When you love to make your own bread at home, you might want to have a package of yeast in your pantry to be used anytime you want to make a new loaf of bread, but how long can it be stored?
How long can active dry yeast last? Every package of yeast comes with an expiration date. Unopened yeast package can last until the expiration date with no problem at all, but once you open the package it needs to be stored in a cool and dark place, it can be stored up to four months in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.
Does Active Dry Yest Go Bad?
There’s nothing worse than starting to make a new loaf of bread to find up that the yeast you’re using has gone bad. For this reason it is always better to once you open a new package of yeast, store it in a glass jar and stick a tag with the expiration date, you can find it printed on the package, mark on your calendar the date to buy a new package, so you always have fresh active dry yeast to make your bread at home.
When working on a bakery, you might not notice the expiration date of any yeast used, as on a bakery the volume of bread made is high and I might be right to say that most bakeries use one, two or more packages of yeast every single day.
But when you love to make your own bread at home for yourself or for your family, you might be using one small package of yeast every time you make a new recipe, and it’s important to have always fresh active yeast, so you don’t have any problem at the time to make a new dough.
How To Know If Your Yeast Has Gone Bad
If your yeast has been stored for some time and you want to make a new bread recipe, before you start mixing all the ingredients, it’s always better to check if the yeast is good to be used.
1. Put one cup of warm water in a small bowl.
2. Add one tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of dry yeast, stir well and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.
3. After 10 minutes check if the yeast has started to work, you might see some small bubbles on the mix, this will tell you that your yeast is still good to be used in your recipe. When making your recipe, take into consideration the cup of water you use to activate your yeast, and it should take off from amount of water or any other liquid on your recipe.
4. If after 10 or 15 minutes you don’t see any bubbles on the mixture, this means your yeast has gone bad and it can’t be used in your recipe. You might need to open a new package of yeast, or wait to got to the store to get a new package.
How To Discard Yeast That Has Gone Bad
Yeast that has gone bad can be used as fertilizer in your garden, just small amounts and always make a test, as some plants might not like it.
Expired yeast can also be discharged in your compost.
If you don’t have a garden or a compost, you always can hand it to a friend who is interested in gardening or have a compost.
Related: Can Yeast Dough Be Left To Rise Overnight?
Closing Thoughts
To make any bread at home, you will be using yeast to make your dough, as you learn more about this amazing hobby, you will learn more about each ingredient, and yeast is one that we all need to pay attention to it, as it will make your bread to rise and have the perfect texture and taste we all love from our homemade bread.
We hope you find helpful these tips to know more about how to store your yeast and how to know if it has gone bad or if you still can used it.
Happy Baking!
