The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 86

waterand1teaspoon
sugarto½teaspoon
yeastandletsitfor10
minutes—itshould
producefoam.Ifnot,
replace.

GrainsandLegumes
Grains and legumes should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Beanswillkeepfrom6monthstoayear,whileregularpasta
andwhitericewilllastindefinitely.Wholewheatpastaand
brown rice will go rancid after extended storage (usually 6
to8months):smellthembeforeusing.Ifthereisanyhintof
afishyaroma,discard.
•Beans,driedblack
•Beans,driedcannellini
•Beans,driedkidney
•Pasta,lasagna
•Pasta,shortandholey(likeelbowsorpenne)
•Pasta,long(likelinguineorspaghetti)
•Rice,whiteorbrown
CannedGoods
Cannedgoodswilllastalmostindefinitely,butit’sbetternot
toexposethemtoseveretemperaturefluctuations.


• Anchovies, oil-packed: after the container has been
opened, anchovies can be stored in a sealed container
underalayerofoliveoilinthefridgeforuptoamonth;
for longer storage, roll up individual fillets, transfer to a
zipper-lock freezer bag, and store in the freezer. I use

OrtizorAgostinoReccabrand.
•Chipotlechiles,packedinadobosauce
•Evaporatedmilk
•Tomatopaste:Ibuymytomatopasteintubesasopposed
tocanssothatIcanuseonlywhatisneededforarecipe,
withouthavingtofindawaytostoretheexcess.
•Tomatoes,wholecanned.IuseCentobrand.
SpicesandSalts
Do you have a can of paprika or oregano in your kitchen
that’s been around sinceHe-Man andMacGyver were still
ontelevision?Doyourselfafavor:throwitout.Spiceslose
theirflavorovertime,evenwhenstoredinsealedcontainers
outofdirectsunlight(astheyshouldbe).Wholespicesmay
keep for up to a year or so without significant flavor loss,
but preground spices will become noticeably less flavorful
inamatterofmonths.
For the best flavor, you have two options.The first is to
buyyourspiceswholeandinsmallbatches,replacingthem
every 6 months to a year or so. The alternative is to buy
wholespicesinbulk,keepingsmallamountsoftheminjars
in your spice rack and storing the remainder in vacuumsealed pouches (like those for a FoodSaver-type vacuumsealer) in a cool, dark place or, preferably, in the freezer.
Saltwilllastforever,solongasit’skeptdry.