Your pantry is a convenient spot to keep many of your kitchen essentials, but not everything belongs there. Some items can spoil faster, lose their flavor, or even attract pests if stored in the wrong place.
Knowing what not to store in your pantry can help keep your food fresher, safer, and your kitchen more organized. When you avoid putting certain things in the pantry, you protect both your ingredients and your home environment.
Potatoes – they sprout and spoil quickly in pantries
Potatoes can start to sprout and spoil faster if stored carelessly. If your pantry is warm or exposed to light, your potatoes may develop shoots or turn soft sooner than you’d like.
Keep your potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place to slow down sprouting. Avoid storing them near onions, apples, or bananas, as these release gases that make potatoes spoil quicker.
By giving your potatoes the right environment, you can keep them fresh and usable for weeks longer. A paper bag or basket with good airflow works well in a shaded spot.
Nuts – go rancid faster without refrigeration
If you store nuts in your pantry, they can go rancid quicker than you expect. Nuts have high fat content, and heat speeds up the process that makes them taste bitter or off.
To keep your nuts fresh, it’s best to store them in the fridge or freezer. This slows down the oils from going bad and helps preserve their flavor and texture.
So, if you want your nuts to last longer and stay tasty, avoid leaving them out at room temperature for too long. Your snacks will thank you!
Pure maple syrup – needs fridge after opening
Once you open pure maple syrup, it’s important to keep it in the fridge. This stops mold and bacteria from growing because the syrup is natural and doesn’t have preservatives.
If you leave it in the pantry, it may spoil within a few weeks. In the fridge, it can last for up to a year.
Keep your syrup fresh by sealing the bottle tightly before refrigerating. This way, you’ll always have sweet syrup ready for pancakes or waffles.
Tortillas – get moldy and stale at room temp
If you leave your tortillas in the pantry, they can spoil quickly. At room temperature, they’re prone to drying out and becoming stale.
Moisture and warmth encourage mold growth, which can show up as fuzzy spots in different colors.
To keep your tortillas fresh longer, store them in an airtight bag or container. If you want to save them for weeks, refrigeration or freezing is a better option.
Fresh berries – spoil quickly outside the fridge
You should avoid storing fresh berries in the pantry because they spoil fast at room temperature. Berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are delicate and can become moldy within a day or two.
Keeping them in the fridge slows down this process. Store berries in the crisper drawer at a temperature between 32-36°F (0-2°C) to maintain freshness.
Make sure your berries are dry before storing. Moisture encourages mold, so gently pat them dry or use a vinegar-water rinse, then air-dry before refrigeration. This helps your berries last longer and stay tasty.
