Must I store uncooked pasta in an airtight container?

Question

With things like uncooked chapatis, if you don't put them in airtight packaging, they become tough and dry. I imagine that this is because they've already been mixed with water and chemically changed.

Must you do the same with uncooked pasta? In the packaging, the noodles are hard pieces which must be boiled. It seems to me that, if they are uncooked and in a non-airtight container, they don't change but still remain hard and when cooked become soft like normal.

Therefore, I'm wondering, is it really a problem if I leave pasta out with the packaging open for weeks?

Answer 1

It's usually fine to keep the pasta in an open container. But there are two potential issues:

• First, if you live somewhere with a very humid climate, the pasta could get unpleasant after many months of storage.

• Second, you'll be surprised what weevils like to eat! Keeping anything with even a small amount of starch sealed away makes sure that, if you happen to get an infestation, they won't make a hidden nest in the pasta box.

If neither of these issues bother you, you can use any convenient container without caring whether or not it's airtight.

Answer 2

Airtight containers are unnecessary for dry pasta

Dry pasta, that is fully dried does not require airtight packaging. In the U.S. dried pasta products are typically packaged in unlined cardboard boxes which are not airtight and are marked to be used within 3 years of the packing date.

Freshly made, uncooked pasta however is not fully dried and should be stored in airtight containment under refrigeration.