Flour, sugar, pasta and spices
Dry goods cover everything that stores for a long time without refrigeration: flour, sugar, pasta, pulses and spices.
These are the products where format changes the price per kilo the most. A 25 kg sack of flour often works out at half the price of a one-kilo pack, which justifies buying in bulk when storage allows.
Spices are the exception and are best bought in small amounts: their aroma fades within months once the sachet is open, unlike flour or sugar which stay stable for years when dry.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you protect flour from insects?
- Move it into an airtight container as soon as it is opened and keep it dry. A bay leaf in the container is an effective traditional repellent against weevils.
- How long do ground spices keep?
- Six months to a year for most of their aroma, several years with no safety risk. Whole spices last three to four times longer than ground ones.
- Can sugar go off?
- No, pure sugar does not expire as long as it stays dry. Humidity can turn it into a solid block, which raises no consumption issue.
