You can’t store all types of food items in your pantry Because you can’t eat all food at room temperature. Before arranging your pantry you must do some research on which food items have a long shelf life so you can store them in your pantry.
It’s best to read the labels of these items so you know whether to store them in the refrigerator or the pantry. Some food products should be stored in the refrigerator and some stored well in the freezer. You should avoid storing such foods in your pantry.
Before organizing your pantry you must read this article. It will help you a lot. Here are 15 food items that you should never stockpile for long-term storage in your pantry.
1- MAYONNAISE
Raw eggs are the main ingredient of mayonnaise. It encourages bacterial growth that can be reduced by keeping it in the refrigerator. Open mayonnaise can’t be kept in your pantry at high temperatures.
If you want to maintain the fresh flavor of mayonnaise then you must keep it in the refrigerator after opening it. The oxidation process is a threat to mayonnaise.
This process can be reduced in a cold environment. The low temperature of the refrigerator helps to minimize the spread of unwanted microbes.
2- NUTS
You can eat nuts as healthy snacks or you can use them in baking and cooking. People think that they can easily keep nuts in the pantry as many other food items are there.
As you know nuts are seeds and they are in dry form but a freezer is the best place to keep them fresh.
You can keep nuts for only a couple of days in your pantry. A freezer is the best place that maximizes the lifespan of nuts. Nuts have a high level of unsaturated fat.
This is the reason that they are susceptible to rancidity if they are exposed to moisture, heat, air, and light. You never want to use rancid nuts in your favorite recipes.
3- MUSTARD
You can’t store mustard at room temperature because the refrigerator is the best storage place for it. They had different types of mustard such as dijon, yellow or whole-grain mustard.
There is no need to refrigerate some mustard if they are prepared with a vinegar solution just like pickles. The high acidity helps to reduce bacterial growth. The shelf time of mustard in your pantry can be a year if you don’t open it.
If you open the Jar of mustard and keep it in your pantry then after a month you will see that it starts to fade. On the other hand, keeping it in your refrigerator will last up to a year.
But you can keep dry mustard powder and mustard seeds in your pantry as they don’t go bad. They are dry seasoning and you can keep them in your pantry for 6 months.
4- LEMON JUICE
Lemon juice is a natural food preservative and it is used in different recipes. Lemon juice has the property to tenderize the meat. The flavor of soups and stews is enhanced after the edition of lemon juice.
Air and light are not suitable for storing lemon juice. If you want to extend the shelf life of lemon juice then you must store it in an airtight jar to avoid exposure to light and air.
It is better to keep the lemon juice in the fridge rather than in your pantry. In your pantry lemon juice can last only 10 days. In refrigerators, the lifespan of lemon juice is about two weeks as they have high water content.
5- CHOCOLATE SYRUP
Chocolate syrup is used in many sweets, ice cream, milkshakes, and desserts. An unopened bottle of chocolate syrup can be stored at room temperature.
Make sure the temperature should not high and this bottle will not be exposed to sunlight. If it happens then chocolate syrup will lose its consistency.
An opened bottle of chocolate syrup should be kept in the fridge. If you read the instructions on the label of the bottle. It is mentioned that you must keep the bottle in the refrigerator after opening it. Before using the chocolate syrup you must check the smell, appearance, and texture.
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6- PEANUT BUTTER
Peanut butter has many health benefits because it is a good source of fats and fiber. Due to its high-fat content, you can’t store peanut butter in your pantry for a long time.
The taste and texture of rancid peanut butter will change and it is not good for your health. An unopened jar of peanut butter can be kept in your pantry for up to 9 months. An open jar of peanut butter should be kept in the refrigerator to extend its life.
7- TOMATO SAUCE
This food item is not good for long-term storage. It is said that microorganisms start growing in the tomato sauce faster at room temperature.
Although tomato sauce has a high quantity of salt and sugar, it is not safe to keep an open tomato sauce jar in your pantry. It means if you store an opened tomato sauce bottle in the fridge then you can use it for a long time.
8- SALAMI AND OTHER CURED MEATS
The best storage place for raw meat is in the fridge. Oxygen exposure is not good for cured meat. It means the pantry is not the right place for storing cured meats because a cold and dark place is best for it. We are not talking about jerky and biltong you can keep it in your pantry.
9- BANANAS
Banana is a healthy nutritious snack that can be used in different dishes. If you don’t want your banana to ripen then the surrounding temperature of the bananas should be low and they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
You should always keep bananas away from other fruits. This is a very useful tip, you should select green ananas for keeping as they will ripen after a few days. This tropical fruit will stay longer if you keep it in the darkest corner of your pantry.
The ripening process of bananas becomes lower if you put them in the refrigerator. It means the refrigerator is the best part for storing Bananas.
10- WHOLE-GRAIN FLOUR
For storing food items you need a cool and dark place like a pantry. But if we talk about whole grain flour it needs more protection. If you store this type of flour in your pantry then it will last only 1 to 3 months.
For long-term storage, you should keep the whole grain flour in the fridge. It will help to minimize the oxidizing process. It is better to use an airtight glass container for keeping the whole-grain flour rather than using paper bags.
If you use a plastic container then the flour will absorb the smell and taste of plastic, on the other hand, the glass will not. you can easily wash a glass container.
11- UNSALTED BUTTER
The color and flavor of the butter will last longer if you keep it in your refrigerator. This is a dairy product and contains high-fat content. Butter has 80% of fat and 20% of water.
Butter is very thick and spreadable but when you keep it in the refrigerator then it will become hard. The growth rate of bacteria in unsalted butter is higher.
Due to the oxidation process the fats in the butter go rancid. This will change the molecular structure and cause discoloration and smell in the butter.
12- TORTILLAS
This food item can’t tolerate that temperature fluctuation. Tortillas need stable temperatures which means you can store them in the refrigerator. In a refrigerator, tortillas can last up to 8 weeks.
At room temperature, it can only last one week because just like bread mold starts growing in it. It is better to keep it in the fridge because it will extend its storage life and you will enjoy it anytime.
Moisture is the enemy of storing different food items because it encourages molds to form. You can prevent tortillas from moisture by freezing them.
13- JAM AND JELLY
Refrigerate jam and jelly then you can prevent it from this discoloration and even loss of flavor. Like any process, food item jam and jelly should be refrigerated after opening.
A cold environment in the fridge reduces the growth of mold in jam and jelly. If you want to extend the storage life of jam and jelly even in the fridge.
Another tip I want to share with you is to never double-dip a spoon in it to avoid bacterial contamination in jam and jelly. Never dip food directly in the jar; it will also become the reason for the growth of mold.
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14- CORN ON THE COB
If you keep corn at room temperature in your pantry then soon you will see the natural sugars start to break down and turn into starch immediately.
A frog is a perfect place for storing corn. Make sure you keep the corn wrapped in a bag. If you are not using these cons then you must freeze it after 3 days.