Bisquick is a popular pre-made biscuit mixture that you can use to make fresh biscuits, pancakes, and even pizza dough in a fraction of the amount of time it would take you to make them from scratch. As such, Bisquick is a pantry staple in many homes that families like to always have on hand.
Since Bisquick is made from dry ingredients, it doesn’t spoil easily. If your Bisquick packet has not been opened, you can even use it long past the ‘best before’ date, and it will still be safe to eat and just as delicious.
Once you have opened a pack of Bisquick, it will be good to use for around 12 months. After this point, it might still be fine to eat, but you should use common sense to discern if it is safe or not.
How Long Can You Store Opened Bisquick in the Pantry?
Bisquick is a dry food mix predominantly made from flour, so it can be stored in the pantry for extended periods of time. When you buy Bisquick from the grocery store, you will notice that it is displayed on shelves rather than in a cooled section, so from this we know that in our homes, we can also store Bisquick in the pantry or in a kitchen cabinet.
If your Bisquick packet has not been opened, then you can keep it in your pantry for as long as you like. It will remain in good condition in dry, room temperature conditions, potentially for many years. However, once you have opened Bisquick, then it will have a reduced lifespan.
An opened packet of Bisquick can be stored in the pantry for up to 12 months, but you should use your judgment when you go to make biscuits as to whether the mixture is still good enough to use.
Keeping the opened Bisquick in the pantry is a good option if your pantry is cool and you do not live in a humid environment; however, if you want to prolong the life of your Bisquick and ensure that it is protected from spoiling, then you may want to consider keeping it in the refrigerator. Once a Bisquick packet has been opened, you should put it in an airtight container to stop any contaminants from making their way into the mix.
Is Bisquick Safe After its ‘Best Before’ Date?
Bisquick has a ‘best before’ date printed on the packaging, and typically you can expect that this will be many months or even years after you have purchased it. However, if you have bought a pack of Bisquick and stored it at the back of your cupboard and forgotten about it, you might one day stumble across an unopened Bisquick that is out of date.
In this scenario, you don’t need to throw away the item because Bisquick is actually perfectly good to use after its ‘best before’ date. Unlike a ‘use by’ date, which tells you that a product must be used by that date otherwise, it becomes unsafe to eat, a ‘best before’ date is actually just to tell you that the product will be in its prime condition before that date.
Once a ‘best before’ date has passed, the product is still safe to eat, but it may have started to lose some flavor or not be quite up to the standard that you would expect. A tub of Bisquick, which has gone past its ‘best before’ date, is perfectly safe to use, especially if it has remained unopened.
If your Bisquick has been opened and has passed its ‘best before’ date, you can still use it, as long as it hasn’t been open for more than 12 months. As with all foods, you should use your own judgment and common sense to determine whether a food is still good to eat, regardless of what labels or timelines tell you.
Best Storage for Bisquick
Bisquick is best stored in a cool and dark environment, such as a pantry, larder, or kitchen cabinet. It is a dry baking mix, and should be kept in the same conditions as you would keep other baking ingredients, like flour, sugar, and salt. Once the Bisquick has been opened, you can continue to keep it in a pantry or cabinet, providing the area isn’t hot or humid.
Both heat and humidity encourage bacteria to grow and will spoil the Bisquick. If you live in a warm climate, you should instead move an opened pack of Bisquick to the refrigerator, where you can keep it for around 12 months. After opening a pack of Bisquick, empty the contents into an airtight container such as plastic tupperware, and then write a label on the container so you know what it is, and what date it was opened.
This way, you can always check back to see how long the food is and whether it is going to be safe to use. Opened Bisquick is best stored in the refrigerator because the cooler temperature discourages the growth of bacteria, so it is more likely to extend the life of the Bisquick. You can also keep opened Bisquick in the pantry, but the lifespan may be reduced. Always ensure it is kept in an airtight container to reduce the likelihood of contaminants getting into the mixture.
How to Tell if Bisquick is Spoiled
Like most foods, there are easy ways you can tell if Bisquick has spoiled, so you know whether to put it in the trash, or eat it.
Texture
The texture of Bisquick is one of the best indicators of whether it is still good to eat. The normal texture of Bisquick is a fine powder, much like regular baking flour. If your Bisquick is light and powdery, this is a good indication that it is in good condition. If the mixture seems clumpy, this is usually because moisture has gotten into the container.
Moisture in Bisquick, especially when combined with warm temperatures, will encourage bacteria to thrive. If your Bisquick is clumpy, it is best to throw it away rather than risk becoming sick from bacteria.
Smell
Bisquick, which has developed a bad smell, should be discarded immediately. A nasty odor is a sure sign that bacteria is thriving in the Bisquick, and it is no longer safe to eat.
Flavor
In some cases, Bisquick can appear to be fine in odor and appearance, but when you cook it and eat it you find that it doesn’t taste quite right. If the flavor seems off to you, this could be because the Bisquick mix has gone bad. In this case, don’t eat anymore and throw away the remaining mixture.
Mold
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t eat food that has developed mold. If a Bisquick mixture has mold on it, then contaminants have gotten into the mix and had the opportunity to multiply. Throw away any Bisquick which has become moldy.
Color
Cooked Bisquick has an appealing golden color. If your Bisquick looks overly pale, it could be because it is not in the best condition. It may still be safe to eat, but it is better to be safe than sorry, so the best thing to do is throw the Bisquick away.
Leave a Reply