Grains and bread

Dry yeast rarely rots, it simply dies. How long it keeps sealed, opened, in the fridge and the freezer, the 10-minute test that settles it, and when to throw it out.

How to store cake pops: 3 to 7 days on the counter for buttercream, 7 to 10 days chilled, about a month frozen. When cream cheese frosting forces the fridge, and why the shell sweats on the way out.

How to store Rice Krispie treats: airtight at room temperature, never the fridge, and about 3 months in the freezer. Why no food-safety authority dates the bars, why they go hard, and the one state worth binning.

How to store pecan pie: its filling is set with eggs, so the USDA gives it 2 hours out, 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 1 to 2 months in the freezer. Here is how to store it and tell when it has gone.

How to store apple pie: unlike pumpkin pie, it can sit loosely covered on the counter for 1 to 2 days, then keeps about a week in the fridge and 8 months in the freezer. Here is how to store it and tell when it has gone.

How to store stuffing: take it out of the bird, refrigerate it within 2 hours, and eat it within 3 to 4 days or freeze it for 4 to 6 months. Here is how to store, reheat and freeze stuffing, and when to throw it out.

How to store pumpkin pie: it is an egg custard, so it needs the fridge within 2 hours, keeps 3 to 4 days there, and freezes for 1 to 2 months. Here is how to cover it, freeze it and tell when it has gone.

Does self-rising flour go bad? The flour keeps, but the baking powder milled into it fades, so the bag bakes flat long before it smells wrong. How long it lasts, how to test the lift, and when to bin it.

Muffins keep 3 to 7 days on the counter once they have cooled, and the fridge only makes them stale. For longer, freeze them. Here is how to store muffins after baking, and when to throw them out.

A crusty sourdough loaf wants air for its first day and a bag after that. The fridge splits the experts, the freezer does not, and a sticky, fruity-smelling crumb means rope.