

These same black specks are also common in hard shelled tacos, corn chips, and tortilla chips. So sometimes you may notice these black specks and other years they may not be seen.

CORN PUDDING JIFFY CORN MUFFIN MIX SKIN
Now what about those black specks that you sometimes see in cornbread? Is it mold or proof that the mix has gone bad?Īctually no! Those little black specks that you sometimes see in cornbread mixes is actually perfectly normal and not a sign of spoilage.Īccording to Jiffy’s website, it is actually a naturally occurring dark pieces of the skin of the corn that was used. If your cornbread mix smells fine, you can still use it but note that the baking soda may have lost its effectiveness so it may not rise and fluffy like normal. If you notice an odd smell that is similar to rancid oil, then odds are good that the wheat flour or lard has gone rancid. The number one easy way to test if your cornbread mix has gone bad is to give it a little sniff. How can you tell if cornbread mix has gone bad? The only issue is that baking soda makes up less than 2% of the total volume of the mix, so you may not get a good reaction. Now you can do this same test with cornbread mixes as well. If you see no reaction, then it is best to toss it. If you see a reaction of bubbling than it is still working. Normally you can test baking soda’s effectiveness by taking a small amount and mixing it with vinegar. So, an old cornbread mix may not raise like it should when you bake it. Basically, it makes the cornbread go from a thick batter to a raised final product.īaking Soda that is old doesn’t work as effectively anymore and will result in a very dense cornbread. When used in corn bread mixes, it acts as the leavening agent.

Baking Sodaīaking Soda in general has a shelf life of about 18 months. So, after baking your cornbread you may notice a very off flavor and smell. This can cause a bad smell like just like rancid vegetable oil. Lard is mostly made from rendered pig fat, and just like the oil in wheat flour that fat can go rancid. Typically, lard can be safely used 6 months after the expiration date as long as it is stored at room temperature. This gives the product a creamy taste and texture. You may think that the use of lard is a very outdated practice, but it is still used in quite a few commercially made baking mixes. Oils can go rancid over time, and this means if you use expired wheat flour your finished product can have an odd aftertaste or smell. This means that wheat flour contains 3/4 of a teaspoon of naturally occurring oils in every 1 cup of flour. Wheat flour contains all three parts of the grain: bran, germ, and endosperm. The cornbread mixes do a good job of being stored in an airtight bag inside of a box, but wheat flour can still go bad. Wheat Flour typically can last 3-6 months after expiration, but it has to be stored in a cool dark place in an airtight container. So here comes our problem areas in expired cornbread mix, they are the wheat flour, lard, and baking soda. Up to a 1 year after expiration date if stored properly Ingredientģ-6 months after expiration date if stored properly WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERMINATED YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, LARD (HYDROGENATED LARD, BHT AND CITRIC ACID PRESERVATIVES), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: BAKING SODA, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID, WHEAT STARCH.Īll of these ingredients are considered shelf stable, so let’s see what exactly the shelf life is so we can determine what will happen with an expired corn muffin mix. Now that we know that the corn bread mix can have quality issues after expiration date, what exactly does that mean? Let’s take a look at the ingredients inside of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. How long can you use Jiffy corn muffin mix after expiration date?
