6 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER STORE IN YOUR PANTRY
I don't know about you, but my pantry makes for coveted real estate in my New York City apartment. As a Manhattanite, I have no choice but to optimize my living space as much as humanly possible—there's only so much at our fingertips. You won't find tchotchkes on my countertop cluttering that precious cooking area. Likewise, I try to streamline what I keep in my pantry as best I can, but I know there's always room for improvement. And honestly, even if you have a ton of space, a pantry can easily turn to chaos without the right strategy—and that’s not just an organizational headache, it can also become a food safety issue..
That's why I turned to the experts. With tips from both pro chefs and professional organizers, I’m now confident my pantry could even give Martha a run for her money.
Here's what they said they wouldn't be caught dead storing in their pantry:
Nuts & Shredded Coconut
This one might throw you for quite a loop, however, Delish Food Editor Taylor Ann Spencer shares that nuts can actually go rancid rather quickly and are best stored in the freezer. (Pro tip: I'm a pistachio lover and I swear they also taste more flavorful straight out of the freezer.)
"You can kinda get by in the winter if your kitchen stays cold, but in the summer, when it's hot, it's especially likely to happen," Spencer notes. Senior Food Editor Makinze Gore says she feels the same way about shredded coconut. "I don't like to keep in the pantry and always keep in the fridge or freezer," she tells us.
Opened Nut Butters
Once you’ve cracked the lid on that peanut or almond butter, the pantry is no longer the best place for it. Delish Senior Food Director Robert Seixas says that nut butters without preservatives (like salt or sugar) are best stored in the fridge to preserve shelf life. Bonus: storing natural peanut butter in the fridge helps prevent the oil from separating so you don't have to stir it every time you want to eat it.
It’s also important to remember that natural nut butters—the kind with just nuts and maybe salt, and that layer of oil on top—are especially prone to going rancid quickly at room temperature, so refrigeration is a must unless you’ll finish the jar in a week or two. (Processed nut butters with stabilizers can last a couple of months in a cool, dry pantry, but even then, refrigeration will extend their shelf life by several months.)
Whole Grain Flours
Spencer says that the same standards for nuts apply to whole grain flours. These go bad quicker than you'd think, so instead of making room for them in your pantry, opt for the freezer, especially if you live in a warm climate or during summer.
Open Condiments & Open Bags
Delish Food Editor Brooke Caison warns home chefs to avoid storing any open condiments like ketchup, soy sauce, and maple syrup in your pantry. Not only will refrigerating these products extend their shelf life, but it will also preserve the flavors better than storing at room temp.
Molly Heartfield, founder and owner of luxury organization company Heart & Co, encourages shoppers to avoid storing open bags of items like flour, sugar, and rice in their pantries. These items tend to attract pests and go stale more quickly. Instead, Heartfield recommends transferring them into airtight containers and/or keeping them in your fridge.
Expired Or Duplicate Spices
Many chefs will agree with Heartfeld that expired spices have no place in your pantry. "Spices lose potency quickly (usually within six to 12 months), and cluttering the pantry with duplicates or stale seasonings wastes space and reduces efficiency during meal prep," Heartfield tells us.
Non-Food Items
Heartfield also emphasizes the importance of keeping only food products stored in your pantry—and it's not just for convenience or vanity purposes. "Lightbulbs, batteries, or cleaning products don’t belong in a pantry due to chemical exposure risk and space inefficiency," she explains. Furthermore, relegating the pantry solely to food-focused items helps streamline organization.
2025-05-12T20:39:58Z
