5 ways to make the most of your pantry's cooking staples

We often think of our cooking staples as impervious to damage, leading us to take those items for granted. But the truth is, these staples are delicate and susceptible to insect infestations and mould growth. Use these storage tips for five common cupboard items.

How you should store rice depends on the type:

• White rice of any variety keeps almost indefinitely as long as it remains unopened in its original package. No refrigeration needed. Once opened, put the rice into a tightly sealed container that will keep out dust, moisture, and insects. Stored like this, rice will keep for several months.
• Brown rice requires more care, as it is a more delicate cousin of white rice. The bran left on the grain contains oils that may spoil the product if it's not properly cared for. Unopened packages will keep for about six months on the pantry shelf and only about two months when opened and transferred to airtight containers. In humid weather, be sure to refrigerate brown rice.
• Wild rice (which is not really rice) is a better keeper than brown rice and should last indefinitely on your pantry shelf in an unopened package. Once opened, wild rice should hold up well if kept in a tightly sealed container.

• The barley you buy in most supermarkets is pearled barley; the bran has been removed and the barley polished.
• It usually comes in a box, and an unopened box will keep almost indefinitely on the shelf. Once you open the box, transfer the barley to a sealed airtight container, where it will keep for a year.

• With spaghetti and other dried pasta, the most important thing is to keep them dry and contained.
• Dried pastas left sealed in their packages should keep for several months on your pantry shelf.
• To store pasta longer, place it in a tightly sealed glass or plastic container, and store it in a cool, dry, and dark cabinet for as long as a year.

Store honey at room temperature on a dry, dark kitchen shelf. Honey should last a year on your shelf. Do not refrigerate because that will cause the honey to crystallize.

• After using honey, wipe around the lid and make sure the seal is tight to keep moisture and air out.
• If crystallization forms in your honey jar, place the jar in a pot of warm — not boiling — water until the crystals dissolve.

• Once you open a plastic package of dried beans, transfer the contents to a sealed plastic container and store in a cool, dark place, where it is not likely to be affected by moisture.
• Stored in this manner, dried beans of all types should keep indefinitely.

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