Years ago, I was at a friend’s house and I wanted to make some chocolate chip cookies. When I went digging in her pantry, I found baking powder that had expired many, many years earlier. I tossed it, ...

While staying at my grandparents’ house last weekend, I was craving pancakes—until I opened the baking cupboard and found a jar of baking soda with a label from the early 2000s. Could it still work?

DEAR HELOISE: I understand that baking powder has a shelf life, and that it can go bad. Can you tell me how long it remains good? — Joe and Kay, via e-mail It does have a shelf life, and here’s how to ...