Read on to find out which common pantry item you’re likely storing wrong and how to spot a problem with this popular ingredient.

Never put whole grain flour in your pantry, experts say.

While you may think nothing of putting a bag of flour in your cabinet or pantry until you need it again, experts say that it’s a major mistake to store whole grain flour in either of these spots. That’s because this type of flour is prone to rancidity, meaning it will go bad much faster if it’s left unrefrigerated.

“When grains are ground, their interiors are exposed to the air,” Harold McGee, PhD, a food scientist and author, tells The Chicago Tribune. “The whole grains contain the germ and the bran, both of which are rich in oils that are especially prone to oxidizing and going rancid. So you end up with off flavors very quickly in whole grain flours compared to refined flours,” he explained.

You should also refrigerate open packaged foods that contain whole grain flour.

In addition to refrigerating whole grain flour, you’d be wise to refrigerate any open packaged foods that contain whole grain flour, like cookies, crackers, and cakes. The oils found in these foods are also prone to rapid rancidity—especially when they contain polyunsaturated oils, such as nut oil or olive oils.

“Healthy” packaged snacks often include these ingredients, given that they’re often considered nutritionally superior to refined white flour and saturated fats or trans fats. While they may be better for your body, their shelf life is significantly shorter than snacks that used refined flours and vegetable oils.

Train your sense of smell to recognize rancidity, experts suggest.

Part of the problem is that many Americans have become accustomed to the taste and smell of rancidity. Experts say that one way to lower your odds of eating a rancid food is to train your nose to recognize its smell. “We assume that rancid flavors are normal,” McGee says, “because, in some cases, that’s what we’ve gotten used to.”

So what should you look out for? Integrative medicine specialist Andrew Weil, MD, told The Chicago Tribune that rancid food often gives off “the smell of oil paint,” however faintly. “Linseed oil, which is the same as flax oil, is the basis of oil paint. It’s highly unsaturated and so it oxidizes fast when exposed to the air,” he explains.

Changing your storage habits can keep your flour fresh for longer.

Though whole grain flour may go bad faster than its refined counterpart, that doesn’t mean you should stop buying it. There are several things you can do to keep this baking ingredient fresher for longer.

First, only buy what you need. Unless you bake daily, this means you probably want to opt for the smallest package available. Second, seal your leftovers in an airtight container or bag and refrigerate them. Finally, if you do choose to keep your whole grain flour in the pantry, always be sure to transfer it from its original paper bag to an airtight glass or plastic container. Keep it in a cool, dry, dark place until use, and always check for signs of spoilage before using it in your next recipe.

Check out the most effective methods for preventing oven fires.

1. Make sure your oven is serviced, clean, and in good repair

A properly working oven is perhaps the easiest step in avoiding a fire, so be sure to get it serviced at least once a year. Quickly clean any leftover food scraps after cooking as well, which can burn the next time you turn the oven on, resulting in lots of smoke and potentially a fire.

2. Never Leave the House if Something’s Cooking in the Oven

It’s essential to attend the cooking process because it’s a sure way to detect any strange thing happening that can potentially start a fire. If you’re not at home, you won’t be able to sense any burnt smell or hear any strange sound. Being alerted by potential problems with the oven cooking process is very important to let you act fast if something goes wrong.

Even cooks that are careful about leaving the house when the oven is in use can still get distracted with other tasks and forget about the running oven in the kitchen. This is understandable if you’re in another room working on other things that need to be dealt with quickly. However, cooking should take priority of your attention to avoid leaving the oven unattended.

3. Install a smoke detector but not in the kitchen

A surefire way to know something’s about to go south in the kitchen is the sound of a smoke alarm. Be sure to install alarms properly and locate them 6 to 20 feet away from any kitchen appliances to prevent false alarms. The shorter distance applies to photoelectric smoke detectors, and the 20-foot space to ionization smoke detectors.

4. Keep Greasy Food Covered

Splattering grease has the potential to start a serious oven fire if you’re not careful. This is also a problem when it comes to using a regular stovetop. Preventing grease from splattering inside the oven will also simplify the cleanup process after the cooking is finished. It’s a smart idea to get a cover or dedicated splatter guard. That small flame from the grease can transform into a small fire in no time.

5. Don’t Use the Oven for Heating

This is quite obvious for some people but never consider maintaining the oven on for heating purposes. No matter how easy or convenient it may seem, this is a really inefficient process to stay warm while the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning can be significant. Electric ovens are not designed for this purpose. They might overheat and start a fire.

6. Watch Kids and Pets Closely During Oven Cooking

Kids running around in the kitchen and playing with buttons can pose a danger if you’re using the oven. You need to be careful with pets as well because they can be a distraction and increase the likelihood of making mistakes such as spilling greasy pans. The most important aspect to remember when using the oven is to always pay close attention to your surroundings. If you don’t leave the oven unattended, it’s more likely that you can prevent children or pets from wandering around in the kitchen.

7. Get a Dependable Timer

Checking the time on a wall clock might seem fast when you’re trying to figure out cooking times but it’s easy to become distracted and forget something in the oven. This is why a kitchen timer can be considered a lifesaver. It allows you to multitask efficiently without worrying that you’ll forget about the cooked food in the oven. Using your phone’s timer is a decent solution but getting a dedicated timer tool that’s sufficiently loud and clear would be more practical.

8. Check the Cooking Temperature

This is a more important aspect when frying foods but it’s a solid preventive method for kitchen fires. Instant-read thermometers are handy to see whether the pot reaches the oil’s flash point that could be dangerous as it makes greasy splatters ignite. Be mindful of the temperature when frying foods.

9. Have an ABC Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher

Keeping a fire extinguisher in your home represents a solid preventive way to avoid all kinds of fires, not just those happening in the kitchen. When it comes to oven fires specifically, it’s worth getting the right kind of equipment for the job. The wrong type of fire extinguisher can fail to contain even small fires or be simply useless. Electrical and grease-caused fires are best handled with the help of ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers. Be sure to have one nearby.

10. Use the correct size pot to avoid food boiling over

To avoid food boiling over onto the stove, be sure to use the correct size pot on the appropriate size burner. If food boils over, it can cause the flame to flare up around the pot. Don’t allow food to boil over on gas burners. This can cause the flame to go out with the gas still on, increasing the potential for a fire or explosion.

When you’ve been cooking for as long as I have, it’s easy to feel like you already know everything there is to know about the stuff in your kitchen. But in reality, you may be using your kitchen items incorrectly without even knowing it! I certainly was before I finished researching and writing today’s post.

Kitchen Knives

A knife is a knife is a knife, right? Not necessarily! Some knives are better suited to different tasks, such as using a serrated knife to cut homemade bread without accidentally smashing it. Serrated knives are also great for cutting soft produce items like tomatoes and strawberries.

Another knife that many people overlook is the paring knife. In addition to cutting small items, you can also use your paring knife to peel fruits and vegetables, remove seeds, and even de-vein shrimp.

Garbage Disposal

It seems instinctive to use hot water when you’re operating your garbage disposal, but cold water is often the better choice. Hot water causes many foods to melt, and melty foods can stick to the disposal blades and to the inside of your pipes. Cold water keeps food solid, and solid foods are much easier to crush and rinse away.

Stand Mixer

Most people who use a stand mixer don’t know that you can actually adjust the height of your paddle attachment. It should rest a few millimeters above the bowl; any higher and it won’t mix properly, and any lower and it will scratch up your bowl.

Microwave

In order to use your microwave properly, you should know the wattage of your particular model. The wattage is how much power your microwave produces and it affects how quickly food cooks. Many frozen food labels suggest different time recommendations based on wattages, so it’s important to know yours. You can find it in your microwave’s User Manual, or on the front or back of your microwave.

Oven

Opening your oven door while cooking or baking can be a risky move, because the temperature in your oven can drop up to 130°F every time you do it. This temperature swing can cause disastrous results, like collapsing cakes and undercooked food. If you need to open the oven door during the cooking process, do it as quick as you can to minimize the temperature drop.

Slow Cooker

Much like the oven, your slow cooker can suffer a dramatic temperature drop if you lift the lid during cooking. It’s hard to resist the temptation to peek, but your food will be better off if you just leave it alone!

Vegetable Peeler

When you use a vegetable peeler, make sure to move the peeler away from you, rather than towards you. Not only is peeling away from you safer, but it also results in a cleaner and neater finished product.

 Dishwasher

Where you place your dishes inside your dishwasher makes a big difference! A study published in Chemical Engineering Journal found that dishes with carb-based residues (like potatoes, pasta, etc.) are cleaned more thoroughly when placed near the center of the machine. The study also concluded that dishes with protein-based residues (like meat, cheese, etc.) should be placed around the edges of your dishwasher for optimal cleaning.

Food Processor

Some people use their food processor and blender interchangeably, but they’re actually better suited to different tasks. Food processors are best when used to chop up solid, dry foods or make chunky sauces.

Blender

Your blender, on the other hand, is a helpful tool for making smooth soups, sauces, and beverages. But blenders can struggle if you don’t add your ingredients in the right order, so start with your liquids first, then add smaller ingredients. Layer large ingredients on top, then add the hardest ingredients last (like ice or vegetable stalks).

Refrigerator

Many people use the shelves in the door of their fridge to store things like milk and juice for easy access. But this isn’t a great idea, because the door shelves are one of the warmest parts of your fridge.

Instead, it’s better to use those door shelves to store things like condiments, water, and shelf-stable juices, since these items don’t need to be kept quite as cold. Store your milk and fresh juices on the main shelves of your fridge to make sure they stay cold.

Another factor that affects the temperature of your fridge is how much food you have in it. It’s fine to have a lot of food in your fridge, as long as there is enough space between items to allow air to circulate. If air can’t circulate, your items won’t get sufficiently cold and may even spoil!

Garlic Press

If you own and use a garlic press, you may be surprised to learn that you don’t actually have to peel your garlic cloves before pressing them. The garlic “skins” will stay inside the press, and only the good parts will get pushed through the holes.

 Freezer

Most people don’t use their freezers nearly often enough. It’s a great place to store your leftovers so they stay fresh for longer. Using your freezer often will help you cut down on food waste, and less food waste means keeping more money in your pocket!