Bicarbonate of Soda best before date

Merlin5 · 29 Jan 2019 at 13:05

Hey guys, I've got two quite full tubes of baking soda with best before August 2017 printed on them. I've just done a test by pouring 2 teaspoons of vinegar onto 1/4 teaspoon of soda and it fizzed up fairly vigorously. See video below. Would you say it's still good to bake with?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWVa8RObzr4

PlacidCasual · 29 Jan 2019 at 13:20

The only reason I could possibly imagine for not using "past use by date" is the anti caking agent has given up the ghost and you haven't got a smooth powder so distribution might be poor otherwise I see no issue. if it flows freely I can't see the problem.

Merlin5 · 29 Jan 2019 at 13:40

Good point. Well, I sifted the soda powder, maybe that would sort of take care of any anti caking agent issue?

Psycho Sonny · 29 Jan 2019 at 14:29

just use it to clean stuff with. the stuff costs pennies as it is.

i use it as an oven cleaner, in foot baths/spas, etc.

seabiscuit · 29 Jan 2019 at 16:18

Sometimes the best before dates are because over time the packaging can degrade and so it increses the chance something could leach out of the packaging. That's why bottled water has best before dates.

Merlin5 · 29 Jan 2019 at 16:50

Yeah, true, don't want any leaching from the container. Hmm, oh well, I'll buy some fresh and use this stuff for cleaning. To be honest, most recipes I've used call for just baking powder, but occasionally they recommend both baking powder and baking soda for better leavening.

jpaul · 29 Jan 2019 at 23:30

baking powder does ruin, as the acid and alkali mix (premmaturely) due to moisture, so best to keep it in sealed jar, but,
sodium bicarb, just an alkali, should be OK providing it still mixes in and hasn't caked (buttermilk is often the acid that goes with bicarb)

sodium bicarb is also unambiguous, compared to baking powder where some formulations are better than others, for slow/rapid co2 release.
last batch i imported was bobs red mill from iherb

Bob's Red Mill, Baking Powder, Gluten Free, 16 oz (453 g)(BRM-00392)
$4.66
3
$0.00
$13.98