1. Nuts & Seeds
Sometimes, we all crave some nuts or seeds as a snack or when we are watching TV. Yet, it seems like the best bargains are always big packs of our favorite nuts or those ones that contain mixes. They seem like a great idea to buy and store in the pantry until you realize that there is at least one type of nut inside that you do not enjoy that much and you forget about them on the shelf. The same goes for certain types of seeds, you use them a few times and then store them for later.
How late is later though? That is the real question. Opened nut packs you have in your pantry should be used between a few weeks to a few months after they first came in contact with air. Of course, the ones that are still in their shells are all fine. Yet, if you feel a scent that seems grassy or resembles paint, it means that your nuts have most probably gone rancid from the high concentration of oils in them.
Give your nut stash a look over and a sniff, it may be time to replace some of them.
2. Baking Powder
Did you know that most powder ingredients lose their potency after a few years of being stored on the shelf? This applies to all of your spices and even to baking ingredients as well! If the last time you baked something the recipe called for baking powder and you ended up with a sad-looking flat cake, we can tell you your oven is just fine. It’s the baking powder’s fault, it just lost its leavening prowess.
Nothing will happen to you if you use expired baking powder, so besides a very flat cake nothing bad actually happens. But it is always a good idea to check before baking to see if your baking soda and powder are up to their job, cause we all know we cannot really remember when we bought everything in the house.
Simply mix a little bit of baking soda with vinegar and the baking powder with hot water, and if they bubble up it means your cake will rise without any problems! If not, well, sounds like you need to take a trip to the store.
