9 Pantry Items You Should Never Buy in Bulk
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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Shopping in bulk at stores like Costco and Sam’s Club can save a lot of money, but there are some items that are just not meant to be bought in bulk. A lot of these essentials can usually be found in a pantry.
Here’s what should stay on the grocery list and not necessarily the Costco list.
Nuts
Chef Mary Payne Moran, owner of Hail Mary Food of Grace, recommended that shoppers not stock up on a large amount of nuts.
“Walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts or any nut for that matter. Nuts are very sensitive to temperature. When testing recipes, I purchased a wide variety of nuts to add into desserts and salads. I would shove it into my pantry and by the time I got back to using them they would be rancid,” she said.
Moran suggested buying only the exact amount of nuts needed for recipes and not any more than that.
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is another ingredient that can get easily forgotten about in the pantry and attract some unwelcome visitors.
“Cornmeal, like all grains, attracts bugs,” Moran said. “So, unless you’re making a ton of cornbread regularly, don’t buy it in bulk.”
Pre-Ground and Dried Spices
Jessica Formicola, chef and founder of Savory Experiments, recommended not buying spices in bulk unless it’s something used on a regular basis, like garlic powder.
“They start to lose their potency at six months, so something you only use once a year like pumpkin pie spice will not have nearly as much flavor next year as when you bought it. I label all of mine with the date opened and toss them at one year,” she said.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Also think twice about buying baking powder and baking soda in larger quantities. “Both have a shelf life date, but both start losing their ability to give the same loftiness to baked goods at about six months,” Formicola said.
But the good news is that baking soda is still useful after six months as a household cleaner.
Maple Syrup
Pancakes tasting a little off? Formicola said it could be the maple syrup.
“Real maple syrup will start to lose its flavor. Store it in the fridge to preserve it longer.” she said.
Sesame Seeds
Something so small and used so infrequently can easily get overlooked in the pantry. Formicola explained that sesame seeds can start to taste bad after they expire. “Sesame seeds will taste bitter with a weird aftertaste,” she said.
You’re better off buying these in smaller quantities when you know you’ll need them.
Peanut Butter
Formicola cautioned that keeping peanut butter for a long time will affect the quality. Luckily, there’s a warning sign to look out for.
“[Peanut butter] can go rancid, but will separate and get a weird texture before it does,” she said.
Brown Sugar
Although spoiling isn’t the issue with brown sugar, Formicola still suggested not keeping brown sugar around for years and years. “Although it doesn’t go bad, it does get dry and lose its signature molasses flavor,” she said.
Yeast
“I can’t tell you how many folks don’t understand that yeast goes bad,” Formicola said. “It is a living organism, so the little packet you have from 1985 is bad.”
Instead, buy a small amount of yeast if it’s available at the store.
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