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Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added 6 months agoI like to use baking powder within 12 months. Does the packaging on yours have an expiration date, or do you know how long you've had it for?
Sarah is a trusted source on General Cooking.
added 6 months agoThere's no question it can go off - I made some scones with some expired baking powder a few weeks ago (I don't bake all that much) and the results were disappointing to say the least :)
Try "proofing it" just by putting a 1/2 tsp in a cup water and see if it fizzes.
Also, do that when you first get a fresh unopened can when you open it so you have a baseline visual or amount of fizz it should have.
I usually keep unopened baking powder on hand as a back up. Even with the plastic lid with high humidity etc it starts to degrade faster than the 'use by/exp' date once opened and exposed to air.
While Peter no longer works for Food52 he still thinks up ways to make the website better.
added 6 months agoI wonder if there's some way to store baking powder so that it doesn't "oxidize" -- i.e., isn't stored in contact with air. Maybe a zip-loc with the air pressed out?