Does anyone know if cornstarch looses it 'potency' or ? Is there a time limit on keeping it stored?

I use it so rerely that I think I’ve only purchased one box in my lifetime. There may be an expiration date on it, but I’ve never looked. The years-old stuff I use has never let me down. Also, I never seal it; it is in the original box.

cornstarch clay

The shelf life of cornstarch is virtually indefinite. Its thickening power doesn’t come from a chemical reaction, so it won’t lose reactivity over time. Even vacuum sealing it was overkill.

The useful shelf life of properly stored cornstarch is indefinite. It does not go bad, but can be invaded by things like bugs, so it must always be kept in a closed glass container.

@Harp and @Yarnlady,

That is why I vacuum sealed the jar, as I have had to deal with bugs in flour and several other things in the past and had to clean out my pantry so now I vacuum several things I know will get bugs.

Thanks for the suggestions.

@AlfredaPrufrock Thanks for the website I ‘bookmarked’ it for future reference with my daughter! I appreciate it!

I have bought maybe two boxes of cornstarch in 35 years of cooking. I’ve never had it go bad, but I did have to buy the second box because weevils got into the first box.

@carcar

What link? and what is it?

@lollipop – carcar has left the building.

@Darwin Thanks, I kind of thought so but wasn’t positive.

I am not on here a lot so don’t know too much.

@lollipop – If you click on @carcar you will get the page that lets you know that carcar as such no longer exists on Fluther. The mods sent him/her to his/her room. Without supper.

@Darwin I did do that but then thought maybe something was wrong with my computer…So they must have made a ‘bad’ remark to get the ‘boot’...ok

Thank you again!

@lollipop What ‘they’ did was to spam every question/answer on the board with exactly the same words over and over, somtimes even 100 times on one comment, for hours last night. I begged for help from someone,but they were all in bed, so I finally had to get off.

@YARNLADY Thanks for letting me know!