices do not have a date on them. I would like to see the other mom's responses. Happy New year! Grandma Mary

Good morning C.,

Your best bet to store those unused baking supplies is in Tupperware. Tupperware has storage containers with air-tight, liquid-tight seals. I have had customers tell me they only use brown sugar once a year and have stored it in tupperware. Each year, the sugar comes out as fresh as the year before.

If you are interested in purchasing some tupperware containers, they are called modular mates. Feel free to contact me and I can tell you the best containers to fit the items you have left. All Modular Mates products are 40% off starting tomorrow, December 27th. My contact information is ____@____.com.

~R.

C.,
You can freeze the baking soda, flour, and some of the spices. I put my sugars in plastic containers. Garlic powder/salt, celery powder/salt, etc. last forever. Ginger I would pop in the freezer, although that you can use in everyday cooking, it is fantastic on pork. I bake all the time but then I have 5 kids and many "adopted" kids who just seem to materialize. LOL Oh something else you might be interested in is if you want buy ginger root and freeze it, then whenever you need it take it out and grate it with a fine grater, the ginger lasts forever that way and it makes you freezer smell fresh too. I learned this from watching Rachel Ray one morning while I was knitting; oh the things we learn when we least expect to.
Hugs,
T.

Cathy,
The spices (which you didn't ask about) you can pitch. :)

For the future: you can freeze spices to keep their full strength and flavor. You have to do it in a very WELL-sealed container. My sister-in-law uses old baby food jars because they seal very well, but if you're clumsy like me at times, this is not a good option. Glass in a freezer is like glass in a bathroom. Not fun.

Baking supplies - well, you might donate the flour to friends who do bake, or take up baking yourself. A loaf of bread here and there might stretch your grocery bill a bit further, and you can try tasty new things (like your cranberry loaf :)

Flour will keep on the shelf most of a year; sealed carefully, maybe longer. You can freeze it (in a well-sealed container) longer, but I'm not sure by how much.

Baking soda/baking powder, as long as they are again, well-sealed, will keep indefinitely, but go by the date on the bottom of the can. (if it doesn't have one, well, go by the date you bought it and add a year if you trust the store).

Oil you will know if it goes bad - it smells funny - it's called being rancid. Kinda smells like dust got mixed in, but it's still clear and all. You'll just have to keep tabs on it, is all. It comes in its own container, and while I haven't heard of freezing oil, I wouldn't either, but that's a personal choice.

If you need new spices, there is a place on Jefferson Rd/Mushroom Blvd in Henrietta. Tadco. Beware, they sell in bulk as well as small amounts. :)

Good luck,
M.

Those old spices need to go. You shouldn't have anything for more then 2 years. It just doesn't taste as good and it will go bad. Just make sure everything is in airtight containers for those couple of years.

Ok - so the very old spices need to be replaced but I have spices - like G. that I have had for more than 2 years and still tastes fine - and I leave it out year round - I definitely wouldn't toss them after only one year. What a waste of money! I would do as others suggest and store in an airtight conatiner in freezer. I keep my flour in a big tupperware container in my cabinet as well - although I do go through flour on a regular basis - Mayeb check online for some recipes for dinner that may use those spices you normally only use at the holidys in your baking. There might be a great chicken or pork dish that would taste great made with those spices.

If you really don't want to use them - I would see if you have a friend who does a lot of baking and see if they would like to take them off your hands - and in the future - if you rarely use them - ask a friend who does baking if you could buy just a few teaspoons of the spices from her stock? Cloves are the one ingredient I almot never use, but when I need it I have a frined I get it from so I'm not stuck buying a whole jar. :)

Hi C.,

I honestly wouldn't bother storing these items...I would either bake some more bread, or give the items to a family that would use them. I'm sure you know plenty of people who bake. Yes you can freeze certain items...I freeze whole wheat flour if I'm not going to use it up right away...but I just cannot see keeping things for a year.

Now, as for your old spices. My mother is the same way...she hardly ever uses spices and the ones she has are very old. I finally got her to throw them away. Spices go bad and should not be kept from the 90's! I know that they are expensive and therefore can be hard to throw away, but that is what needs to happen. Your pantry will thank you for it too! Oh, and if you have red spices (chili powder, paprika, red pepper, etc.) these should be stored in the refrigerator...I learned that somewhere and I have a spot in my fridge just for them.

That's all just my opinion, but I think you'll be better off if you clean out your pantry...and bless somebody else with the new staples that you won't be using again for a year.

D.
35 year old mother to 5 with one more on the way in March.

Well to start off the spices from the 90's are dated, so I would chuck them in the garbage. Seasonings and spices are best if used within 6 months from the time you buy them and open them. Even closed they have a certain shelf life, especially any seeds, which can go rancid, like sesame, poppy, etc. As far as the flour use what you can and if you really use it very infrequently, store it in the fridge so you do not get meal moths in the house, and if it is wheat or corn flour just keep it in the fridge as those flours will go rancid. The baking powder will keep for a long time. Should have an expiration date on it, baking powder is like yeast where the rising agents won't be as good as it gets closer or beyond its expiration. The baking soda i would just open and put in your fridge to freshen it up. Oil should be used quickly and no matter what stored in a cool dark place away from the stove and high heat. You will be able to smell if that goes rancid. Hope this helps, Franny