Humidity Damage

[shadowood]

I live in SW Florida and we have lots of humidity.

I have spices, powdered creamer, and other powdered items that get rock hard in their containers.

Is there any help for these items or do I just throw them all away? This gets very expensive.

Thanks
SWF

[Shamrock1121]

Try storing your powdered foods either in vacuum-sealed bags or canisters (FoodSaver or Pump n' Store, etc.), or even in plastic zip-lock bags with as much air removed as possible (use the old suck the air out with a straw trick). You can also keep them in the refrigerator or freezer, which are low humidity if it has an automatic defrost feature. I've used powdered items in the past that suggested storing them in the refrigerator after they were opened to prevent caking from humidity.

I keep my extra Penzy's spices and bulk yeast in the freezer and they are always free-flowing when I use them. Just make sure they are in air-tight containers or bags before you store them.

If something is in a box or bag that can wick humidity, transfer it to something that is airtight - jars are a good investment for this. I keep nearly everything in jars that I can, and I can even seal canning jar lids on with a vacuum seal with my FoodSaver. Leaving flour in the paper bag that it comes in is a big no-no since it can readily absorb moisture AND cooking odors which can affect the flour. Better to transfer it to a jar or plastic food-grade container with a tight-fitting lid. And when you are using these things, make sure you measure out the amount you need and replace the lid and don't leave any spices and other powdered items out open for a prolong period of time. It's not a good idea to leave spices near a stove where both heat and humidity from cooking will degrade them fairly quickly. Leaving a jar of yeast open in a humid kitchen is a good way to "kill" it. The humidity actually starts the reaction of the yeast.

I'm not sure what to tell you about using things that are caked from moisture. I'd mostly be concerned with mold growth in such things, in which case I'd toss them. Moldy things like peanuts and grains can actually make you sick from the toxin from the formation of aflatoxins, and that may also be true of spices. And if there is mold on the surface, then the mold spores are throughout the whole thing, whether you can see them or not. I'd never take a chance with mold.

If they aren't moldy, you might try leaving these things in an oven with ONLY the oven light on and see if there is enough warmth to reduce the moisture after a few days. We keep our leftover popcorn in the oven with the light on to keep it "fresh", so maybe it would help reverse your moisture problem.

-Karen

[shadowood]

Thanks Shamrock.

I will try sealing them in canisters.
I already put my yeast in a vacuum sealed canister in the fridge.

SWF