Baking soda is something that most people want to keep stocked in their pantries somewhere. Not only is this an ingredient that you’ll need for many different dishes, but it can also be helpful in other ways.
It’s annoying when you go to use your baking soda and discover that it isn’t fresh, though. Not being able to use your baking soda and needing to go out to buy another box might be little more than an annoyance, but it’s still something that you want to avoid.
If you’re having baking soda lose its freshness somewhat often, then it’s possible that you might not be storing it correctly. There could be little mistakes you’re making that will need to be corrected.
Read on to learn how to keep baking soda fresh. Having the right information is going to make it so much easier to get consistent results when storing baking soda in your home.
Consider Storing Your Baking Soda in a Separate Container
It might be a good idea to store baking soda in a separate container. Often, baking soda is sold in cardboard boxes and these boxes are not resealable.
This means that once you open the cardboard box the baking soda is going to be exposed to the air. Also, it could be exposed to moisture and this could potentially cause the baking soda to stop working as a leavening agent.
There are ways that you can get around this, but it might be easier to just place the baking soda in a separate container to be on the safe side.
Grab an airtight plastic container and ensure that it’s large enough to hold the baking soda. Once you have what you need, you’ll just have to pour the baking soda into the new container.
Seal the container up and you’ll be storing your baking soda as best you can. Now you can place the baking soda in your pantry and it should stay good for as long as possible.
How Long Does Baking Soda Stay Good?
Some people mistakenly think that baking soda stays good forever under the right conditions. This simply isn’t the case and you need to know that baking soda has a shelf life.
Eating really old baking soda isn’t going to cause you harm, but it won’t work how it is supposed to. Baking soda is most often used as a leavening agent, and the older it gets the more likely it will be that the leavening process will not go properly.
Unopened baking soda is supposed to stay good for up to two years. This means that you can still use baking soda two years after you bought it and expect it to work properly so long as you haven’t opened the package.
Opening the package is going to start a timer, so to speak. Opened packages of baking soda aren’t going to stay good for as long as unopened packages.
When a package of baking soda is opened, you’re going to need to use it within six months. This should be enough time for most people to use the baking soda, but if you won’t use it all in that time, then you’ll want to throw out the baking soda that you aren’t able to use once six months have passed.
Thankfully, baking soda is very affordable and you won’t have to worry about buying another package. It’ll always be easy to pick baking soda up from your local grocery store or department store when you’re shopping.
If you do happen to eat baking soda that is three years old, then you won’t get sick. It just won’t work as an ingredient in whatever you’re trying to bake.
This is why it’s a good idea to write the date on the baking soda somewhere so that you will know how old it is. You might want to write the date that you opened it somewhere since you’ll likely be throwing out the box and storing the baking soda in an airtight container.
What About Using Baking Soda in the Refrigerator?
Of course, there are people who buy baking soda specifically to use in their refrigerators. Many packages of baking soda advertise the option of leaving the package open and placing it in the fridge.
This doesn’t mean that this is an ideal way to store baking soda. In fact, your baking soda will be more likely to become nasty and unusable if you decide to go this route.
The purpose of putting baking soda in the fridge this way is to get rid of smells. Baking soda will absorb odors and flavors in the refrigerator to keep the fridge smelling as fresh as it can.
It isn’t a bad idea to use baking soda in this fashion, but you might not want to use the baking soda that has been absorbing smells as a baking ingredient. A better idea would be to have a separate package of baking soda for the fridge that is just there to absorb odors.
With baking soda being so inexpensive, it’s practical to do this. You won’t have to be worried about how long it stays fresh because you’re only using it to keep things from smelling bad in the refrigerator.
That being said, you’ll probably still want to throw the old baking soda out after a certain amount of time has passed. It’s recommended to replace the box of baking soda in your fridge at least once every three months.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to get the most out of baking soda will make things easier on you. You now know that storing baking soda in a separate airtight container is the way to go.
It makes it less likely that the baking soda will be exposed to moisture after it has been opened. This will ensure that the baking soda will work as intended for as long as possible.
If you want to use baking soda in your fridge, then you should try to change it out every three months. Don’t use this baking soda as an ingredient in your baking, though.
Be sure to tell your friends about how you can store baking soda to get better results. This will ensure that fewer people will get frustrated by trying to use baking soda and not having it work how it’s supposed to.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.