Is It Okay To Cook With The Opened Baking Soda In Your Fridge?

It cannot be overstated how useful a box of baking soda can be, and in ways that have nothing at all to do with baking. Maybe you've used this stuff to remove stains from your clothing or as a way to clean your dingy baking sheets so they look like new again. One common purpose, however, is to keep a box open in the fridge to help neutralize odors. This is a super useful job for your box of powder, but when it comes time to actually use this ingredient in a culinary project, you may wonder whether it's been compromised. Unfortunately, the short answer to that question is yes.

There's some interesting science behind how baking soda works in recipes, but in your fridge, the breakdown of foods produces alkaline and acidic compounds, both of which are drawn to the sodium bicarbonate in that box. This allows the baking soda to do the noble work of capturing and absorbing those odors before they have a chance to permeate the rest of the goods in your cold storage, but it also means it is then infused with those less-than-appealing food molecules — which can contribute flavors you probably don't want in your creations. For that reason, the best strategy is to keep a container of baking soda on hand for your cooking projects that's separate from the one you keep in the fridge for deodorizing.

Generally speaking, it's also advisable to always use fresh baking soda when cooking and baking. While an unopened box can remain in good shape for about a year and a half after it was packaged, you can get about six to 12 months of effectiveness once you've torn into it. Once it's past its prime, it won't be as good at what it actually does for baked goods — which is to contribute those signature light and fluffy qualities. 

You can easily tell whether your baking soda has still got its kick by combining a bit with lemon juice, vinegar, or another acidic ingredient. When it's still good, you'll see a lively fizziness develop quickly, but if it stays flat, it's best to put it out to pasture and break into a new package. And while you may be accustomed to keeping a box of baking soda in the fridge for odor-neutralizing purposes, the stuff you decide to keep around for cooking can be stored in a pantry or a similar dry place that's free of humidity. However you decide to utilize your sodium bicarbonate, it's never a bad idea to stock up.