# Can Bisquick really "go bad"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338 "2017-07-15T18:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justmeetee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/1 "2017-07-15T18:01:27Z")
I have diabetes so there are certain things I avoid MOST of the time, one of which is pancakes. And right now because of some dental issues I’m on a soft food diet, which is getting boring. So I pulled out a box of Bisquick from the back of the cupboard this morning to make some pancakes. I didn’t look for a date because, well I didn’t think it could spoil. But I needed to put 50% more milk in then the directions called for to be thin enough to pour onto the griddle. And the texture of the pancakes was just shy of cardboard. So I checked the date on the box and sure enough, May of last year. Now did this Bisquick go south in some way or am I remembering pancakes wrong? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/2 "2017-07-15T18:13:20Z")
I believe the baking powder can expire, yes. I’m not entirely sure why you required that much more liquid, though. (Though I don’t go by the amounts on the box, but rather by the look of the batter.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/3 "2017-07-15T18:28:46Z")
IIRC, there’s also some kind of fat component to bisquick, and that can definitely go rancid. Probably faster than the baking powder will, if it’s sealed up tight away from water. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/4 "2017-07-15T18:32:36Z")
Don’t know about your memory 😉 but Bisquick can definitely go bad. It’s a blend of flour and salt and baking soda and shortening. Keep it dry, and the salt and baking soda are good practically forever. The flour will get stale and nasty but long before that the shortening gets rancid. (Yes, despite all the stuff they add to extend the shelf life. Entropy is POWERFUL.) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/5 "2017-07-15T19:28:47Z")
Keep an eye out for…millipedes…ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/6 "2017-07-15T20:02:32Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Keep an eye out for…millipedes…ugh. Note to self: Do not eat pancakes with snfaulkner. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/7 "2017-07-15T20:07:15Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Keep an eye out for…millipedes…ugh. Yeah, I get all sorts of lousy weevils and critters in old flour, rice and pancake mix stuff. I went to make some corn-bread, and opened the box and it was like a scene from Creep-show! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/8 "2017-07-15T20:19:55Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yeah, I get all sorts of lousy weevils and critters in old flour, rice and pancake mix stuff. > > I went to make some corn-bread, and opened the box and it was like a scene from Creep-show! We had this problem with my mother. There wasn’t a box of pasta that didn’t have the flour beetle grubs all through it. We threw them all away, cleaned out the cabinets for her, then she goes and gets more pasta and flour and keeps them in the store boxes and bags and six months later, she’s got a cabinetful of grubs again. She would not listen when we told her to get plastic containers for all of it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/9 "2017-07-15T20:26:13Z")
Bisquick has baking powder in it, not baking soda. It does break down over time. Baking soda also breaks down over time. Both react to water absorbed by the mix and heat. I realize baking powder and soda are sometimes interchangeable terms, and baking soda here in the US is usually only sodium bicarb but it may not be that way world-wide. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/10 "2017-07-15T20:39:42Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Note to self: Do not eat pancakes with snfaulkner. This is a valid assessment. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/11 "2017-07-15T20:43:52Z")
This is a bit off-topic, but if you are avoiding Bisquick because of the carbohydrates, you might switch to a product called Carbquik. It is extremely low in carbs, but works pretty much the same as Bisquick. The GF and I are doing low-carb dieting now, and it is a godsend (although kinda spendy). Makes excellent pancakes, too! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/12 "2017-07-15T21:24:01Z")
Baking soda is always sodium bicarbonate, AKA sodium hydrogen carbonate. It can be converted to sodium carbonate by high temperatures, but at room temperature is stable indefinitely. Baking powder is _not_ interchangeable with baking soda. Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and one or more powdered acids, such as cream of tartar. In powder form at room temperature, the acid and the baking soda either do not react, or react very slowly. The acid can be activated either by moisture or by heat (“dual-acting” baking powders contain acids of both sorts), at which point it does react with the baking soda and form bubbles (the usual reason why you want it). I wouldn’t be surprised if baking powder reacts, albeit slowly, even in your cupboard (especially if the humidity is high). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/13 "2017-07-15T21:56:50Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > We had this problem with my mother. There wasn’t a box of pasta that didn’t have the flour beetle grubs all through it. We threw them all away, cleaned out the cabinets for her, then she goes and gets more pasta and flour and keeps them in the store boxes and bags and six months later, she’s got a cabinetful of grubs again. She would not listen when we told her to get plastic containers for all of it. As a single person, I do go through pasta quickly enough that this doesn’t happen; however, I keep my flours in the refrigerator, or even freezer, for exactly this reason. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/14 "2017-07-15T22:29:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Baking soda is always sodium bicarbonate, AKA sodium hydrogen carbonate. It can be converted to sodium carbonate by high temperatures, but at room temperature is stable indefinitely. Are you saying baking soda does not react with water? Actually I don’t know for sure. You generally need to add something acidic when baking only with baking powder. > [@](#): > > Baking powder is _not_ interchangeable with baking soda. Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and one or more powdered acids, such as cream of tartar. In powder form at room temperature, the acid and the baking soda either do not react, or react very slowly. The acid can be activated either by moisture or by heat (“dual-acting” baking powders contain acids of both sorts), at which point it does react with the baking soda and form bubbles (the usual reason why you want it). I wouldn’t be surprised if baking powder reacts, albeit slowly, even in your cupboard (especially if the humidity is high). At least internationally the terms baking soda and baking powder are used interchangeably. This may simply be a translation error, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/15 "2017-07-15T23:58:57Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Keep an eye out for…millipedes…ugh. I like the extra protein. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/16 "2017-07-16T00:06:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > At least internationally the terms baking soda and baking powder are used interchangeably. This may simply be a translation error, I don’t know. Well, they are definitely not interchangeable as the products are constititued in the US. If the terms are used interchangeably then one of the products must be different from what it is in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/17 "2017-07-16T01:52:02Z")
Bisquick will “go bad”, though I doubt May of '16 would be far along enough to be the source of trouble. Maybe. Add an extra teaspoon or two of _fresh_ baking powder and it should respond nicely. Even baking soda will lose some of its zip as far as baking is comcerned when it gets old. If it’s getting long in the tooth the fats in Bisquick will start to oxidize. This is one reason I don’t care for Canola or rapeseed oil. I’m not really a “prepper” but try to maintain a deep pantry, stock up on sale items, etc, and anything made with Canola over time turns to paint. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/18 "2017-07-16T02:51:17Z")
Check out the Snopes article on expired pancake batter. It has killed people. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/19 "2017-07-16T02:55:02Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > She would not listen when we told her to get plastic containers for all of it. > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > As a single person, I do go through pasta quickly enough that this doesn’t happen; however, I keep my flours in the refrigerator, or even freezer, for exactly this reason. I have several [OXO Good Grips® 4 .0 qt. Square Food Storage POP Containers](https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grips-reg-square-food-storage-pop-container/3262799?Keyword=oxo+container) for my flour, sugar, rice, and coffee. I can recommend them. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338/20 "2017-07-16T03:15:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Check out the Snopes article on expired pancake batter. > > It has killed people. [Is this the one?](http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp) While a death was confirmed, there’s a red flag in the _Dear Abby_ story. > [@](#): > > DEAR ABBY: I recently made a batch of pancakes for my healthy 14-year-old son, using a mix that was in our pantry. He said that they tasted “funny,” but ate them anyway. About 10 minutes later, he began having difficulty breathing and his lips began turning purple. I gave him his allergy pill, had him sit on the sofa and told him to relax. He was wheezing while inhaling and exhaling. > > **My husband, a volunteer firefighter and EMT,** heated up some water, and we had my son lean over the water so the steam could clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular and his lips returned to a more normal color. Really? The kid is cyanotic and an EMT is going to wait for a pill to take effect? And treating with steam? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bisquick-really-go-bad/791338.md?page=2)