8 Things in your kitchen that you need to throw away right now

Since the kitchen is where we prepare our meals, it is important that everything in it be healthy and edible. Let’s not even get to the hygiene part hoping it comes obvious to everyone.

A lot of foods are prone to going bad after a while and should be thrown out sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, many of us hold on to unnecessary things that only clutter the kitchen leave alone the stench.

So just what should we constantly switch up and ditch out of our kitchens?

Here are a few edibles and kitchen items that you should not keep in your kitchen for too long. 

If you are a big fan of egg whites in cocktails, or if you use egg yolks exclusively in your cooking or baking, please note that they go bad fast. If you choose to keep them make sure to put them in the freezer almost immediately. It is recommended that you either use them or freeze them within 24 hours.

Baking powder tends to lose its power faster than baking soda because unlike baking soda, it is not purely sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder also contains an acid and a moisture absorber such as cornstarch. It is therefore well advised to test if your baking powder still works, especially if you have had it for an extensive time. To test, simply take a 1/3 cup of hot water and add a teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles it still works fine.

Most people are in the habit of buying spices that they end up not using regularly. As such, one might have certain spices for quite a long time. Unfortunately, after a year spices tend to start losing their flavor and potency. Always check what is in your cupboard and clean them out accordingly. Old spices do not pose a health threat but they do lose their effectiveness.

If your nonstick pan has deep scratches, then it is no longer nonstick and you should switch it out. Teflon-coated pans can be an issue too as they tend to give out fumes when heated for too long at high temperatures. When inhaled, these fumes can trigger flu-like symptoms.

Ideally, cooked food and leftovers should be used after three to four days. If you do not remember serving or preparing the meal, then the leftovers have been in there for too long and should be tossed away. If the food has any mold in it, then it belongs in the trash bin.

Meat should always be bought and cooked before the use-by date. However, if the meat has an odor even before you open the package, or if it smells foul right after taking it out of the package, do not take a chance with it. If it smells bad it will taste bad too and even put you at risk of food poisoning.

Whether it's plastic or wooden, if your cutting board has too many cracks on it, it is time to throw it. This is because bacteria is likely to hide in these scratches and it will be next to impossible to clean it out properly. This also applies to wooden spoons and rolling pins.

Sometimes we buy sauces for specific recipes and then never use them again. Always inspect them to check if they are past their expiry date. If you notice the condiments have started to separate or they don't look right, it is best to throw them out as they have likely gone bad.