10 Ingredients That Don’t Belong In Your Kitchen Pantry 

In nearly every Indian home, there is a treasure of spices, lentils, grains, and oils; however, all those do not necessarily end up in the pantry. If you ever come across your favourite rice infested with bugs or your spices losing their oomph, you are not alone. Most home cooks make mistakes concerning the storage of perishable or sensitive ingredients in their pantry because of false savings in space as well as neatness. Unfortunately, this makes your food go bad a little faster and leads to wastage as well as pest attraction. Knowing what not to put in your kitchen pantry is the same as knowing how to stock it. Fresh produce and some kinds of oil have to be kept in certain conditions to preserve quality. 

10 Things You Should Never Put in the Kitchen Pantry 

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables 

While the temptation is there to stock up potatoes, onions, or tomatoes in the pantry, such fresh vegetables are not really suited for enclosed and dry surroundings. For example, potatoes tend to sprout in warm climates, and onions might develop mould due to a lack of airflow. Tomatoes get too ripe and lose all that roasting texture and flavour if kept in the pantry. Store them in a cool, dry place or in the fridge. 

Nuts and Seeds 

Nuts and seeds contain natural oils that degrade rapidly if stored in warm environments like a pantry. High oil content makes almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds spoil easy, so you'll want to store these in the fridge in an airtight container. 

Oils Coconut Oil, Mustard Oil, Ghee 

While many oils are stored in the pantry, not all oils must be stored there. Coconut, for instance, and mustard oil can become rancid in high temperatures, especially in this part of the world and India. Ghee can also turn rancid unless kept in an ideal place. Store these oils in a cool place away from sunlight or refrigerate them for longer storage. 

Dried Spices 

Spices are the core of Indian cooking. However, if they are exposed to air, light, and moisture, they degrade and lose their flavours. It might be easy to store ground spices in the pantry; however, different temperatures in there may deteriorate it further. Keep your spices in an air-tight vessel, away from direct sunlight, and in a spice rack, rather than in a pantry. 

Rice and Grains 

Pantry moths or weevils often infest rice and grains if stored in non-airtight containers. Mould or clumping can also result from humidity, especially during the monsoon season. Store them in sealed containers or refrigerate them to avoid pest infestation. 

Honey 

While honey can be stored at room temperature, pantry conditions cause honey to crystallize or ferment. If your kitchen happens to be warm or humid, this makes the honey crystallize more quickly and harder to work with. Honey should be stored in a cool, dry place-outside the pantry. 

Pickles 

Pickles are an essential item in most Indian households, but they must not be kept in the pantry. Oil and spices of the pickles get spoiled very quickly if they come in contact with warm weather and sometimes the pickles develop mould on their jars. Pickles should always be kept in the fridge after being opened so that its freshness is maintained and it does not turn bad. 

Jaggery 

Jaggery, like any sweetener from the Indian kitchen, is hygroscopic in nature, meaning it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. Thus, there is a chance of jaggery melting or becoming lumpy while lying in the pantry, especially during humid weather. Store jaggery in an airtight container inside the fridge to maintain its texture. 

Coconut 

Fresh coconut or shredded coconut should never be stored in the pantry. It could spoil easily, especially under a hot or humid climate. Fresh coconut will turn rancid within days if not placed in the fridge. Refrigerate or freeze coconut to maintain freshness.