10 Foods You Should Never Store in the Pantry (and Where to Keep Them Instead)

A pantry is a chef's wardrobe to Narnia, filled with nonperishable items that hold endless potential. While many foods belong there, there are some foods you should never store in the pantry. Some spoil more quickly, some lose flavor at room temperature, and others attract pests or bacteria. Also, your pantry should be for food only. An organized pantry and lean inventory helps save money by reducing household food waste and ensures you're always cooking with ingredients that are at their best. Here are 10 things to check your pantry for pronto—and remove them asap.

What You Should Never Store in the Pantry

Just because an item can live in the pantry, that doesn't mean it should. The wrong items may look harmless at first, but quietly spoil, corrupting flavors and creating waste. Here’s what belongs in the refrigerator or freezer instead:

Nuts and Seeds

High in unsaturated fats, nuts and seeds turn rancid quickly at room temperature. If you'll likely use them within a month of two, a sealed container in the pantry works. Otherwise, you risk them developing a sour smell, a bitter flavor, and an unappealing softer texture. For long-term storage, keep them in airtight freezer bags with the air pressed out. Stored this way, they last up to two years.

Infused and Delicate Oils

While most cooking oils, like olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil, can be kept in the pantry, delicate oils need refrigeration to preserve flavor and stave off spoilage. Garlic-infused oil and herb-infused oils can grow bacteria if left at room temperature. Nut- and seed-based oils, like walnut, flaxseed, and sesame, are susceptible to spoilage, while delicate truffle oil easily loses its flavor if not kept cold.

Pure Maple Syrup

Once opened, maple syrup can develop mold or yeast. Always refrigerate maple syrup after opening.

Organic and Natural Nut Butters

Unlike shelf-stable brands like Skippy and Jiffy, natural and organic nut butters lack stabilizers. The oils separate from the solids and spoil quickly in the pantry. Refrigerate organic and natural nut butters after opening. As an extra bonus, preventing the oil from separating eliminates the need to stir judiciously every time you want to eat your beloved nut butter.

Condiments (Ketchup, Mustard, and Mayonnaise)

Once opened, it is crucial to store these sauces in the refrigerator—not the pantry. Mustard, while more shelf-stable than its condiment comrades, loses its punchy flavor and signature tang when left at room temperature.

Bread

Bread is at risk of molding, and it's easy to forget about a loaf tucked away in the pantry. Keep it on the counter in bread in a bread box or bag for short-term use, or freeze slices for longer storage. Refrigerating bread actually causes it to lose moisture and stale faster.

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Whole Wheat Flour

Whole wheat flour retains the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, which naturally contain oils that go rancid in the pantry. Store whole wheat flour in the freezer in an air-tight container to preserve freshness.

Tortillas

Tortillas have a relatively high moisture content, fostering an ideal environment for mold to thrive in a pantry. Keep them in the fridge for weeks of freshness.

Cured Meats

They may be sold at room temperature, but cured meats like pepperoni, salami, chorizo, and prosciutto dry out when stored in the pantry. Once opened, they become susceptible to bacterial growth—they should always be refrigerated.

Non-Food Items

Keep the pantry for food items only. To avoid risking chemical exposure, pests, or funky flavors, it's best to keep non-food products elsewhere. Pet food odors can permeate ingredients and attract pests. Linens like dish towels, cloth napkins, and table cloths attract moths and unwanted guests in a well-stocked pantry. Cleaning products and batteries pose chemical exposure risks; even natural cleaners can release odorous fumes that permeate foods. 

How to Keep Your Pantry In Tip-Top Shape

You've removed the things that don't belong in the pantry, the next step is proper pantry maintainence by following these three tips:

Check for Expired Items

The pantry can become a catch-all junk drawer of the kitchen, with forgotten cans, condiments, or spices that linger in its dark corners for years. Those jars of cumin you’ve had since you moved in five years ago? Time to toss them. Store your spices in a location that is equally dark, dry, and cool, yet easily accessible for ready use. 

Practice FIFO

Duplicate purchases happen to everyone; you buy peanut butter only to find a jar hiding in the back of the pantry. To avoid waste, follow the food industry's cardinal rule: FIFO (first-in, first-out). Place older items in front of newer ones so it’s clear which ones need to be used first. This small step ensures that items with earlier expiration dates are used first, keeping food fresh and saving money.

Minimize Exposure to Oxygen

Food can "go bad" for a number of reasons. Anyone who has had a bad case of food poisoning knows that mold and bacterial growth lead to spoilage of perishable foods like dairy, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. When shelf-stable foods go bad in the pantry, rancidity is often to blame. This happens when fat is exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, breaking it down into less stable fatty acids with unpleasant flavors and odors. By reducing contact with air, light, and heat, you can stave off staleness and spoilage of most non-perishable foods. 

Avoid open packages: Open packages are especially vulnerable, and they come with other risks too. They allow odors to escape into the pantry air, which can then permeate other foods. No one wants marshmallows that taste faintly of garlic crackers. An open container is also a sure-fire way to attract pests, from beetles to weevils, and other creepy-crawly visitors. 

Always reseal opened foods or transfer them to airtight containers labeled with the date before placing them in the pantry.