Baking Supplies Have A Shelf Life, Do You Know How Long They’ll Last?
Expiration dates can be complex. With some ingredients, like milk or meat, expiration dates can help you know when food is at its best quality and most safe. With many shelf-stable products, like baking supplies, these foods can last a long time when stored properly, without becoming unsafe for consumption. Still, most bakers and bakeries want to use fresh ingredients for the best tasting food. Here are some things to keep in mind when storing wholesale baking supplies.
Flours and Grains
White flour, when unopened, can last up to about one year in your pantry. After the package is opened, you’ll want to use it in about eight months. Whole wheat flour has a shorter shelf-life. You’ll want to store it and use it up in about six months. You can get a couple of extra months if you store it in the refrigerator, but whole wheat flour can turn rancid because it has a higher oil content than plain white flour. When you open any package, write the date on it, so you know what to use up first.
Leavening Agents
Baking soda and baking powder can last quite a long time unopened. After opening, you’ll want to store each one in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark location. Once you open a package, you’ll want to use them up in about six months. Both of these leavening agents will lose potency over time. Your baked goods won’t rise as high when you use old baking powder or soda. For yeast, you’ll want to check the date on the package. Fresh yeast has a short shelf-life of about two weeks. Dry yeast can last up to four months in the fridge, or six months in the freezer. As with baking powder or baking soda, it will lose potency as it ages.
Sugars
White sugar can last for many years, but it will get clumpy after a while. You should store white sugar in a cool, dry and dark place in a container where it cannot be contaminated by moisture. Brown sugar may dry out quicker, but it can last up to a year if stored correctly. Once opened, maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator. It should be used within a year. Unopened, you can store maple syrup in the pantry for up to a year.
Don’t Compromise on Wholesale Baking Supplies
Fresh ingredients are best for baking, so don’t over-order supplies from your baking supply company. Rotate your stock of ingredients and use them up before they lose quality. Contact BayCo for all your wholesale baking ingredient needs.