Does baking powder have a shelf life?

[Freeranger]

Just that really. Not for hygiene purposes, but is there a point where it stops working?

[Totally Scrambled]

I bought a tub of it a couple of weeks ago and on the lid it says best before end of May 2014.
Don't know if that's a marketing ploy to get you to buy a new pot if you haven't used it all by then or whether it won't work after that.
Dom

[Freeranger]

Thanks for looking, TS. Our daft regulations mean that even salt and sugar (preservatives) have to have a sell-by date on, but that's for bugs, mould & beasties. I was more wondering whether it would still work in a naan bread recipe, where it's the raising ingredient. It's very old!

[Totally Scrambled]

Thanks for looking, TS. Our daft regulations mean that even salt and sugar (preservatives) have to have a sell-by date on, but that's for bugs, mould & beasties. I was more wondering whether it would still work in a naan bread recipe, where it's the raising ingredient. It's very old!

If it's really old I suppose you could make Nan bread instead
Dom

[Freeranger]

My nan can't eat bread.

[HedgeHugger]

I have a tub of baking powder that must be 3 or 4 years old now, has been opened for most of that time too and still gets used to no ill effects.
I did recently buy a new one, but am still using the old one :)

edited to add.....
I just checked the tub of BP in the cupboard. The date on it says Nov 09! so I guess it's a year or 2 older than I thought it was.
We aint deaded yet :)

[Mo]

You can see if it works by putting a pinch in a spot of water. If it is fresh it fizzes like mad.

If it doesn't fizz it won't make the bubbles you need in your baking.

It might last a bit longer than the tub says if you've been careful to keep it dry. But now that they sell in in bigger tubs I find I don't use it up before it goes flat.

[LittleBrownFrog]

In my experience, after a couple of years it doesn't raise things as well. Mo's trick is a good one.

[Freeranger]

Thanks all, and especially Mo. I'll give that a try and let you know what happens.

[HedgeHugger]

I threw a pinch of BP into water (from the ancient tub) and there was instant fizz :) there is only a tsp or 2 left in there now, but goes to show that 'use-by' dates are pretty irrelevant on a lot of foods.