Best Tips for Storing Baking Supplies by Joanne

One of the best parts about baking is that, when you have all the staples around (like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs), there is always something that you can make. This is especially convenient given the nature of how cravings for things like chocolate chip cookies or brownies strike—which, for me, is usually suddenly and strongly.

(This is why the idea of an “aged” chocolate chip cookie dough only goes so far with me).

In today’s post, I’m going to go through many of the standard baking supplies and staples, and share how to store them. Some baking supplies from the store are stored right in my pantry just the way I bought them, whereas other baking supplies, I remove immediately from the original packaging and store in something else. Let’s get started!

 
 

Eggs

Eggs are usually stored in the fridge, but one thing that’s important to know about storing your eggs is you want to keep them in the carton they come in.

There are some really adorable ceramic dishes that you can buy for eggs, like the one pictured below from my Easy to Peel Eggs post, but these should be for display only.

 
 

Egg shells are very porous, so they are prone to absorbing odors and flavors from their surroundings. Keeping eggs in the original closed carton will keep the eggs tasting fresh and free of that “fridge smell.”

 
 

Nuts and Nut Flours

Ideally, nuts and nut flours should be stored in the freezer. This gives the nuts the longest shelf life and prevents them from going rancid. Truth be told, space in my freezer is tight, but after having to throw away nuts that went rancid at room temperature a few many times ($$$$$), I’ve made permanent space for them in my freezer.

Store the nuts in an airtight container (the bag they come in is usually fine), since they can absorb off flavors from the freezer if not closed properly.

 
 

Baking Powder

Some baking supplies you get from the store can go right into the pantry in their original packaging. A great example is baking powder, which usually comes in a metal tin and tight sealing lid.

 
 

Cornstarch and Cocoa Powder

Other examples are cornstarch and cocoa powder, which also come in great airtight containers that protect the product from light. No extra work required, these can sit in the pantry for extended lengths of time.

 
 

Baking Soda

Baking soda, on the other hand, often comes in a box that isn’t resealable. It is tempting to open the box at the top like it says and leave it in your pantry, but you’ll notice that one of the suggested uses for baking soda is to place an open box in the fridge to let it absorb off odors and flavors. Oy!

 
 

For this reason, I recommend storing the baking soda in a separate airtight container. I just use a glass jar, since my pantry is dark.

 
 

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract should be stored at room temperature in a dark place, such as the pantry. Good quality vanilla extracts often come in darkened glass to protect the vanilla from light.

 
 

Chocolate

Chocolate should be stored at room temperature in a dry and dark place, such as the pantry.

For ease, I like to store chocolate chips in airtight glass cylinders instead of bags, so I can see how much I have, and also be able to scoop out measurements of chocolate with ease.

 
 

Sugar

I store all my sugars, whether granulated, brown, confectioner’s, demerara, etc., in airtight plastic cylinders in the pantry at room temperature. Not only does this keep pests out, it also makes for easier scooping than leaving the sugar in the original paper sacks.

 
 

Those paper sacks always seem to leak little granules of sugar all over the place too!

 
 

Flour

Like sugar, you want to keep pests out of your flour supply, so storing flour in airtight containers is also a good idea.

I keep most of my flour stored at room temperature, but an exception is whole wheat flour, which I try to store in the freezer because of how infrequently I use it. Whole wheat flour goes rancid easily and has a much shorter shelf life than other flours. Depending on how frequently you use it, you may want to store it in the freezer as well.

 
 

Cornmeal

The other favorite for pests is cornmeal, so I recommend storing it in an airtight container. Some brands have an airtight drum as original packaging, whereas other products come in unresealable plastic bags, and should be transferred to another container.

Cornmeal can be kept in the pantry, but is better stored in the freezer if you have room, since cornmeal can go rancid.

 
 

There you have it, all the ways to keep your baking supplies fresh and ready for homemade baked goods. Feel free to share any additional questions below, or any extra tips you’d like to share. Happy baking!