# Storing yeast, baking soda and baking powder



## NooB2ItAll

Ok so the wife and I are going thru our food storage lists and we are trying to figure out what is the best method to store yeast, baking powder and baking soda. Also once stored what is the self live of these items once stored?


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## JTMoore

Yeast has a pretty short shelf life unless refrigerated. Kept cold, depending on the yeast a year is about as much as you get. After 6 months they say it looses strength at about 10% per month. In a grid down scenario it would be best to create a perpetual yeast product like sour dough and learn how to create your own yeast. Yeast is found on a lot of fruit, mostly on the skins. If the fruit is organic you can trust to harvest and grow some of that. Grapes are the most known source of yeast I think. That milky layer on the outside of many grapes is really yeast growth. For post grid storage consider a root cellar. I saw one the other day that was a simple metal trash can buried. 
Personally I grow water kefir and store it in the freezer now. I could dry it later. If need be, I could grow some yeast from that. It may take a week or so. I could make a bread type starter from that. Then I could even dehydrate that starter to keep yeast on hand. Google "make your own yeast" and see what comes up.

Now, if you are making your own vinegar and/or vinegar mother be careful not to mix with or near the yeast. You could get undesired results. 
Here's a good link about baking soda and powder. 
http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html

Key to keeping them long term is to store unopened containers. I vacuum pack both, separately. That site tells you how to judge their effectiveness. Good to know.
Hope this help!
Blessings!


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## Emerald

I buy my yeast in the one pound vacpack twin packs at gorden foods or sams and then I freeze one after I revacpack in heavy duty packaging and then I put the other in a good mason jar in the fridge with a small mason jar that I pull from each week and then fill when needed.. that way the bulk of it says closed all the time. 
What JTMoore says about wild yeasts or sourdoughs is great advice.
but with the baking soda and baking powder I buy and vacpack in mason jars with my food saver asap.. the dryer and less oxygen the better. I haven't gone the Oxi sorb route yet but some of my baking powder is from a couple years ago when I found the aluminum free stuff was on a great sale and it still works great.
baking soda will store really well too.. but if not in super dry mason jars for me it turns hard.. I have to break it up but since most of my baking soda is for cleaning it is not a big deal.


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## weedygarden

*Things last longer than you think*

I buy yeast in the big blocks at Costco or Sam's Club. I bought some of that yeast more than 10 years ago. I have always kept it in the original packaging inside a ziplock bag in the freezer. It is still good. I don't use it alot, but when I do, no problem.

Nobody understands how we are all different better than me and some of us just cannot deal with something that is past the due date. I know it really brings on the gag reflex for some.

But for those of us who can get past that with some things, expiration dates are not hard and fast rules. Yeast is one of those things that will last if kept in the freezer. Out of the freezer or fridge, I am not sure about.


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## thumper347

I'm using yeast that is at least 5 years old. I proof it every time i make bread just to make sure it's still good. As of yesterday, it was still good. I keep the spares in the basement in a cleaned out 1 gal buckets, in its origional package and then in a ziplock bag. I then throw in a desi pack to eliminate the moisture.

Baking soda, powder and cream of tartar gets sealed in mylar bags and stored in food grade buckets


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## NooB2ItAll

Thank you for the great info!!!


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## ReadyReserveFoodsINC

Yeast can be tricky. Ready Reserve Foods carries nitrogen packed yeast which has been proven to last 12-18+ years. We also carry baking soda that lasts just as long. Www.readyreservefoods.com


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## mojo4

Does your yeast need to be kept frozen or is a cool dark place ok?


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## Davarm

I guess I'm the odd man out with baking powder and baking soda. I have stopped using baking powder, I decided to learn to bake with soda only. Its not that difficult but does take a little getting used to.

I vacuum seal the baking soda(for cooking) and store the vac-packed bags in a sealed bucket. The soda we store for cleaning is just ziplocked into 5 gallon sized bags and stored in buckets.

As for the yeast, I keep several pounds of it in the freezer and have learned to harvest the wild stuff(from Juniper Berries). It is not real convenient but it will work.


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## mdprepper

Davarm, do you have a ratio that you use when substituting soda for powder in baking? Do you get as much rise to baked goods?


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## machinist

Quote from JTMoore's link:
"Substitution for 1 teaspoon commercial baking powder: 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch or 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) of an acidic ingredient (buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt). Since homemade baking powder immediately releases its carbon dioxide gas when it is added and then moistened by the batter, it is important to bake the batter right away."

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html#ixzz207rYE4pn

*For long term storage*, we buy and store Cream of Tartar and baking soda separately in bulk. Because one is an acid and the other a base (alkali), when put together they react immediately, as the article states. However, they store separately for ages. Just leave them sealed in their original airtight packaging, or vac seal.


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## mojo4

My mom had a can of sealed baking powder that had hid and stayed unopened in the back of her cupboard for over 18 years. Once she found it (she moved is the only reason she went thru her cupboard) she opened it and used it and it was still good. It wasn't even stored in a cool dark place and it lasted that long! Once she moves again I guess we will find some new kitchen experiments again!


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## musketjim

Not sure on baking powder and as far as baking soda we use it constantly so we always have a couple large bags from Sam's Club and just keep rotating and using. As for yeast we use sourdough starter for a lot of breads, biscuits pancakes and waffles, and that has always worked well for us.


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## lotsoflead

I've got baking powder and soda over 7 yrs old stored in mason jars and yeast over 7 yrs old stored in the freezer


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## Genevieve

You can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Just keep those dry and they'll last a long time.


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