How To Store Pancake Mix

How to store pancake mix is a complete home guide from a former restaurant manager. Keep reading to learn expert tips on containers, locations, temps, humidity, & pests protection. Also, this is listed in our Food Guides, Breakfast, Breads, & Bakery categories.

Pancake Mix Storage Locations

Rethink about where to store pancake mix. Deciding where to put this dry food is extremely important. So, keep reading to decide if your current location is still okay.

Storage Accessibility: Convenience vs Protected

If you’re in a shared living arrangement or have young children, you might have to address keeping this dry food item less visible or accessible to everyone. But, you probably don’t make pancakes every day so, it might be okay on a higher shelf.

Choose a Room

While you might assume it, not everyone can use the kitchen where to store pancake mix. So, other rooms are okay. Some might put this in a garage or on a closet shelf. Keep reading to see if that’s okay.

Rooms Usually Selected for Dry Food Storage

• Kitchen
• Pantry
• Basement (if not humid and is temperature controlled)
• Closet (on a shelf, not on floor)

Rooms to Generally Avoid for Dry Food Storage

• Garage (during hot seasons)
• Outdoor sheds or outdoor storage boxes
• Bathrooms
• Bedrooms
• Attic (during warm or hot seasons)
• Basement (if humid)

Select a Common Food Storage Area

So, store the pancake mix storage container on a shelf and never directly on the floor. It’s often selected to use a cabinet or pantry shelf.

Avoid Storing Under or Next To Cleaners or Chemicals

In commercial foods, we always avoided putting food containers underneath cleaning or chemical products, in case of spillage of toxic products. Grocery store clerks are typically trained to avoid putting detergents or cleaners in the same bag as food products.

So, these are all good practices at home too. For example, be sure to store pancake mix so it won’t be on the same shelf or under a shelf where you have detergents, rinse aids, or cleaning items.

Pancake Mix Storage Containers

Pancake mix storage containers can vary in size, shape, and material. Be sure and always use a food grade storage container or bag. So, I often use food grade plastic (or glass) food containers or jars with a lid or good cover. Sometimes, I’ve also used a gallon-sized food storage plastic bag.

Does Container Need to be Air Tight?

It’s desired but not required. Also, air tight doesn’t mean vacuum sealed. Regardless, have a very good covering.

There are outstanding benefits using airtight containers. There’s less oxygen (longer shelf life) and better pests protection. Here’s a good article on an air tight container product line and it has really great tips on storage: “TightVacs and Food Storage Info & Benefits“.

Protecting Dry Pancake Mix From Insects and Pests

Use a good storage container with a solid fitting covering or lid to protect pancake mix from insects and pests. So, the common pests here are probably going to be ants, flour bugs, mites, fleas, palmetto bugs, roaches, and mice. Here are some tips.

• If you have mice issues, avoid plastic bags.
• For strong protection, empty the food shelves and clean them before returning the items on them.
• Consider a good, wide bug barrier for the home border outside. For apartments or added home protection, treat interior borders along baseboards and under sinks.
• For more tips, here’s a great article from the University of Minnesota: “Pantry Pests“.

Temperature and Humidity Controls for Dry Grains

Normally, dry foods warehouses are temperature and humidity controlled, good for extended storage before distribution to grocery and convenience stores. So, when you get dry grain foods home, you’ll want to continue that practice.

Temperature Controls for Pancake Mix Storage

Maintain a good room temperature so avoid storage near or above an oven, stovetop, and microwave. Also, avoid long term storing in a fridge or freezer for this dry food.

You do store the wet mixture cold or frozen as mentioned in “How To Store Pancake Batter“.

Some recommendations are to store a pancake mix in the freezer for a few days to kill any possible unknown bugs. However, I discourage anyone from ever storing pancake mix in a fridge or freezer because it adds moisture, due to the humidity. This leads to a higher risk of growth of molds, fungi, and penicillin.

Managing Humidity for Pancake Mix Storage

The key is to maintain dryness and avoid excessive humidity. Some areas where you live might be high humidity and are unavoidable but, doing what you can to manage it is the right approach. Here are some key tips to reducing higher humidity.

• Avoid putting this in a cabinet right over a dishwasher or clothes washer or dryer.
• Avoid placement either under or above a sink.
• Don’t put it in cabinets over a stovetop or oven due to high temperatures and moisture from boiling water or other cooking.

Shelf Life of Pancake Mix Storage

Store bought boxes unopened might have a posted quality maximum shelf life of 2 years. When opened, it reduces to about 1 year max. Usually, these are quality related dates. However, some mixes use powdered dairy ingredients so it can also be a high health risk.

With homemade mixes, the shelf life of pancake mix will be the shortest expiration date of any ingredient.

Any mix that shows signs of mold, discoloration, or smells bad should be discarded and not used.

Health Considerations of Pancake Mix Storage

The key here is to avoid storage temperatures and humidity that might induce a growth of mold, fungi, or other undesirables. Also, undesired are pests, and some might be too small to readily notice.

Conclusion of How To Store Pancake Mix

Now you’ve learned about the list of best practices for how to store pancake mix in the home. You’ve seen how selecting a room and location are based on easier management of temperature, humidity, and pests. And you’ve learned how to maintain the quality and shelf life of pancake mixes. Finally, here’s a good alternative article on “How To Make & Store Homemade Pancake Mix“.

Related Posts

• Pancake Mix from Scratch (dry mix and storing)
• How To Store Pancake Batter
• How to Store Cooked Pancakes
• Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes (mix, batter, & cooking method)
• Breakfast category
• Stovetop Recipes category