Pantry Storage Containers: How to Store Grains, Nuts and Snacks

A tidy pantry saves time and money. When you can see what you have, you buy less of what you already own. This guide covers storing grains, flour, nuts and snacks, rotating stock, checking cans and spotting pantry pests, using advice from Australian government and food safety agencies.

Start with a clear-out

Before you buy any containers, take everything out. Wipe the shelves, check dates and group what's left: grains and pasta, baking, nuts and dried fruit, snacks, and cans and jars. Love Food Hate Waste, the NSW Government's food waste program, notes that "Frequently cleaning shelves and rotating foods in your pantry will reduce the likelihood of pests and cut down on items getting lost and forgotten" (Love Food Hate Waste, Storage Superhero).

Location matters too. Love Food Hate Waste advises: "keep pantry items away from direct sunlight and heat sources like the oven, as they'll deteriorate more quickly." It also suggests the temperature "stays between 10 - 21 degrees Celsius".

Grains, rice, flour and pasta

Love Food Hate Waste says: "Cereals, rice, flour, pasta and other dry ingredients should be kept in good quality airtight containers. If you do not have suitable containers, tightly reseal the original packaging" (Love Food Hate Waste, How to store).

A few practical habits help:

• Match the size to how much you use. Large containers suit everyday rice or flour; smaller ones suit seeds and baking extras.
• Decant, then label. Write the product name and best-before date from the packet on the container.

Cooked rice belongs in the fridge, not the pantry. Love Food Hate Waste says: "If you're not going to eat rice as soon as you've cooked it, store it in the fridge as soon as possible, definitely within four hours."

Nuts, seeds and dried fruit

Love Food Hate Waste's pantry advice is to "Use airtight containers for storing rice, flour, cereal, grains, nuts, sugar and pasta."

These foods also attract insects. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) lists nuts, seeds, dried fruit, cereal products and spices among the "Common susceptible food products" in its pantry insects factsheet. It also warns: "Insects can not only infest opened products, but can chew through unopened paper, thin cardboard or plastic packages" (NSW DPI, Common pantry insects).

NSW DPI includes "Purchasing small quantities of foodstuffs" among its prevention steps.

Snacks, biscuits and bread

For opened biscuits and crackers, Love Food Hate Waste says: "Keep sweet or savoury biscuits in an airtight container."

Bread is the exception. Love Food Hate Waste advises: "Keep bread at room temperature rather than in the fridge. If you don't think you'll finish the loaf before it will go stale, stick it in the freezer." Our guide to freezing and thawing has more on using the freezer well.

Rotate your stock

When you unpack the shopping, put new items at the back and move older ones to the front. FSANZ gives the same advice for canned food: "Rotate food in your pantry by using older stock first" (FSANZ, Canned foods).

Our tip: finish what's in a container before you top it up, then wash and dry it before refilling. If you're not sure what a date on a packet means, our guide to use-by vs best-before dates explains the difference.

Check cans and jars

Love Food Hate Waste advises: "Check tins and jars for cracks, swelling or leaks which suggests the food is not safe to eat." FSANZ says: "Handle canned food carefully to avoid denting or other damage which could affect the can's seal." The Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) adds that "Damaged food packaging can provide an entry for bacteria" (Food Safety Information Council, Shopping and storage).

Once a can is open, FSANZ advises: "If not used immediately, the contents of the opened container should be emptied into a clean plastic or glass container, covered and stored in a refrigerator."

Spotting pantry pests

NSW DPI notes that "Common insects found in households and pantries include" beetles, carpet beetles, weevils and moths. Its factsheet lists simple steps "to reduce the risk and spread of insect infestations in your pantry", including:

• "Storing in containers with close fitting lids"
• "Thoroughly clean up any spilt foodstuffs"
• "Freeze items for up to 48 hours to kill insects that may be hidden in your new purchases"
• "Clean pantry frequently"

If you find insects, check nearby packets and clean the shelf well. Containers are one step among several, not a treatment for food that's already affected.

Where a container set fits in

Matching containers make a pantry easier to scan. The Vuumex Glass Vacuum Food Container Set is designed for "leftovers, meal prep, pantry storage, marinating and more". It includes four borosilicate glass containers in 470ml, 800ml, 1.4L and 2.7L sizes with airtight vacuum lids, plus a rechargeable vacuum pump (a spare rechargeable pump or a no-charging manual pump is also available). The glass bases are dishwasher safe, and the lids have a date dial, which is simply a reminder of when you put food in.

A container doesn't change how long pantry food keeps or replace the habits above. Our guide to vacuum sealing at home explains what removing air can and can't do.

Quick recap

• Clean the shelves and keep the pantry away from sunlight and heat.
• Store rice, flour, grains, nuts, sugar and pasta in airtight containers, or tightly reseal the packet.
• Put new stock at the back and use older stock first.
• Check cans and jars for damage, and move opened cans into the fridge in a clean container.
• Use containers with close fitting lids, clean up spills and clean the pantry often to help reduce insect problems.

More food storage guides

Our guides to choosing food storage containers in Australia, glass vs plastic food storage containers, meal prep for beginners, reducing food waste at home, how to store vegetables in the fridge and how to marinate meat safely pick up from here. Questions about our containers? Contact us.

Sources: Love Food Hate Waste (NSW Government), Storage Superhero and How to store; NSW Department of Primary Industries, Common pantry insects; Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Canned foods: purchasing and storing; Food Safety Information Council, Shopping and storage. This guide is general information only.