Does Xanthan Gum Go Bad?

[Mango04]

I've had a bag of it in the pantry for...I don't even know months...maybe years? Is it supposed to be kept in the fridge? Should I toss it and buy a new bag...or is its shelf life pretty indefinite?

A quick google search provided no answers . Thanks.

[Mango04]

Bump

Anybody know?

All I can find is information about xanthan gum extending the shelf life of things, so I'm guessing it lasts for a while?

[irish daveyboy]

  Mango04 said:

I've had a bag of it in the pantry for...I don't even know months...maybe years? Is it supposed to be kept in the fridge? Should I toss it and buy a new bag...or is its shelf life pretty indefinite

Hi 'Mango04',

Not sure what you mean by 'icky goppy', but if it's not a free running powder (dump it)

.

Normally it lasts for years if kept in an air-tight container, out of sunlight.

.

xanthan is a stabiliser/binder which gives bread and cakes back elasticity which is not

present in naturally gluten-free flours because of the lack of gluten.

.

Best Regards,

David

[Mango04]

Thanks for the info. I think it's gets pretty "goopy" and gross when mixed with any type of liquid. Thats all I meant. I guess I'll risk it and use this really old bag of xanthan gum, instead of buying a new batch

[Paul Jackson]

Myself, I keep a bag of xanthan gum powder in an air-tight cannister in the fridge. On the bag (Bob's Red Mill), it says the powder keeps fresher in the fridge or freezer. But, the cannister is due to my own initiative. I believe that the powder should store freshly for about two years under these condition. I hope this helps. 8->

[imsohungry]

O.k....here's my 2 cents worth (and I've discussed before that I was no science major in college)...so I make no promises as to the accuracy of what follows.

I had my last bag of xan. gum in my pantry in an air-tight container. It lasted a couple of years. Then, it started to stink. Because it had never stunk before, I assumed it had gone bad. I pitched it out.

As far as "goopy" goes, I'm not sure what to tell you. If it's not mixing well, it may ruin whatever you are trying to cook/bake.

As a side note, never spill xan. gum in your sink and then run water on it to "wash it away." I ended up with a huge mess! It turned all gummy and rubbery (I almost never got my sink completely clean). It really lived up to its name xan. "gum."

Blessings. -Julie

[Moustique77]

We usually go through a bag of Xanthan Gum fairly quickly (two months or less), however I have seen written on the bags 1 to 2 years. We keeps ours in a tupperware container in the fridge. And it can develop a distinctly sharp, pungent smell when it turns. I found an old unopened bag in the back of the pantry (we really should clean it more often!) and it smelled awful. So, I suppose it does go 'bad' eventually.