If you love to bake, chances are good you also enjoy stocking up on baking supplies. A pantry filled with a variety of flours, sugars, leavening agents, and extracts allows you to turn out a batch of cookies—or a layer cake, or muffins, or a dozen buttermilk biscuits—whenever you like, without having to run out to the store for supplies. To keep those ingredients fresh and ready for use, it pays to follow a few storage guidelines. Read on for the best ways to keep your baking staples in top shape.
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How to Store Flour
All-Purpose Flour
Store all-purpose flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. The important word here is "airtight." Once you've opened a bag, it's not enough simply to fold over the top to secure it. Your best bet is to transfer the flour (still in the bag, if you prefer, or decanted, as long as it's labeled) to a container with an airtight seal to avoid infestations of pantry pests. There's no reason to store all-purpose flour in the refrigerator or freezer; a dry environment is actually better for long-term storage.
Shelf-Life: Six to 12 months
Other Flours
Other flours, including whole-grain wheat flours and many alternative grain flours, are less shelf stable than all-purpose flours. Oils in the grains are more prone to turning rancid, so you should take care to keep those flours out of the warmer temperatures of the pantry and into the refrigerator or freezer. Again, it's crucial to seal them well and keep them airtight.
Because of their shorter shelf stability, pay close attention to the expiration dates stamped on the bags. You'll want to use them up more quickly than all-purpose flour that you purchase at the same time. The same goes for nut flours (and whole nuts). Their oils can cause them to turn rancid, so you'll want to keep both in the freezer in airtight containers.
Shelf-Life: One to three months
How to Store Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Sugars are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Granulated sugar may form lumps, but they are easy to break up with a whisk or fork.
Shelf-Life: Two years to indefinitely
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is especially prone to hardening, in which case you'll have to soften it before measuring and using in a recipe. Try placing a thin wedge of apple (or a small piece of bread) in the container of sugar and sealing it overnight; the moisture from the apple or bread will transfer to the sugar, softening it from its hardened state.
You can also put the brown sugar in a glass bowl and put it in the microwave with a second glass bowl filled with water. As you microwave the sugar on high, the moisture from the water should help soften it in less than a minute; check at 20 second intervals to avoid overdoing it.
Shelf-Life: Four to six months
Confectioners' Sugar
Confectioners' sugar, also known as powdered sugar, is fine at room temperature, as long as it's in an airtight container. Though it has cornstarch added in as an anti-caking agent, you may want to give it a good whisk, or sift it through a strainer, before measuring to get rid of any lumps.
Shelf-Life: Two years to indefinitely
How to Store Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Baking powder and baking soda should be stored at room temperature, away from heat and light. It's best to decant baking soda into an airtight container rather than using it from an opened box. And whatever you do, don't use a box of baking soda that you've opened and set in your refrigerator when you need a teaspoon or two for a baking recipe. That opened box is designed to absorb odors, so it should be left to do just that.
Shelf-Life: 12 to 18 months
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How to Store Vanilla Extract
Store extracts such as vanilla or almond at room temperature, away from heat and light. There's no need to keep them in the refrigerator even after they have been opened.
Shelf-Life: One year (opened), two years (unopened)
How to Store Baking Chocolate
Store chocolate for baking, whether bars or chips, in airtight containers in a cool spot in your pantry, away from light—and away from chocolate lovers who may go looking for your stash whenever they need a sweet snack.
Shelf-Life: One year
